Segovia

No hiking the trail for us today. We are taking in all the wonders that Segovia has to offer. It feels great to be walking about leisurely without our backpacks. 

Very glad that we weren't on the trail today as it was 37° and it would have been murder out on the plains that are the next stage of the trail.

We are staying in the old town and just wandered about following our noses and every corner we turned there seemed to be something equally as spectacular. 

The photos probably won't do it justice but will include some here to give you the sense of scale, history and grandeur. There is so much to see in Segovia and we have only just scratched the surface.

The Aqueduct of Segovia was built during the second half of the 1st century A.D. under the rule of the Roman Empire and supplied water from the Frío River to the city into the 20th century. It's starts in San Ilfonso de la Granja, where we walked from yesterday, approx 14ks of carrying water. Incredible feat of engineering.

The Alcazar dates  back to the 12th century and was the royal residence of King Alfonso X in the 13th century. Some say it inspired Disney but we read that too when visiting Pitti Palace.

A typical medieval walled town, Segovia is surrounded by  ramparts dating back to the 11th century. You can walk the perimeter but too hot for that today. 

Cathedral de Madrid dates from 1525 and was the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. Fine sculptures, artworks, and altars decorate the cathedral's 20 chapels.It's incredible, almost too much to take in. 

There is a gallery of art and 17th-century tapestries. Every corner you turn you find something incredible. 

The tapestries were from the 12th century!

The old Jewish quarter  was once enclosed by seven gates and you could spend hours just following your nose and marvelling at the architecture.

The Convent of Corpus Christi  above was  a synagogue, built in the 13th century.

The Iglesia de San Millán is just outside the  walled  center in the old Moorish quarter, it was locked but incredible from the outside alone, such history.

Constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Iglesia de San Esteban is the most renowned of Segovia's Romanesque churches.

The  12th-century Iglesia de San Martín is a fab example of Castilian and  Romanesque architecture.

Some other pics from our exploring today.  

Whew, almost sensory overload, architecture, fine art, old narrow lanes to lose yourself in - what an amazing day.