Day in Segovia

It was an early start to explore the city ahead of the arrival of any tourists. I walked its narrow, cobbled and high-walled streets, losing my bearings in their twists and turns. One moment descending, the next climbing. To me, here less than a day, it is a maze. Through gaps you can see the city outside the walls and like the old streets it falls and rises like a wave while ever in the background, the Guadarramas. This is a city of hills.

Overshadowing everything at the bottom of the old town sits the aqueduct, solid and dominating. Today the arches stand clear and empty - no longer the roofline for cheap guest houses - and maybe you can imagine it once being used as a communal space for makeshift cinema but today the space is made over to richer clientele: the tourist office sits there surrounded by expensive looking cafes and restaurants.

I made my way down to Santiago gate in a far corner of town, the gate through which Lee had entered the city on his arrival. From the walls I watched a hot air balloon drift lazily overhead flying low across the city but for me it was a steep climb up cobbled steps and road back into the old town centre. A short stop in a small park then on towards the cathedral, at each turn an old church or palace dropped in among the ancient streets and houses; this is a city that would take a week and not a day to get to know. The cathedral itself is a statement: outside it is solid blocks of subtly decorated golden stone, inside a vast airy space supported by lofty pillars. It also had displays of paintings and tapestries for added interest. Apparently it is the last to be built in the Gothic style in Spain. By late morning, as I shopped for fruit in a market in the Plaza Mayor, the crowds were building and I headed for the coolness of my room to make plans for the next few days.

Santiago Gate

Cathedral 

Cathedral 

Mindful of Spanish timings I waited until mid afternoon before heading out again into those ancient streets of stone and stucco, this time making for the Segovia museum. I had hoped to learn a bit more about the physical development of the city but learned more about how it made its fortune from wool production and that there was once a Royal Mint in the city. With a big day of climbing tomorrow I dined well on traditional Segovian fare: bean stew and roast piglet. Then back to pack and hope that the rain forecast for this evening has stopped by the time I leave.