Segovia - home of the amazing aqueduct

Segovia was a day trip that we took from Madrid prior to heading to Lisbon, Portugal. We left our two friends (baggage 1 and 2) for this leg of the trip as we thought that the wheels could use some R&R. So with little more than my day pack and our camera, we left Madrid hoping to go to Toledo for the day, but the train reservations would not work with our pre-booked trip to Portugal that night. We opted for Segovia instead. The 12:10 train to Segovia meant that we had to wait at the train station for about an hour or so. Which was fine with us as it gave us some time to sit back and enjoy yet another café con leche (I think that Rav is addicted to this stuff). The slow moving train stopped quite frequently along our journey through the desert landscape. We did manage to see a bit of the wild life, as there appeared to be a deer sanctuary along the way. We arrived in Segovia along with the clouds and wind, making it rather cold in shorts and sandals. As we waited for the bus to take us into town and the information center, we met a lovely Canadian couple from Toronto. It was only later through our conversations on the train back to Madrid that we became better aquatinted.

There was not much to Segovia but it is a rather charming little town. The most emblematic of all the architectural structures to seen in Segovia is the aqueduct. The aqueduct was in all likelihood erected in the 1st century A.D. This most impressive work of engineering supplied water to the high lying parts of the town, at the time occupied by the Roman military headquarters and today the site of the Alcazar. From its source at the Fuenfria River some 14 km. away, to the point at which it enters the town, the aqueduct is in fact an underground channel capable of transporting up to 30 liters of water per second. The free standing arcade gracing its last kilometer features over 20,000 granite blocks that are held together without any kind of binding agent or mortar. Comprising of 120 pillars and 166 arches, it stands at 28 m tall. It is a marvelous site to see, and the fact that it still stands today is attributed to the Roman’s understanding of stone construction and the mastering of the arch.

The Aqueduct with its arches and pillars

One of the many churches seen through the arches of the aqueduct

It is amazing to see that there is no mortar holding up any of the blocks, just geometry and the shear weight of the material

An odd statue – children suckling on what appears to be a dog. This was at the center of town

Other building of note is the Cathedral, it is a massive yet harmonious late Gothic limestone structure that is known as the Cathedral of Segovia. Erected in 1525 to make amends for the damage done to it during the 12th century. We also went in to see the interior but the inside was just so dark that the images did not really work. It was rather bland any ways. The exterior was the best part of the Cathedral. Throughout this small town, there are 18 churches in all, ranging in size and grandeur.

Rav in front of the Cathedral

The Bell tower as seen through the cloister

Although this is not a church, it is Casa de Los Picos - Diamond shape studs on the main façade. It is the first time we had seen this type of architecture

We wanted to visit the Alcazar – a Castle Palace but it was closed, so that was a bit of a let down. On the other hand the walk through the town and then through the hillside was a great way to burn off a late lunch.

Chris in front of the closed Castle

It was a day well spent seeing a different part of Spain that did not have the big city feel. We are looking forward to Lisbon, but not the 10 hour over night train ride (frankly we are a little sick of the train and would do almost anything to be on a plane or even a bus). Lisbon here we come!

Chunger the unemployed bum

Madrid was a letdown for us...

With a wonderful three days in a city that we thought summed up Spain in a nutshell, we were eager to get to Madrid to see what the capital city had to offer. If it was anything like Seville or Barcelona, we knew we had lots in store.

We took a 3 ½ hour train ride to Madrid and arrived bright and early to clear and sunny skies. We made our way via metro to the area around the Puerta del Sol (known as Kilometer Zero; the city’s physical and emotional heart and the major artery through which all main streets stem off of) and got off at the Grand Via stop, a 5 minute walk to Puerta del Sol. Chris parked himself in the shade while I started the search for a place to stay. We had read about a Hostel Orly in the Lonely Planet and were hoping to get a room there if possible as it seemed to have a good recommendation and was “cheap” for big city standards. As soon as we stepped out from the metro though, the hot temperature and blaring sun made me forget about this hostel for a moment and made me want to duck into the first few that hit my path. The first hostel I came across was a few steps away from the metro station and they were fully booked for the next few nights. I was ready to start the trot down this street in search of another hostel when I realized that the hostel we were reading about in the Lonely Planet was in the same building that I had just been in but on the 7th floor. I climbed the seven flights of stairs since the elevator was not working and was hoping the trek up to this place was worth it. As soon as I rang the bell and saw the smiling face of a dear old lady answer, I knew this would be the place.

She quickly showed me a double room with a private bathroom which was GREAT!! It was clean, very large, bright and on top of that had a balcony overlooking Grand Via street, one of the main streets in Madrid and was only for 45 Euros a night. I gladly took the room for two nights and went down to grab my man and the baggage.

