Segovia

Saturday a friend and I took a train to Segovia with the other English assistant from my school. Segovia is most famous for its impeccably preserved first century Roman aqueduct. It was certainly a sight to see, but was just the beginning of a wonderful day.

In the morning there was rain, which drove us into Segovia's Cathedral, begun in 1525. It towers over the small city of Segovia, rising high above the otherwise quaint streets.

After a walk through the medieval Jewish cemetery outside of town, we went to see the Church of La Vera Cruz, a 13th century church constructed by the Knights Templar. Its dodecagonal design is based on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Located on a hill outside of the city walls, it has good views of the city. 

Next we walked up another hill to get a good view of the Alcázar. The palace was originally built in the 11th century but was completely renovated in the 19th century due to a fire (it had been used as the Royal Convent of Artillery). Some say it is the castle after which the Disney logo is modeled. Needless to say, it was worth the hike out there for the view. 

Later, we went to the house of the Spanish poet Antonio Machado (1875-1939). It was a really nice tour and I'm going to make a separate post about it and his poetry. That's all for now. More posts on Flamenco concerts and medieval cities are coming shortly.