We took a day trip to Segovia, Spain today. It was an hour bus ride from Madrid and very simple to figure out. Segovia is located closer to the mountains so people from Madrid frequently go to there on the weekend to find cooler weather. I’m not sure I noticed the cooler weather but the town was worth a visit for the day.

The town is most known for Aqueduct which was declared a World Heritage Site in the 1990’s. The Aqueduct dates back to either the late 1st or early 2nd century. There are around 25,000 granite blocks held together without any mortar. I still have no clue how the Aqueduct worked but it supplied all of the water for the towns for thousands of years.

We also visited the Alcazar of Segovia which is a large castle. The original burnt down in the 1860’s so we were seeing the newer version. The castle is believed to be the inspiration for Walt Disney’s castle at Disneyland.

The day was a perfect day trip from Madrid but I was ready to get back to the hotel and get off my feet for a bit. I was also looking forward to a little air conditioning until we got back to the hotel and it was completely dark. The power was out so we would have to wander around for another hour until they could restore the power.

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Here is a short video of all the music we got to hear today around the parks of Madrid.

So far the food has been good although I do think this is the first time that I have ever eaten ham for every meal. It was interesting to see some of the locals walking around in their formal attire. Let’s just say we had a very slow Sunday evening stroll. Their sidewalks make it hard to pass people so usually you are just stuck behind a group of people until there is a clearing. I guess it makes me slow down and take in the scenery.

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Madrid’s architecture is very grand and beautiful. It seems like every building is different. Some people use their Juliet balcony for the air conditioner which seems like a necessity.

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There are so many beautiful buildings and things to see in Madrid that it is hard to capture in a couple of photos. With perfect weather (86 degrees) and some good walking shoes, we walked around the city. We spent lunch by a lake with a lot of row boats and visiting a plaza that has a marker for the center of Spain from which all the roads in Spain start counting kilometers. Here are some of my favorite sights:

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We arrived in Madrid at 8:00 AM and were welcomed to a very empty airport. We had no lines for customs or the taxi and we made it to our hotel by 9:00 AM. The first day is always the hardest for me since I don’t ever sleep on the plane. I took a decent nap and then headed out around the hotel. We were sitting in a square when a drumming group decided to help us beat the jet lag. It was a nice sunny afternoon in Madrid and I’m looking forward to exploring more the next couple of days when I’m not so tired.

Sunscreen and sunglasses are ready for my 2015 trip to Spain. Surprisingly this is my first trip to Spain. I guess I have always enjoyed the Alps and cooler countries but I’m ready to see a different culture and different environment. Since Spain is so large we will only be focusing on Southern Spain. Leaving Portland tomorrow and flying through Dallas before heading on to Madrid. I’m ready for my long travel day 🙂