Wednesday, May 18th, 2022- a day full of laughter, art, croquettes, and sunblock. Today’s adventures started as we headed to the bus with excitement and stories for the night before. On our way to Segovia, many students enjoyed the mountainous views and while others enjoyed the insides of their eyelids.
I was tempted to sleep on the one hour bus ride but my curiosity kept my eyes open. It has been apparent to me that the curiosity and adventure involved in traveling fuels me more than the few hours of sleep I get each night. Madrid is the city that doesn’t sleep and it’s hard to close your eyes knowing that there is still so much to be done. As we drove, I couldn’t help but think about the day ahead.
As we pulled up to Segovia, a small city north of Madrid with a population of approximately 50,000 people, my eyes were met with one of the most incredible sights I’ve seen. Ahead there was a Roman aqueduct that was built in the second century. During our guided tour, we learned that the aqueduct is how the city of Segovia used to get water from the mountains. They have not used this system since the mid 1920s but the aqueduct is still a symbol of Segovia. While they are neither the largest or the oldest, it is certainly one of the most beautiful and well kept. I was in awe when I learned that the aqueducts were granite stones with nothing holding them together due to the fact that it is such a sturdy structure.
Next, the group wandered up a long winding cobblestone street lined with restaurants and shops searching from every drop of shade we could. Along the way we saw the oldest park in Segovia and Stork nests. The Storks fly from Africa every year to maintain their nest and take care of their new baby. After admiring the large nests we walked down the street further.
The Plaza de Mayor was filled with people dining at restaurants. As I looked around I saw the Catedral de Segovia which is one of the two cathedrals in Segovia and is larger than a Soccer field. In this moment I had a realization of how magical it really is to travel. While I felt like we had already seen so much, this cathedral was nothing like anything we had seen in Madrid. For me, this meant that it doesn’t matter how much you travel, there is always more to see.
On the outside of the cathedral, there was a statue of their patron Saint, San Frutos. The statue was in front of the entrance and was holding a book crafted of bronze. The legend goes that San Frutos grants one miracle a year and the people of the city join together as they eagerly watch as San Frutos turns the page. If the page is turned then there will be another year but if the page does not turn then the end of the world is coming.
We then moved on to the palace known as the Alcazar, an 80 meter tall fairytale esque building that absolutely took my breath away. Just when I thought that I could not be more amazed, I learned that this castle was the inspiration for the castle in Snow White.
As we entered the castle, the cold air met my skin and my excitement flared. We traveled from room to room learning about all of the history accompanying the building. This was the most interesting history lesson I have ever attended. When we were in the library of the castle, the tour guide explained that there was a fire that started near the library and all of the students in the library threw the books out the windows to save them. Although I am not the biggest fan of reading, I feel that my first instinct would be to exit the castle and would not particularly think about the books.
Just when I thought that the castle could not get more amazing, we were met with 152 steps leading up the roof of the castle. I eagerly started to climb the winding steps, legs burning with each step. Left, right, left, right, left, right, and so on. Just as I started to lose my breath, I reached the top. My eyes were met with the most breathtaking view of Segovia. It felt as if I had walked right into a painting of the most perfect day.
Down the 152 winding steps, each step seeming harder to reach then the next, the group had reached the ground and were headed onto our next sight. We walked down the cobblestone to the Plaza de Mayor, from there we took a tour of the cathedral, and ate lunch. Then we piled back on the bus, more eyelids were observed on the way back to the hotel.
The rest of the day we had free time. To me free time is a funny concept because I feel free all the time when I am traveling. Regardless of the itinerary of the day ahead, I can’t help but to feel liberated. The rest of my day was spent at El Prado Art Museum and exploring the city of Madrid. I truly believe that there are no words that would allow me to paint the art saw in a just manner and one needs to visit themselves to understand the full picture. From Goya, to Piccasso, to Velasquez, there was such a large variety of artists and types of paintings. One room leads to another and another after that, endless paintings and creativity.
Each day in Spain has been so action packed but has yet left me yearning for more adventure. I heard a quote a while ago but I’ve never truly understood the significance until now. It went something along the lines of “money will fill your pockets but travel will fill your soul” and after these past couple of days I know that to be true.