It was simply bugging the hell out of us....we would talk about it, imagine it, even attempt to make plans in the hopes that we could travel....somewhere. Weve somewhat mollified this urge by taking a few trips within the U.S., but we all know that the great thrill is to leave your own country and go visit one youve never seen before. Thats the thing, right?
Weve spent each day for months longing for travel. Attempting to decide if it was safe, if it was the socially responsible thing to do.. Weve studied vaccination rates and weve studied the U.S. State department website until we exhausted all the information. In the end we selected a country where many residents have been vaccinated -- since we have been vaccinated and since we trust science... here we go....after all, it had been 560 days since we arrived back home after arguably one of our best voyages to Antarctica.
In the end, the decision was made. Wed been conversing with our good friend, Brendan bvchef and he liked the idea of joining us in the middle of our excursion to
explore Portugal and take a river cruise. More on that later as we planned to leave over two weeks before the cruise. After busily assembling plans on (what is for us) a last minute basis, off we went.....to Spain.
Whether you are a sophisticated foodie or prefer street food you will in Spain. With little time to prepare for this trip we watched three or four episodes of Anthony Bourdains No Reservations to prepare us for the foods we should order while on this trip. His programs have always fascinated us and really put us in a good mood for the planning process. Of course the Iberian Peninsula nations of Spain and Portugal also have a high degree of interesting history. A perfect match. We had planned on visiting Spain some years later, but the pickings of safe countries to visit (and the ones who would accept Americans) were on the slim side.
We landed in Madrid early in the morning and headed straight for Segovia. We wanted to begin our adventure in a smaller town rather than a large city. In 1985, Unesco deemed this town center a world heritage site so that was good
enough for us. Segovia has been a perfect town to explore while we battle with some jetlag and allow our bodies to adjust. Our hotel is in the town square and you can walk to everything. The streets made us so glad to be back on the road again.
From our hearts we can say it feels glorious to wander again. As world travelers, we knew we missed travel, but until you are back on the road again you wont really understand the depth of what has been missing from your life. This is something you just cant measure, but it is large. We are beginning to feel whole again. The narrow streets wind through this quaint town full of amazing architecture. Each street beckons us to take a look around. To poke our heads in shops, cafes, churches and museums. The window boxes are full of color and yet we know fall is on the way and soon the pops of color will fade until next year.
As you drive into town one of the first things you see is the Roman aqueduct. This landmark of Segovia was built in the first century A.D. and is
amazingly It also tells us that this part of Spain is definitely not in an earthquake zone. The pictures can best explain this as its condition is excellent.
Our hotel is just a stones throw from the impressive Segovia Cathedral. An imposing structure which took 238 years to build and was one of the last Gothic style churches built in Europe. The construction and opulence of the cathedral demonstrate the power and the deep pockets of the Catholic Church in this area back in the 1600s. It was however, a pleasure to stroll inside the cathedral and take in all the grandeur.
At the end of one of these brick streets youll find what every European city longs for ..... a storied Castle. The Alcazars presence allows Its charm to permeate the surrounding city. From the top of the tower we could see hills and mountains near and far.
