SEGOVIA

The bus ride from Toledo to Segovia took roughly two hours. Everyone fell asleep as we pulled out the city. I woke up around 15 Km outside of Segovia to find it was snowing. Ugh, I thought it did not snow in Spain, I guess I was mistaken. We pulled into the city and started walking toward a castle. This castle looked like something out of another fairy tale. It was made of different colored stucco, and had opulent turrets and spiraling towers. The windows all had decorative iron bars. We walked through the gardens, looking and the perfectly groomed bushes and the detailed marble statues. I am not sure who had once lived in this palace but it I could see myself living there. After our tour of this palace we headed into the city of Segovia. Segovia looks different from Toledo. The streets are not as narrow and winding and the buildings do not look as historic, but it still has that quaintness of an old Spanish town set in the rolling hills of the country side. Segovia is just north of Madrid. We walked through the city to the main Plaza. Jesus, our study abroad director, told us where to go to get food and to be back by three in the plaza. We left on our quest for food and settled on a restaurant about a block away. We had no idea what we were in for when we picked this place. For ten euros you could get a first plate, a second plate, and then a postre, which is dessert. For my first plate I ordered soap de castellano, big mistake. I am pretty sure the soup had pig brains in it. I took one bite of the giggly meat substance and quickly put my spoon. The waiter brought me a salad instead. I ordered fish for my second course. The fish of course came with the bones. It was okay, but I think I ended up eating more bones than fish. For dessert I tried arroz con leche, which is basically rice pudding. It was decent, but I probably wont order it again. After lunch we walked to probably the coolest place I have ever been, the castle of Ferdinand and Isabella (Spanish and king and queen that Christopher Columbus the money for his discovery of America). The castle was out of this world. It was All made of stone and had a bluish-gray roof. It looked like something out of Cinderella. It was set up above the town of Segovia, surrounded by gardens, patios and a river. The castle over looked the surrounding town and rolling farms of the countryside. Jesus gave us a tour of the castle, taking us through the main hall, the dining hall, the church inside the castle, the thrown room, the armor room, and the bedroom of Ferdinand and Isabella. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the architecture and old painting and tapestries that were hung throughout the castle. After Jesus’ tour we had the option of climbing the 152 stairs to the top of the one of the spiral towers. I was not going to pass up the spectacular view at the top, so I made the climb up the narrow winding staircase. I was not disappointed once I had reached the top. The view of Segovia was incredible. Despite the frigid temperature and my cold wet feet it was absolutely breath taking to see the town as King the Queen of Spain would have 500 years ago. After the castle tour, we headed back to Salamanca. We were back into our Madres apartment with in two hours. Our course she made us a giant feast, that I had force down. Then she came into the room the churros con chocolate. Oh god I think I was on the verge of bursting after dinner. This woman is insane. I am putting my foot down tomorrow if this does not end!!!