My trip may be coming to an end, but the excitement just doesn't stop. On Sunday Lynn and I went to Segovia for the day. We arrived after a short bus ride at 10:00am to church bells ringing throughout the city. When you enter Segovia, it doesn't appear to be or have much, but if you follow the rest of the tourists, you soon come upon one of the city's most well-known landmarks, a giant Roman aqueduct. Constructed around 50 AD, the stone structure is over 100 feet tall with 166 arches, supported by 120 pillars, and NO mortar or clamps. It was used until about 60 years ago!


One end of the aqueduct leading up to town.
Segovia's second major tourist draw is an Alcazar castle, inhabited by Visigoths and Muslims, but like everything in Spain, eventually home to Christian kings and queens. Queen Isabel who paid the bill for Columbus' vacation to the New World, was crowned here. But who cares for history! Most people know the Alcazar of Segovia as Cinderella's castle! Yep, that's right. Disney modeled the home of the princess with glass slippers after this structure. As a result, you can buy very unfortunate Mickey Mouse souveneirs all over town.


Waiting for prince charming to bring me my missing glass shoe.
The best part of our day was spent outside of the city walls. We found a path leading from Segovia down to a valley that surrounds one side of the city, and back up a hill where we guessed photographers took the stunning views of Segovia we saw on all the postcards. I was feeling fabulous after a week of stomach badness, so we bought some bottled water and headed down the trail. What an unexpected treat! The path itself was obviously ancient. We walked by old walls, mini-aqueducts, and through still standing stone gates. The path was well-marked, but we hardly saw a soul. Tourists who chose not to explore the road less traveled were missing the best part of Segovia, but that was our gain! A lovely nature walk to a peak overlooking the city.


Segovia Cathedral
After a short rest at the top, we continued on the path and stumbled (literally) upon what appeared to be manmade caves. The openings were no more than 2 or 3 feet square. I had to peak in, despite the dark, damp and rotting smell coming from inside. Most just had water pooled on the floor, some with graffiti, and no discernable marks explaining their significance. Lynn and I speculated that perhaps Segovians kept food storage or artillery in these caves. As we walked around the bend I saw the stone formation pictured below. It was then I realized what we had found, the Jewish cemetery. Back in town I went inside a very small museum that explained the history of the Jewish population of Segovia. It is a very similar story throughout Spain:

For centuries, during Muslim rule of the land, Jews lived relatively harmoniously with Muslims, with thriving tradecrafts like metal work, leather making, etc. Then along came the Spanish Inquisition, which drove both Muslims and Jews out. Apparently this Jewish cemetery was used (obviously) to bury the relatives of Jewish families. In the early 1400s, the Segovian Jews were forced into a ghetto area and had to turn over most of their wealth to the Christian king after being falsely accused of trying to kill the local bishop. For a time, this seemed to satisfy those in power. But by mid-century, the Inquisition was in full swing, and all Jews and Muslims in Spain had to leave the country, convert or be killed. In 1492, as Columbus was discovering the New World financed by a queen crowned not a quarter a mile away from the Jewish ghetto, the Jews of Segovia fled to their cemetery, hiding in the tomb/caves of their ancestors, hoping to reason with the local inquisitor. To say the least, it didn't work and many died in those very caves where Lynn and I walked on Sunday. Both of us were disturbed as we realized what we were standing on, and equally upset that NOTHING marked the area or protected the rock coffins. As best I could remember, I said the Jewish Kaddish and we walked on.

I read online that in 1886 several full skeletons were found in rock grottoes like this one.
Lynn's Let's Go guide led us to a cute, out-of-the-way wine cellar/restaurant for dinner. I was thrilled to be able to eat, so I tried a local dish, sopa castellana — soup mixed with eggs, ham, garlic, and bread. It was yummy and no complaints from my tummy! After dinner we headed back to the bus station for our 7pm ride home.

For dinner last night Lynn and I decided to picnic in Retiro Park, Madrid's much smaller version of Central Park. With wine, cheese, bread and fruit we had quite a lovely spread for a late evening meal. All was well and peaceful until Lynn noticed a guy oddly hanging around nearby. He came closer and she said, "Oh my god, don't look up!" So I didn't, until he got too close to my safety zone (about 5 feet). I did look up and what did I see? A very short man wearing a pink and peach t-shirt and running shorts, with his willie swaying in the wind. He looked directly at me while swinging his thing, and calmly asked Que hora es?, Que hora es? (What time is it?). I shouted back, Get the fuck out of here. He did.

Soon after the peep show we picked up our park picnic, left the peeking pecker to his perversion and headed to Let's Go recommendation number two, a jazz bar. Another happy find! The bar was decorated with old instruments and pictures of the jazz greats. At 11pm the free live jazz show began; a quintet of sax, horn, keyboard, upright bass and trap set. They were unbelievable! No standards here, just fantastic Miles Davis and Charles Mingus style improv over tight arrangements. I could not believe we were hearing these talents for free. (Well, my tonic water did cost 4,50 euro.) Although the place was nearly empty when we arrived just before 11, by the end of the first set, the bar was packed.

Tonight's plans? Spain vs. France! That should be a good game. Go Espana!