The Journey Part 4 - Segovia

We both slightly dreaded arriving at our hotel in Segovia.  Our van was long and we have driven around many Spanish towns where streets can be narrow and steep and had visions of getting stuck somewhere, unable to move forwards or back.  Thankfully, our hotel was on the edge of the city, just outside the old Roman walls, and it had ample parking.  The building was part of a former convent, although a smaller convent still exists tucked at the back.

Segovia is gorgeous.  We had no real idea of what to expect, although once we had decided on our itinerary, redid keep seeing photos on social media of this city, and its rich historical heritage.  However, nothing really prepares you for the sheer scale and majesty of the beautifully preserved buildings.  We were staying right next to the old city walls, and as you walk along the cobbled street next to these walls, you realise that this is the aqueduct built by the Romans, and as you turn a bend this wall expands into a breathtaking two-tier arched structure that almost defies belief.  This aqueduct is built from huge blocks of granite with no mortar, just held together by structural physics - something I never understood at school!  It is mind-blowing in both scale and condition.  That can be said of so much of Segovia: the stunning cathedral, the Alcazar, the church of San Martin and so much more.  This is a beautifully preserved city, and when the sun is setting, these buildings are bathed in washed of gold and pink.  It is said that Walt Disney drew inspiration for his princess palaces from the Alcazar in Segovia, and it is easy to see why.  We could have spent some days here, wandering the streets and taking time to venture out into the surrounding countryside.  Segovia has an air of affluence, and I am assuming that many inhabitants from Madrid come out here to weekend homes or to escape the fierce mid-summer heat in the capital.