Day 48: Segovia!
Day 48: Segovia
Getting up at 9:30 was no problem. Getting to a city outside of Madrid was. I had a free breakfast at the hostel and then I went out into the nice and cool weather of central Spain. I hopped on a metro to where I thought the bus station was. But instead I found the train station. So I checked the prices and to go to Segovia was only 6 euros. I figured that was well worth a train ride so bought a ticket from a man who spoke hardly any English. I tried to speak Spanish but it wasn't working.
“Yo tengo... sigh. No hablo espanol....Segovia?”
“Seis.”
Seis? Oh yeah six.
“It is at five after ten.”
“OK.”
He handed me the ticket and told me, “Platform One.”
So I waited twenty minutes at platform one inside a huge train station. But then on the adjacent platform two, a train pulled up advertising Segovia. Unsure and already waiting five extra minutes then I was supposed to, I jumped on and sat down.
It wasn't until 11:30 that a man came around to check tickets and he asked for mine. He scribbled something on it and said “Grathias” and moved on to the next person. It was at this point that I knew I was on the right train.
The close up view of the medium tall mountains was amazing and Segovia came quickly. I could see the cathedral's towers from some distance but the rolling hills soon blocked them. After asking if this was really where I thought, I got off.
I had no map, no plan, no goals except see the three main attractions of Segovia: a Roman aqueduct, the Cathedral, and the castle. I started walking after seeing a city bus map in what I hoped was the right direction. I soon saw the aqueduct towering over the city square. I immediately altered course and headed for its base. After standing in awe for a minute, I took some pictures.
Again, I am saddened that I left my camera cord in Prague with the rest of my luggage. I was going to go straight back after Pueblo Ingles. But Spain is awesome! I had to stick around for a little bit.
After walking around the Roman artifact, I headed towards the other end of the fairly small town to the cathedral. It too towered over the rest of the buildings and I could easily find my way to it. Its so much better than St Vitus in Prague! Publicized solely as “the Cathedral of Segovia,” I was able to go inside but at a price. But I could come back to that. As for right now, or then actually, I wanted to see the castle.
Alcazar of Segovia claims to be the base form of the Disney castle. But of course every castle claims this as their fame. But it is a 'fairy tale' castle to say the least. A tall keep and towers and a taller watch tower that looms over the bridge and the moat. The moat was empty but man its deep! To go inside the castle was only 4 euros. A good buy if you ask me. Alcazar was originally a castle but then it was a military school so it had a whole little museum about that on the side. I skipped it and walked around, staring at the tapestries, fancy paintings, fancier walls, and fancier still were the ceilings. However, the armory was most interesting. Suits of armor and swords over four hundred years old!
It was an extra two euros to go up 152 stairs to the top of the castle. I chipped that coin out in a jiffy. But that stairwell was dreadful! Medieval castles were not built for 6 foot-something tall men. When ducking, I hit my shoulder on a doorway.
The view from the top of castle was worth it all. A 360 view of the town, the fields, and the mountains was spectacular. I could spot a park trail that winded around the castle. I considered exploring about down there...
Going down the stairs was a little worse, if thats possible. There were even cellars! But there was nothing in there, just a bare room that was not fancy at all, but it looked very authentic. One window offered light into the brown walled room. Eerie...
When leaving the castle, I saw the main road in front of me and a small set of stairs that arched down to the near by river. I had to take the stairs. I found that trail going around the castle at a nice distance where I could look up at any time and see the castle sitting above on the rocky ledge like a giant. From the trail, I came to a road. From the road, I saw the trail again, and then a bike path that went in the complete opposite direction of the town. From the bike path, I saw a trail that maybe one deer had gone down simply because it had taken a wrong turn. From the deer path, I came to the top of a hill, barely hearing traffic, only smelling pine trees, and watching the blue sky only interrupted when a thin wispy cloud sauntered by.
But then a mosquito showed up and I left, following a fence down to the road again a different way. I came to the cathedral and went inside for 3 euros. Immediately, I was struck by its interior magnitude. Pillars six feet wide stretched to the arched roof in a Gothic style. They say pictures are worth a thousand words so you're just gonna have to wait. I'm not going to type ten thousand words. I took pictures; when I get back to Prague you can enjoy the sights I saw. Sorry, but there is no way to give that place of worship justice if I try with my pragmatic words.
From the cathedral, I wanted to follow the aqueduct to see where it ended. It was very anticlimactic. It just...ended. I started walking down a road and realized I had no idea how to get back to the train station. So I stopped at a bus station which had a map of the city, but no “Ustedes esta aqui.” (You are here.)
A five year old boy was also looking at the map, saw I was looking at the map and said something in Spanish. I ummmed and then said “Donde esta aqui?”
“Que?”
“Donde esta aqui?” But I gestured at the map to avoid confusion. But the Spanish nino said something very quickly and pointed to the side walk outside the bus stop. He probably said something smart like “We're at the bus station! Don't you know anything?”
Thankfully, a woman, possibly the boy's mother came up and pointed at the map. I then asked, “Donde esta tren estacion?”
She asked me... something.
I said with a sigh “No hablo espanol.”
And the bus pulled up and I said goodbye, off again on my unknowing adventure.
I came to an intersection, recognized an old archway from when I arrived, and took off down that road. I came to the train station and saw the train waiting for me. Buying my ticket, again 6 euros, I asked “Madrid? gesturing to the train. He nodded and I walked outside. I had no idea how long the train was there waiting, so when it whistled, I ran and jumped on. Ten minutes later, it closed its doors after a dozen or more people casually took their time.
