Segovia day 2 (Thursday, October 9th)

It seems that that the rain in Spain does not stay only on the plain, as we certainly saw enough of it in Segovia today. 

The rain had already started when we went out for coffee at 9 am, after breakfasting in our rooms on cereal and fruit.  But we were determined to see Iglesia de la Vera Cruz (the church of the true cross), so away we went. We walked up the river valley, past the Aqueduct Interpretive Centre, then a short distance along a road to the church.  Along the way we had some great views of the Alcazar on the opposite hill. 

We still have not got our timing figured out as we arrived 10 minutes before the church opened. 

The church of the true cross is dodecagonal (12-sided) and legend has it that it was modelled after the temple in Jerusalem and that it was built by the Knights Templar. However, it seems more likely that it was built by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem in about 1208.  Randy got confused between the Knights of St. John and the Knights of Columbus, and asked the attendant if he knew Bob Primeau (this led us into fabricating a story worthy of Dan Brown, with Bob being the current keeper of the Holy Grail, and transporting it in his 5th wheel, but I digress - although we might have to check out Bob's trailer when we get home).   

The church itself was rather uninteresting, and as the rain had stopped we decided to do a little hiking around the hills opposite the old town. We should have known better, as about 15 minutes later it rained again. But we persevered and gradually found our way down the hill, past the Santa Maria del Parral Monastery, and (trying to find the most direct route back to civilization) up the massive series if steps, back up to the Alcazar. 

As it was still before lunch, and there were lots of tourists at the Alcazar, we had a short break in a cafe to dry out and warm up, and then checked out the market (only on Thursday) in Plaza Mayor. It was mainly fruit and vegetables, with a few old ladies selling shawls. 

After lunch and siesta (I could happily adopt some of these Spanish traditions) we toured the Alcazar. It is very impressive from the outside, and the inside is nicely decorated, but most of the interior is reproduction as the Alcazar suffered a terrible fire 500-600 years ago and most of the interior was destroyed. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the backs streets on the other side of the old town, and trying to find a place for dinner - we ended up at a Spanish fast food outlet where you ordered your tapas by number on a sheet of paper and they called your number when it was ready. Lots of bread, chips and sauces, with not a lot of substance. But it was pouring rain and we could not wait for 8 pm when the restaurants open. 

So we were back in our rooms early and drying off. I must mention the bathroom in our current room. It is 4 ft by 5 ft (see photo below), with a 2 ft square shower stall, where the door opens inwards. I hear screams from Marlene (who is a lot less than 2 ft square) when she turns, knocks the tap, and gets either frozen or scalded, depending on which way she turns. I have become adept at picking up the shampoo with my toes, and sliding it up the wall until I can reach it. This is the stuff that memories are made of. 

But now it is time to sleep and be ready to set off in the morning for Toledo.