Viva Segovia!
Train back to Amsterdam, flight to Adolfo Suarez Madrid Barajas Airport , the next part of our adventure was about to begin! Flying above the clouds, we were able to peek at the terrain below occasionally. We arrived at the Madrid airport and walked through the baggage claim to the car rental counter.
We picked up our Audi, loaded the backpacks in the trunk, set the GPS and headed for Segovia! Oh my... driving in a foreign country is an experience. Everything was fine out on the open road, but as we approached the town, we navigated a series of roundabouts. That actually went pretty well. When the roads are narrow alleys... and I mean NARROW alleys, it can definitely be a challenge! We barely had room for the car alone, yet we had pedestrians ogling at the sights to contend with! We were led into "limited access" roads, AKA pedestrian areas. Pretty crazy... good thing I had an awesome "co-pilot".
Finally after circling the area for about twenty minutes, we arrived at Hotel Infanta Isable! Jeremy and I stayed in this hotel last time we visited. It is in the perfect location. If you book early, you can secure one of the "view" rooms. Our reservation was made last April and we got the last two plaza facing rooms.
With one room on the third floor and one on the fourth, we all had the perfect view of Plaza Mayor. Opening the French doors, gives us an unobstructed view of the Cathedral of Segovia. The clock tower directly across the Plaza chimes every fifteen minutes. The bell tolls can only be heard with the doors open because the hotel rooms are incredibly sound proof! One note... anyone thinking of going, try to plan a weekend day when the cathedral is lit up. Last time we visited, it was aglow... and it was stunning! Still beautiful, we were disappointed the lights were not shining this time.
The rooms at Hotel Infanta Isabel are large and elegant. Simply decorated, the two French doors make the rooms bright. The bed was extra big and SO comfortable! This is definitely one of my favorite places to stay! Can't wait to visit when someone else is ready to explore Spain :-)
With the smooth check-in complete and the car taken care of by the hotel, it was time to venture out! We walked down an alleyway to find a place to eat. So many little outdoor cafe's and restaurants. Being graced with amazing weather, we were looking to sit outside!
As we walked down the lane, we came upon a pub. Considering it is a five minute walk, we were parched after two and a half minutes! So... we ducked into this little pub.called Casa Duque. We each ordered a half pint beer and prepared for the next two and half minute walk :-)
This quaint pub was a perfect stop. Four beers cost us about seven euro. That fits into our budget! The pub looks out into the pedestrian walkway. This is one of my favorite thing about Old Town in just about all European cities! Shops, restaurants, brick and rock buildings...such charm.
We survived the next leg of our "trek". After checking out the menues in several spots, we settled on 100 Montaditos. This motley crew enjoyed an affordable meal that was delicious! Notice the background. We chose this restaurant based on the view and menu! The Aqueduct is a crazy structure... I must have taken 1000 photos from every angle!
Our plate of food, beer and wine came to a whopping total of twenty euro! We ordered based on a few items we could identify with our limited Spanish. Every bite was fantastic! We will have to visit again so Chuck can stare at the Aqueduct that has him mesmerized...
Just feet away from the restaurant, it was a sight to behold. The Aqueduct is massive and impressive.
One thing we noticed... throughout the town, there were groups of older people walking arm in arm, sitting to people watch. They laughed and hugged. It was heartwarming. This group of gentlemen, sat along the wall for such a long time. As soon as one walked away, another would join them. Sunny days bring out the residents!
Tomorrow I will dedicate to the Aqueduct... it's worth a full post!
