Off again on our travels this tone heading South to Segovia which will be the closest we get to Madrid on this trip. I’ve really enjoyed Salamanca and it has lived up to its reputation as Spain’s most beautiful city.
The sun was shining but it was really nippy so out of T shirts and back into a polo neck. We headed first to the impressive walled city of Ávila and it was well worth the detour. Luck was on our side as we came across one of very few parking spaces and it was free! Just as I was checking the parking ticket machine I heard a gunshot which made me jump. However it as not a terrorist attack but something to do with a Fiesta and the shots continued intermittently for our entire stay making me jump every time!
We saw the fiesta procession on a number of occasions around the little town with the effigy of Jesus being held aloft as he visited each of the churches in the walled town. The gunshots continued…
The thick 11th century walls were truly impressive and we were able to walk about 2 kilometres of them. Ávila is an impressive little town but it’s main feature is the defensive walls so we continued out journey onto Segovia. I drove this time and was doing quite well until reached the city and the SatNav had another of ‘her turns’ and directed me in a complete circle. We knew we needed to drive into the old city - permission granted for those staying in hotels in the old city. What we had not taken into account was the narrow cobbled streets and the ninety degree turns up lanes that appeared to be pedestrian only. Colin took over on a particularly narrow section and I then ran ahead, literally the whole way to the hotel (another ‘All the presidents Men’ impression). The road narrowed further and I got instructions on the location of the car park which yet again had the narrowest bays ever. I was relieved to stop.
Luckily despite seemingly driving quite a distance from the hotel, we had actually doubled back and were now under the hotel with a lift up. Next to the lift is a view down to the bedrock that it is built on showing the limestones chasms and holes.
Our room is quite small with a small window onto an inner courtyard but it is comfortable and we have managed to ‘forget’ to give our car keys to reception to save our hire car.
We wandered around Segovia a little before dinner and were lucky to catch a spectacular sunset from the Alcazar but more exploring tomorrow. NB - Colin’s Pacer app is definitely doing nothing weird as apparently he did over 25,000 steps and 109 miles today - I think not!
