For two years now I’ve wanted to go to Segovia, ever since I planned on going to Spain. I had read about it in one of the travel guides and became enthralled by the aqueduct and castle. Segovia is only about an hour bus ride from Madrid; over the last two years I have been to Madrid many times, with a visit to Segovia always in the back of my mind. It wasn’t until last Monday, my last day in Spain that I finally planned and carried out a visit to Segovia.
My first stop was to the Roman aqueduct. The aqueduct is huge, spanning from one side of the city to the other; built by the Romans it has stood for over 2,000 years without cement or mortar. A marvel of engineering it was incredible to see in person, examine the stones and admire its beauty.
Next stop was the Alcazar of Segovia. To get there you take a nice walk through the old town, pass the main plaza and cathedral to the outskirts. The Alcazar is one of the most distinctive looking castles in all of Spain because of its unique shape and fairy-tale-like appearance. It was first started as an Arab fort and later changed hands to the Christians in the 1100s; through the middle ages it remained one of the favorite residences of the monarchs; in the 1400s it is where they decided Colombus would set off on his voyage; in the 1700s it became the Royal Artillery School and in 1862 suffered devastating damage from a fire. This is a shame and its one of the reasons why I wouldn’t recommend doing the tour; while it was cool to see the inside and learn about the history most of the ceilings and things within the castle are reproductions of what it was like before the fire; little of what was inside was original. While the inside might not be all that impressive that outside is incredible; each angle presents something new.
The last thing I did/tried was Segovias famous gastronomical dish, Cochinillo Asado or Roast Suckling Pig. Cochinillo is cooked in a special oven. The criteria for both pigs and restaurants are very strict. For the pigs: not heavier than 4-5 kilograms, milk-fed only, not older than three weeks, a special breed and a special menu for the feeding mother. I almost passed on the opportunity of trying it because I didn’t want to spend the money, but I’ll probably never be back in Segovia so I decided to go for it and I’m glad I did. It was delicious, crunchy on the outside and fall off the bone meat on the inside.
A beautiful city not far from Madrid, Segovia is a city not to be missed.