The usual write up at this point would entail a LONG write up on how great Madrid was, what we saw and what we did. Well I hate to disappoint you all but it’s not going to happen for this city.

Madrid was nothing like we had hoped or thought it would be. Perhaps it was because we were spoiled by what Seville had to offer or we had too many expectations of a big city since we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in Barcelona. Either way, both Chris and I were rather disappointed by Madrid. There is not much to see here (except for the Prado Museum that has some beautiful displays of artwork and a couple others if you are into modern art), the people are not that friendly and the city just seemed to have a “blah” feeling to it all. There are of course some interesting and beautiful buildings such as the Palacio Real and the Royal Basilica but nothing that seemed too really blow us away. We had heard that Madrid was known for its night life so perhaps the all night drinking and dancing in the clubs and bars is what makes Madrid so popular for some but for us “oldies” who are not into that scene anymore, it was a bit of a letdown. Add to this, the prostitution that was quite evident on Calle Montera and you can start to understand where we are coming from. Chris and I were very surprised when we found out that these prostitutes were “working” on the street that our hostel was on. These young girls were dressed in normal everyday clothes and just hanging out on the street when we walked by them at 11am (yes, you read that right, eleven in the morning) so we figured they were waiting for their friends or for the bus but when we saw the same girls, in the same clothes standing in the same spots when we walked by again at midnight, we figured they weren’t waiting for the bus after all!! Although you would think this would make this street feel unsafe, it really didn’t. It was always busy with tourists and locals shopping in the numerous shops along this street and making their way between the Grand Via and the Puerta del Sol. These girls seemed to be more like permanent fixtures on the street just like the street lamps and fire hydrants.

We spent 2 nights and three days in Madrid….three too many for us. The only reason we stayed that long is because we had already booked our reservations for our overnight train to Lisbon for the 21st on the first day we had arrived in Madrid thinking we would need at least three days to explore this city. Boy, were we ever wrong. Of course this is just our opinion of Madrid but that does not necessarily mean that Madrid is not a place to visit or see. Every traveller has different experiences and different views on places and like I said before, perhaps others would find Madrid a delight. Each to their own…we are just portraying the Madrid we saw and experienced through our eyes.

The only ray of sunshine that perhaps will make our visit to Madrid a bit better will be our short day trips to some of the smaller cities close to Madrid such as Segovia, Cuenca and Toledo and the possibility of getting tickets to a Real Madrid soccer match that is taking place on the 26th of Sept. Attempting to get tickets has been quite the feat and is perhaps another reason why Madrid has left a sour taste in our mouths. We attempted to buy tickets from the stadium the first day we arrived in Madrid (as instructed by the tourist information office, which by the way is not that useful at all) but the stadium advised us that they do not sell tickets there until the day before the match and only sell them via phone starting the 20th. We then attempted to phone them first thing on the 20th to charge the tickets to our credit card and were then told that they do not accept international credit cards and only accept credit cards issued from Spain…oh boy, lets just say Chris was not a happy camper. We then attempted to buy them online as instructed by another tourist information office, which we thought might be more helpful…NOT. After being told we could buy them online, we went to the internet where again we were denied, they were asking us for a 4 digit PIN number to our credit card, which of course we don’t have in Canada. So it’s safe to say, if we don’t get tickets on the 25th when we return to Madrid…our image of Madrid will be even further worsened! Cross your fingers for us…(and yes, for those of you who know me, your toes as well!)

Tomorrow we are off to a small town north of Madrid before boarding an overnight train to Lisbon, Portugal. Let’s hope Segovia is a treat.

Signing off…

Ravy the Roamer

The inside of the Atocha train station – we had just arrived and were eager to see what Madrid had in store for us

The façade of the Royal Basilica

Interior of the Royal Basilica

Interior dome of the Royal Basilica

The Palacio Real, Madrid’s 18th century Bourbon palace

Another shot of the Royal Palace, today it is used by the king for state occasions only

An apartment building across from the Royal Palace

The view of Grand Via street from our balcony at Hostel Orly – we would definitely recommend this as a place to stay for anyone visiting Madrid – reasonably priced and the dear old lady that runs the place is a sweetheart

We found random buildings like this one more attractive than some of the more monumental ones

And another one…

Bear and strawberry tree which can be found in the Puerta del Sol and is the symbol of Madrid

Mayor Square – a large square lined with many restaurants which reminded us of the Placa Real in Barcelona – unfortunately this square didn’t have a quarter of the life and enthusiasm that Placa Real had

Now this was an impressive building more so because it is Madrid’s Post Office….a lot different from what our post offices back home look like

Now these are what you call HAM HOCKS Gurj!! (hehe)

Again a building you wouldn’t necessarily think would be this well built – the Bank of Spain

When all else fails, a brewskie and some tapas are bound to help – sitting or standing at a bar like this is common in Madrid where the tapas are actually given to you for free to sample while you order a drink and then larger portions of the tapas can be ordered if wanted (something we didn’t realize until we hit one of these places and realized the locals would just keep ordering beers and keep getting small portions of tapas for free)…this, we can deal with!!

