{adventures abroad} spain: day eight - segovia

on day eight of our trip we were visited by the television ghost but not the shower ghost. we needed to get up early anyway so it was okay. we grabbed coffee on our way to chamartin station.  once there, we bought our train tickets and a light snack-lunch to eat on the quick but scenic trip to segovia. 
upon our arrival at the train station in segovia we took the crowded #11 bus to plaza del azoguejo at the foot of a stunning 2,000-year-old roman aqueduct(!). also at the foot of the aqueduct was the most gorgeous/creepy man-powered carousel we'd ever seen. 

we walked up the steep and narrow main road to segovia's plaza mayor, where we admired the ornate gothic cathedral {but did not go inside}.

we continued walking uphill toward the alcazar, a disney-esque castle that once was a medieval fortress {and once was a prison, and once was an artillery school}.  i immediately reverted to my six-year-old self and went into princess mode. especially while we climbed the 152 spiral steps in the princess tower to get to the roof. the views from the roof were breathtaking. you could see all of segovia - the old city walls, the cathedral, the winding roads, and the guadarrama mountains in the distance. extraordinary.

after the tower we toured the rest of the castle - the dungeon, the terrace gardens, the chapel, the armory {A's favorite}. we planned our dream segovia wedding {ceremony in one courtyard, cocktails on the terrace, reception in another courtyard, obviously}.

after our tour of the castle, we wandered along the medieval city walls and then back through town on the impossibly narrow streets.
we ate a leisurely late afternoon meal outside on the plaza mayor with a perfect view of the cathedral. 

segovia is famous for roast suckling pig, but neither of us were ready for that, so we opted instead for a local favorite called judiones de la granja. we'd read in our guidebook that it was a "soup made with flat white beans from the region" but our book had conveniently omitted the part about the fatty pig skin with hairs still in it... anyway, we ate around the pig hairs and enjoyed our flat white beans.

after our lunch {and a glass of cava or two}, we headed back towards to the train station. the return trip to madrid was relaxing, but by the time we got there we were exhausted.  we went straight back to the hotel to pack our bags and prepare for the journey home the next morning. at some point A ventured out to find food, and we ate dinner in bed before drifting off to dreamland. it was the perfect end to a perfect anniversary-moon in spain.