The two hour train ride back when quickly. I just listened to music and slept a little. Back in Madrid, I grabbed some food and started typing. And here we are.
Getting up at 9:30 was no problem. Getting to a city outside of Madrid was. I had a free breakfast at the hostel and then I went out into the nice and cool weather of central Spain. I hopped on a metro to where I thought the bus station was. But instead I found the train station. So I checked the prices and to go to Segovia was only 6 euros. I figured that was well worth a train ride so bought a ticket from a man who spoke hardly any English. I tried to speak Spanish but it wasn't working.
“Yo tengo... sigh. No hablo espanol....Segovia?”
“Seis.”
Seis? Oh yeah six.
“It is at five after ten.”
“OK.”
He handed me the ticket and told me, “Platform One.”
So I waited twenty minutes at platform one inside a huge train station. But then on the adjacent platform two, a train pulled up advertising Segovia. Unsure and already waiting five extra minutes then I was supposed to, I jumped on and sat down.
It wasn't until 11:30 that a man came around to check tickets and he asked for mine. He scribbled something on it and said “Grathias” and moved on to the next person. It was at this point that I knew I was on the right train.
The close up view of the medium tall mountains was amazing and Segovia came quickly. I could see the cathedral's towers from some distance but the rolling hills soon blocked them. After asking if this was really where I thought, I got off.
I had no map, no plan, no goals except see the three main attractions of Segovia: a Roman aqueduct, the Cathedral, and the castle. I started walking after seeing a city bus map in what I hoped was the right direction. I soon saw the aqueduct towering over the city square. I immediately altered course and headed for its base. After standing in awe for a minute, I took some pictures.
Again, I am saddened that I left my camera cord in Prague with the rest of my luggage. I was going to go straight back after Pueblo Ingles. But Spain is awesome! I had to stick around for a little bit.
After walking around the Roman artifact, I headed towards the other end of the fairly small town to the cathedral. It too towered over the rest of the buildings and I could easily find my way to it. Its so much better than St Vitus in Prague! Publicized solely as “the Cathedral of Segovia,” I was able to go inside but at a price. But I could come back to that. As for right now, or then actually, I wanted to see the castle.
Alcazar of Segovia claims to be the base form of the Disney castle. But of course every castle claims this as their fame. But it is a 'fairy tale' castle to say the least. A tall keep and towers and a taller watch tower that looms over the bridge and the moat. The moat was empty but man its deep! To go inside the castle was only 4 euros. A good buy if you ask me. Alcazar was originally a castle but then it was a military school so it had a whole little museum about that on the side. I skipped it and walked around, staring at the tapestries, fancy paintings, fancier walls, and fancier still were the ceilings. However, the armory was most interesting. Suits of armor and swords over four hundred years old!
It was an extra two euros to go up 152 stairs to the top of the castle. I chipped that coin out in a jiffy. But that stairwell was dreadful! Medieval castles were not built for 6 foot-something tall men. When ducking, I hit my shoulder on a doorway.
The view from the top of castle was worth it all. A 360 view of the town, the fields, and the mountains was spectacular. I could spot a park trail that winded around the castle. I considered exploring about down there...
Going down the stairs was a little worse, if thats possible. There were even cellars! But there was nothing in there, just a bare room that was not fancy at all, but it looked very authentic. One window offered light into the brown walled room. Eerie...
When leaving the castle, I saw the main road in front of me and a small set of stairs that arched down to the near by river. I had to take the stairs. I found that trail going around the castle at a nice distance where I could look up at any time and see the castle sitting above on the rocky ledge like a giant. From the trail, I came to a road. From the road, I saw the trail again, and then a bike path that went in the complete opposite direction of the town. From the bike path, I saw a trail that maybe one deer had gone down simply because it had taken a wrong turn. From the deer path, I came to the top of a hill, barely hearing traffic, only smelling pine trees, and watching the blue sky only interrupted when a thin wispy cloud sauntered by.
But then a mosquito showed up and I left, following a fence down to the road again a different way. I came to the cathedral and went inside for 3 euros. Immediately, I was struck by its interior magnitude. Pillars six feet wide stretched to the arched roof in a Gothic style. They say pictures are worth a thousand words so you're just gonna have to wait. I'm not going to type ten thousand words. I took pictures; when I get back to Prague you can enjoy the sights I saw. Sorry, but there is no way to give that place of worship justice if I try with my pragmatic words.
From the cathedral, I wanted to follow the aqueduct to see where it ended. It was very anticlimactic. It just...ended. I started walking down a road and realized I had no idea how to get back to the train station. So I stopped at a bus station which had a map of the city, but no “Ustedes esta aqui.” (You are here.)
A five year old boy was also looking at the map, saw I was looking at the map and said something in Spanish. I ummmed and then said “Donde esta aqui?”
“Que?”
“Donde esta aqui?”
Thankfully, a woman, possibly the boy's mother came up and pointed at the map. I then asked, “Donde esta tren estacion?”
She asked me... something.
I said with a sigh “No hablo espanol.”
And the bus pulled up and I said goodbye, off again on my unknowing adventure.
I came to an intersection, recognized an old archway from when I arrived, and took off down that road. I came to the train station and saw the train waiting for me. Buying my ticket, again 6 euros, I asked “Madrid? gesturing to the train. He nodded and I walked outside. I had no idea how long the train was there waiting, so when it whistled, I ran and jumped on. Ten minutes later, it closed its doors after a dozen or more people casually took their time.
The two hour train ride back when quickly. I just listened to music and slept a little. Back in Madrid, I grabbed some food and started typing. And here we are.
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