{"id":14288,"date":"2019-11-12T15:45:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-12T23:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=14288"},"modified":"2021-03-18T09:09:10","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T16:09:10","slug":"segovia-salamanca-too-short-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/segovia-salamanca-too-short-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"Segovia & Salamanca \u2013 A Too Short Visit"},"content":{"rendered":"

On my recent visit to Castilla y L\u00e9on, Spain, my fifth to the region, I knew there were so many new things to see and do, as-well-as so many I\u2019d done before that I wanted to do again, that I couldn\u2019t possibly fit them all into one week. Never-the-less, I tried!\u00a0 The result was a fun-filled but exhausting visit, one that left enough undone to warrant going back another season.<\/p>\n

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Bocadillos are available all over Spain.<\/span> PHOTO BY RICHARD FRISBIE.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First off, while all the big cities are an easy hour-plus drive from Madrid<\/a> and the airport, the high speed trains are faster and much more relaxing. Imagine being seated at a table erasing the horrible taste of airplane food by eating the Spanish equivalent of a ham hero \u2013 a bocadillo <\/em>on a barra de pan<\/em> \u2013 using the finest jam\u00f3n<\/em> prepared fresh for your journey, while watching the fertile landscape zip by. It took a little planning to arrange that picnic, mostly picking up the sandwiches and managing not to eat them until boarding the train, but it was worth it as the perfect introduction to Castilla y L\u00e9on.<\/p>\n

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2000+ yr old aqueduct in Azoguejo square.<\/span> PHOTO BY RICHARD FRISBIE.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My companions and I arrived refreshed in Segovia, one of the few cities in the region I hadn\u2019t visited. What a beautiful city it is! Especially the old quarter, the fortress, cathedral, and the most magnificent 2000+ yr old Roman aqueduct, which is the best-conserved Roman aqueduct in the world. At more than nine miles long and just under 100 ft high in the tallest place (Azoguejo square) the triple arches of the aqueduct survived the centuries in a simple stone-on-stone build with no mortar to hold them together.<\/p>\n

Our guide, whom we engaged at the Information Center in Plaza del Azoguejo square, saw us straining our necks looking straight up at the beautiful structure and suggested the best viewing place would be from the top of the Postigo steps beside it. While we later found a better vantage, she was right in saying that it was easier to appreciate the massive scale of the aqueduct spanning the square from those steps.<\/p>\n

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The incredible stained glass windows of a cathedral.<\/span> PHOTO BY RICHARD FRISBIE.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once back down in the square, we walked up Calle Real, through the Jewish Quarter, and after visiting the sights I mentioned earlier, (a cathedral is a cathedral is a \u2013 very lovely – cathedral) we entered the Plaza Mayor. Every Spanish city has one, a place where city life congregates, and Segovia\u2019s was no exception.<\/p>\n

Here is an unusual fact about the medieval quarter of Segovia. St Michael\u2019s church is where Isabella, the Catholic, was crowned Queen of Castile. When the square was expanded, Isabella paid to have the church moved to the edge of the new square to preserve her coronation site.<\/p>\n

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In Spain, every meal or snack break includes a plate of jamon in some form.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After some people-watching over a refreshing caf\u00e9 double and the ever-present plate of jamon, we improved our appetite on the walk back to Azoguejo square to the most famous restaurant in Segovia – Mes\u00f3n de C\u00e1ndido.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Candidos before the dinner crowd fills the space.<\/span> PHOTO BY RICHARD FRISBIE.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You realize that Mes\u00f3n de C\u00e1ndido<\/em> is a big deal restaurant when you see a huge statue of Chef C\u00e1ndido<\/em> as you enter the city. He\u2019s the one who put his families\u2019 humble inn on the map in the early 1900s. We navigated through the outdoor seating (in the shade of the aqueduct – what a view!) to climb a staircase to the second floor dining room. From its beginnings in 1884, C\u00e1ndido\u2019s<\/em> has grown into a large restaurant that looks like a history museum, with every available space sporting a photograph of famous people, dignitaries, and even the king, all surrounded by old serving utensils presumably gathered during the 100 years the restaurant has been internationally known. The many small tables were packed with tourists and couples, or pushed together for local families on a celebration, and us, with a tantalizing aroma of good food mixing with the multi-lingual conversations. Our expectations were heightened; it turns out for good reason. Mes\u00f3n de C\u00e1ndido is not just the place to be seen; it is the place to eat!<\/em><\/p>\n