We met at the university at 9a to depart on the hour-long drive to Segovia. Segovia is a very old city and it reminded me much of the kind of place that can only be described as quaint. In fact, it is so old that its most prevalent historical sites date back to the Roman Empire. The picture above was taken from the top of a building in La Plaza Menor. Below are photos of Segovia's palace and the views from the top of its tallest tower. One hundred and fifty two spiral steps it took to climb to that view, but I think the photos speak for themselves when I say that this journey merece la pena. As for the rest of the palace, it was pretty cool and I enjoyed the tour a lot. Our guide's name was Carmen Ana, and she'll be with us for each of our excursions over the next couple of weeks. She's a scholar at heart with degrees (I'm not quite sure of which levels) in Spanish literature, history and architecture and her extensive studies aren't just impressive in name. Standing outside the palace, she could go on for well over an hour about just the doorway.
Perhaps better known than the palace in Segovia is the aqueduct. Constructed in the first century AD during the Roman rule, this structure is about 2000 years old. Although not used today, Carmen Ana informed us that it is still perfectly functional - just not as efficient as modern methods of water transportation. For those (like me) who don't have much prior knowledge about aqueducts (though I do remember having to do some kind of project about them in Mrs. Oppenheim's 5th grade social studies class - Anna, perhaps it was when we had to build that ridiculous model city?) there is no cement or adhesive of any kind holding the stones together. Their own weights and the ensuing pressure is what holds it all in place. Upon hearing this, my inner nerd immediately began to picture free-body diagrams of the blocks...
Impresionante, no? Alright, well to finish off the photos from Segovia, here are
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