When I first opened my eyes from my nap on our one hour bus ride to Segovia, I was flabbergasted by the view in front of me. At first I had no idea what I was looking at, I was just appreciating the view and admiring the architecture. In front of me was the aquaduct in Segovia, the longest preserved aquaduct built by the Romans. This aquaduct brought fresh water from the mountains all the way to the palace in Segovia. Furthermore, the Romans only used granite blocks in the construction of the aquaduct. Each block lays ontop of another, without anything holding them together. The arches are held up using pressure and force.

Next we walked to what once was the tallest cathedral in Spain. This cathedral was the tallest until it got struck by lighting and about 20 meters fell down. On the side of the cathedral entrance, there is a statue of the patron saint of Segovia, Santo Frutto. Once a year, the statue of Santo Frutto, who is holding a book in his hands, flips one page of the book. The locals make an event of this and gather around the statue every year to watch the page flip. It is believed that the year Santo Frutto does not flip the page is the year the world will end. In addition, the remains of Santo Frutto are contained in a box displayed at the main entrance of the cathedral.

As we continued our tour, we climbed to the top of the castle, Alcazar de Segovia, where we were able to see the view of the entire town. Similar to all the other sights we previously saw, the castle had a lot of history behind it’s beautiful structure. The cielings in the main room and many other rooms throughout the castle were designed by the muslims of Segovia. After studying geometry, they used what they learned to create a beautiful pattern for the ceilings of the castle. The castle also had caught on fire after it was turned into a military school. When the castle began to go up in flames, the students grabbed as many books and paintings as they could and threw them out the window to salvage them from the fire. One of these paintings is on display in the chapel in the castle, where you are able to see the creases from when it was folded.

After the tour, we headed back to Madrid. This time, instead of napping, I stayed awake as I was curious to see what surrounded the town of Segovia. On the ride, I saw a bullfighting arena and in the distance, I was able to see the Valley of the Fallen. Both of which I look forward to learning more about.

Once we got to the hotel, a few of us headed over to El Prado Museum, where we were able to enjoy the art work of many famous painters such as Goya, Velazquez, Picasso, and more. The paintings were so beautiful and I was so impressed by the detail in the paintings. However, as I read the descriptions of each painting and took another look at them, they became even more beautiful and meaningful.

After an eventful day of visiting and seeing many historical gems in Spain, we went to Grama Bar and tried venezualen food for the first time. Although we should be trying foods native to the area, it has been very difficult for us to find a spot that is open at hours we would normally eat at home. But at least we stepped out of our comfort zone rather than going to a McDonalds or Taco Bell.

Speaking of, I have noticed that there are alot of American fast food restaurants all over Madrid and even in Segovia. This breaks me heart as these companies are taking the spaces of where a local restaurant or small business could be. I feel as though it takes away from the culture and experience one is looking for while abroad when they are surrounded by companies that they see daily back at home.

Overall, my main takeaway from today was to always ask questions and be curious rather than just accepting what is infront of you. Understanding the reasoning, story, history, etc. behind significant landmarks and attractions will give you a greater appreciation for the experience. This knowledge has made me more well rounded culturally.