Ole`!!! from Sevilla

The sun was just barely visible in the horizon, warming the cool desert region around Granada as we dashed our way through town from the Hostal Olympia to the train station. There was a spring in our steps from a great night’s rest, and we found ourselves with time to spare from the two-kilometer walk. We each had a Café con lache, (half coffee half steamed milk) which we have become accustomed to in the mornings since our arrival in Spain some ten days ago. I was looking forward to seeing the beautiful terrain of this desert landscape once again as we had driven through it the day before, making our way from the small town of Bobadilla eastward to Granada. Since the cameras were well stowed the last time, we were unable to capture it on film or should I say digitally (the latter just does not have the same romantic ring). But today with my camera in hand and being on a first class train heading westwardly to Sevilla, I was ready. Since the train was moving rather quickly, it was hard to capture the majestic nature of this place, there is peacefulness to it all despite the barren appearance of the landscape. The countryside was full of olive plantations. It was only later that we found out that the province of Andalucia produces the most olive oil in the world. No other place in the world has more olive trees, with close to 1.5 million hectares and an average production of over 800,000 metric tons of Spanish olive oil (approximately a third of the global olive oil market). As the train whistled by the semideserts, lush river valleys and gorge-riddled mountains, I gazed through the window enjoying the marvelous scenery, while Rav was pensive in her demeanor, contemplating about the flamenco dancing and the bull fighting that Seville is famous for. Two of the things we had wanted to see the most in all of Spain was going to take place in a matter of days.

The mountainous gorges and lush greenery of Andalucia



The olive plantations in the semidesert conditions

Chris enjoying the scenery of Andalucia
The three and a half hour trip went by rather quickly and we found ourselves standing in front of the tourist office waiting in line to book a hotel/hostal for our stint in Seville. We ended up booking at the Santa Maria Hostal just 50 meters away from the Cathedral in the center of town for 45 Euros a night with our own private bathroom and air conditioning (the latter was a god send as the mid afternoon here in Seville is blistering hot). From what we can tell the owner of the Hostal is an elderly woman in her eighties who calls the shots, while two younger ladies are responsible for the cleaning. The rooms are clean but the place can be a bit noisy being so close to the Cathedral with the constant sounds of church bells and door bells from other patrons. We also booked a flamenco show at the famous El Palacio Andaluz for that evening.

The first afternoon was spent looking for the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza – where the bullfights take place. We had heard and read that the bullfights are very popular, and that they sell out rather quickly. So we braved the burning afternoon sun and sauntered through the construction ridden streets and cobble stone alleyways to make our way to the bullfighting arena. We arrived there just before 3 p.m.only to find out that the office does not open until 6 p.m. It was disappointing to come all that way only to be denied. Like a wounded matador we headed away from the arena to enjoy some of the other fine things in Seville.

Rav enjoying all of the tapas… especially the squid in it’s own black ink…NOT!

No no you eat… I’ll just sit here and watch.
That evening we took in a flamenco show, which was a great introduction into the city of Seville. Flamenco is an art form, a way of life so it would seem. A mixture of gypsy and andalusian culture and has a strong influence from the Arabic culture, which is also reflected in the architectural styles that defines Spanish architecture (more on this later). The emotions and passion that the dancers express in conjunction with the classical guitars and the associated soulful melodies of the singers, along with the colourful costumes make this quite the experience for the senses. Adding to that the dry rose wine and a stiff rye and coke - you get the taste buds dancing as well. We thoroughly enjoyed the hour and a half long show and were impressed with all of the performers.

An instrument of art

One of the 6 male performers dancing his heart out. Made us think about the dancer we saw in Barcelona for a measly 5 Euros

A dance of two lovers

The classic flamenco pose

Another passionate dance

We were both exhausted just watching the performers and were not looking forward to the 45 minute walk back to the hostal. But the next day was a full day – filled with site seeing and the bullfight in the evening. Should be a good one!

Seville is a small city with a little over 700,000 people where the cobble stone streets are tiny and windy, with numerous plazas and horse drawn carriages along orange trees that line the streets. The scorching sun means the alleyways are covered with fabric to provide shade for the pedestrians and tourists alike. The constant ringing of church bells and the flip flopping of horse hooves make this feel like a medieval town rather than a city of the 21st century despite the fact that some of the major boulevards are ripped up for the addition of a new tram system. It was easy to get around if you have a good map because the windy roads can lead you in the wrong path rather quickly. With that in mind we set off to discover the sites of Seville.

