Our journey through Castilla continued in Segovia. When we arrived, I was tired, so Jenny and I went to a Pans and Company to people watch while enjoying the cheap food. It was fun, picking the tourists out from the locals. We walk past the Roman Aqueduct to our hotel. That evening, there was a lot of visiting in between rooms, perhaps because of how little there was to do in Segovia--the company was nice, anyway. After they left, Jenny and I spent some time drawing, then attempted to sleep, a wasted effort. First, it was too hot to stand. Then, with the window open to allow for a nicer temperature, the noise was unbearable.
So, groggily the next morning we set out on a walk around the Roman Aqueduct. It really is a spectacular work of architecture, held together by nothing but gravity and the placement of the stones. It stretches on for some distance, as far as the eye can reach. . . truly one of the wonders of the ancient world.
We walked through Segovia, enjoying its charming view, until it started to rain. We visited a cathedral to fill the time in a nice, dry place. Its greatest beauty was in a room filled with many tapestries lit in a soft, gold light. Also, it boasted of large cupulas--this particular cathedral was very old, with some vestiges of its twelth century romanesque architecture remaining.
After that, we approached the Alcazar of Segovia, and I believed immediately the rumors I'd heard of it being the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. Inside, we found it to be rich in history--it dated back to the Arab times, with many mozarabe ceilings, intricately put together. I particularly liked the coin press next to the armory. There was a cool-looking tapestry, too, of Isabel's coronation with the eyes all blacked out in honor of the patron saint of the blind celebrated that day.
We climbed the tower of the Alcazar, and beheld the glory of the skies shifting from rain to sun, bathing Segovia with lovely light and shadows. I could've ended the day on that happy note, but our visit to the Granja was yet to come.
La Granja was built by the first of the French Borbon kings of Spain (the same dynasty that has the throne today), because this poor soul missed Versailles. I could definitely see the influence of Versailles in it with the lines of its gardens, the projection of power, and the endlessly glorious ceiling frescos. I was a little startled to find that this particular kind actually shared a bed with his queen--something unheard of in that era. More interesting, though, were the decorative tastes of this particular queen--she made one room of just Chinese lacquered panels fit in with the frilly French style. I did rather like the indoor fountains and there was a statue of a woman veiled that was absolutely transcendental in its delicate beauty.
My friend Lillian and I took the effort to find and explore the maze in the garden. I had regretted not exploring the one in Versailles, and this was my chance. It was actually a rather surreal experience, as it was hailing at the time. Nothing like pebbles of ice falling from the sky to make one solve a maze quickly.
After so much walking, by the time I got to Madrid, I was dead on my feet. I ate dinner with Jenny at a very reasonably priced Chinese restaurant near Atocha, and slept like a rock. Madrid would be full of more than enough wonders to tax my energy.
Energy which, thankfully, seems to have returned since I got back, especially in the wake of mail I've been receiving this last week. Many thanks for the care expressed in emails, in care packages, and letters. . . that really makes my week, you know? I've been doing my best to keep up with the wonderful things you've been doing for me, though it's so overwhelming. . . I love you all. Thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment