the present tense: Segovia, Spain

Sometime mid-June 2011...

I LOVE CASTLES.

Like this one:

The Alcázar of Segovia

Look at all that nothing in the background!

I'm a die-hard Tudor junkie, but that's not to say I don't enjoy some good medieval Spanish palaces and history, too.

I just love 'em. So grand and mysterious and full of stories, so different from today and so beautiful.

This one is The Alcázar of Segovia (Arabic for fortress or palace) and it's smack in the middle of a big dry... area? Well, the whole city of Segovia is a like a fairytale city in the middle of a sandbox, truthfully.

I am smitten with this city.

Got off to a good start with a ham sandwich, where I got to see a grouchy old barman cut it right from the leg itself:

mmmm

In fact, as bizarre as it was at first to see legs of ham hanging around everywhere (and I mean everywhere - the supermarket, bars, restaurants... I even went to a ham museum!) it's pretty much the most delicious ham I've ever had, every time. You just gotta get used to the hooves watching you eat.

Segooooovia! Such a pretty city. It's got these great roman Aqueducts, too:

The Roman Aqueduct of Segovia

Aqueduct what!

Looks like it'd just topple right over if you sneezed on it the wrong way.

Wikipedia tells me it might have been started in the first century, is 818 meters long and made from 25,000 granite blocks - and without any cement, nothin'! Achoo.

I feel like I could write a song about this city.

Segovia

and again, Segovia

I wish I had more interesting stories to share about what went on, but really, sometimes you just show up somewhere, look at a lot of stuff, and leave.