A typical street with fabric coverings to block out the sun

One of the many alleyways that are less than 2 meters wide. This will not meet code in Vancouver

The most visited monument in Seville today which was built for the exposition in 1929 . This 200 meter semi circle with it’s twin towers at each end is quite a magnificent building. The building facades are covered with ceramics as remnants of the Muslim roots established in this region, between the 12th to the 14th centuries. Although some of the areas were in a state of decay, the overall appearance of the building still has an impressive presence. Plaza de Espana – from the terrace within the plaza. You can see the semicircular shape here

The opposite tower as seen from the other side

Rav sun tanning between one of the many columns that hold up the building

The west tower through the ceramic covered ballads

Us at the Plaza de Espana

Archeology museum

Museum of folk art and customs

One of the more modern bridges in Seville

The Alamilo Bridge

Basilica of the Macarena from the outside

The Virgin Mary at the main alter of the Basilica of the Macarena

The Cathedral

Built on the site of a Muslim mosque the Giralda was once one of the tallest towers in the world. We did get a chance to climb to the bell towers for a good look at the city below. Although this tower has gone through many architectural styles over the course of time and conquerors, it still has a profound impact on the observer

The last addition was that of the Renaissance style as seen here with a small dome topped off with a wind vane, the Giraldillo
The Cathedral occupies the site of a great mosque built in the late 12th century and still maintains the bell tower known as the Giralda. This is the largest gothic temple in the world and the third largest Christian Cathedral following only St. Peters in Rome and St. Paul in England
The Cathedral is made up of 5 naves each with exquisite artistic treasures, with the main altarpiece regarded as one of the greatest in the Christian world

The sunlight shining through the Rosary illuminating the main alter piece

An ornate carving at the gate to the Cathedral illustrating the Muslim origin and influence

Seville through its Cathedral also pays homage to Christopher Columbus. Rumor has it that his body is laid to rest here, but carbon dating states otherwise
We ventured from here to the Torre del Oro – the golden tower as it is also known. One of the last examples of Moorish architecture was built as a defensive tower in the 12th century but now houses the naval museum. Stories have it that gold and silver were stored here from ships coming from the Americas back in the day, but we could not see any evidence of that.

Us at the entrance to the Torres del Oro

500 meter away from the Torres del Oro is the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza – better known to us as the bull ring. Construction started in 1761 and ended in 1881. Its exterior shows the style of the Late Baroque and early Classical periods
Inside the bullring, its museum houses exhibits related to the history and order of the owners of the ring. We skipped this and went straight to see the match. With our 10.50 Euro tickets in hand, we headed for our seats that were in the direct sun light. Just imagine sitting on bricks that have been baking in the sun all day. The intense heat was unbearable, but once the match started we hardly paid any attention to the sun.

The interior of the bullring

The Matadors… there are certainly a lot of them. Bull fighting is certainly not an individual sport as there are three stages to the match. The first two involve a team of men both on horseback and on foot, aimed at progressively weakening the bull. The third stage comes the matador to finish the job. It hardly seems fair

And only one Bull?…In total 6 bulls fell that night. The bulls are bred for courage and aggression, enjoying a full life prior to its time in the ring. Bull must be at least 4 years old before they can fight

What the heck are these colourful things on me? These are actually called banderillas – barbed darts designed to be driven into the back muscles of the bull to weaken them

I’ll show you my horns if you show me yours! “Ole`!!”says the matador

How about a dance?…Bullfighting is a sacrificial ritual indigenous to this region, in which some men and women put themselves against an animal bred for the ring. Despite the opposition on the grounds of cruelty to animals, bull fighting is still very popular with the Spaniards. For many Spaniards, the toreo the art of bullfighting, is a noble part of their heritage

Toro!!! Toro!!!
It was exciting and breath taking to see the immense power and agility of the bulls and the courage and artistry of the matador, but disturbing to see such a magnificent creature being reduced to nothing with a stab of a sword. The fights ended with loud applause from the screaming crowd, and a twitching carcass being pulled away by horses and an empty pit in our guts. It was something that we both decided we would never see again. Unlike the flamenco show from the previous night, the walk home was rather quiet.

What they say about Seville is definitely true, that once you leave it there it imparts a lasting impression on you. It is the intensity, passion and devotion that makes this place so inebriating, and these are evident in the flamenco dances and the bullfights that define the region of Andulucia. I wonder what Madrid has in store for us.

Chunger the Unemployed Bum