Days 15 and 16

[Rhia’s comments are italicized]

• Bus tour to Segovia and Avila
• Train to Granada

So we did our thing today; our first guided tour ever! I felt a little bit like a duckling (and also like one of the ‘sights’ for the locals!) Our guide, Rafa, was an excellent ambassador for Spain. His explanations for each landmark were clear, well rehearsed, and charismatic. The buses first stop, Segovia. The landmarks we visited were the Alcázar of Segovia (the template for Disney’s Cinderella Castle), Segovia Cathedral, and a large roman aqueduct.

Queen Isabella, of Christopher Columbus fame, ruled from this castle.

The gothic style Segovia Cathedral was built in the 16th century. I was inspired by the pipe organ (always pipe organs for me), as well as a painting in a side chapel that Rafa took the time to describe.

And what can be said about a 2000 year old aqueduct that is still in pristine condition and spans for 17 kilometers! For me, Segovia was all about the aqueduct; it stood 28 meters high at this point and is still intact after 2,000 years – and that’s without ANY cement! It seems to me that today’s builders could learn a thing or two from the Romans… especially in Tucson 😂

It was then on to Avila where we toured a beautifully intact medieval town wall, and learned about Saint Teresa of Avila, the saint of Spanish writing.

St. Teresa inspired me; she was an author during a time when women weren’t taught to read, and was so inspiring that Rome designated her a Doctor. She was the first (of only four women) ever to receive this honor! She had such a way with words that she developed a large following and was treated with the respect usually only bestowed on men! Perhaps she was the first woman’s libber?

This 9 hour tour was worth it, though both of us wanted to spend more time at the sights. Will we do it again? Absolutely, but only when we don’t have the time to find our own way to places.

Day 16 saw us taking the train south of Madrid to Granada. Thanks again to Google maps not knowing about steep inclines, I led us up a mountain slope to the back entrance to the GeneraLife Garden. “It’s only a half hour walk,” he said. ALL uphill!! I took four breaks ‘to admire the view’ even when there wasn’t one 😂

Despite 6 1/2 hours of travel from Madrid, we still managed over 6 miles of walking through the gardens. It was well worth it.

At the end of our day, the sky opened up and we took refuge in a hole in the wall food stall. The food was great, and the owner/operator was impressive. He moved from Palestine 8 years ago to attend college, speaks FOUR languages, and is completing his doctorate. Just another impressive person in Spain who puts us monolinguals to shame. (Speak for yourself, I’m bi-and-a- half-lingual!)