Segovia

We got a bit of a late start to Segovia.  Part of the danger of taking a day trip during the weekend is that your nocturnal activities might affect your diurnal travel activities.  But, since the AVE can get to Segovia in twenty minutes and change, we were still in good shape.

We arrived at 4 o’clock or so and paid for a cab to take us to the aqueduct.  As the main tourist attraction of the town, it doesn’t disappoint.  At least 200 feet tall and surprisingly pristine for its 2000 year old age, the aqueduct is a testament to the endurance and ingenuity of the Romans, and those who have preserved the aqueduct throughout the centuries. 

We were intent on trying the cochinillo asado, or roast suckling pig, the renowned specialty of Segovia.  However, we were also dangerously close to the no-man’s land of the Spanish schedule.  The majority of bars and restaurants stop serving hot food from 4 or 5 until they open up for dinner around 8 or 9.  After one failed inquiry, the waiter recommended another restaurant close by that would serve us. 

We sat down to an outside table and ordered quite the spread:  half of a cochinillo, judiones de la granja (white beans with pork), patatas fritas, a bottle of vino tinto.  The bean broth was rich and savory, and the large white beans were unlike anything I’d ever had before. 

When the waiter brought out the cochinillo, he carved it up, each movement of the knife accompanied by the crackling of the skin, which at that point is essentially crispy pork candy.  The meat itself was fall off the bone tender and just a bit smoky.  We split the cochinillo four ways, and we ended up paying about 20 € a piece for everything.  It’s a bit of a splurge, but you’re not going to get this anywhere else, at least as good.  It’s that OG pig. 

After lunch/dinner, we walked more around the city.  The cathedral is one of the most impressive that I’ve seen in Spain, and Segovia is chock full of the smaller Spanish city charms, small winding cobblestone streets, plenty of shops, beautiful architecture.  The city is situated just on the other side of the Sierra Guadaramma mountain range, and the views of the surrounding plains and mountains in the distance are superb. 

The alcazar of Segovia resides at one of the high points of the city.  It was, along with a German castle in Bavaria, one of Walt Disney’s inspirations for the Disney castle.  There are tours to go inside the castle, which we declined in favor of sharing a bottle of local white wine while taking in the scenery around the city. 

As night fell, we had coffee right at the feet of the aqueduct before taking a cab back to the train station and Madrid.  It wasn’t even 10 o’clock by the time we got back, giving us time to recuperate before heading out for a Saturday night in Madrid. 

Segovia is one of the two big day trips to take out of Madrid, the other being Toledo.  We were there for about 5 hours total and had a lovely time, although you could certainly do more.  It’s certainly a great way to see the smaller city side of Spanish life, and there’s plenty of charm and warmth to be found around every corner.