Since I still have my Spanish Holiday loaded in my hard drive, I will continue with Segovia. It is just 2 hours and around 12,80 euros away with trains every hour. What got me interested in Segovia is the roman aqueduct. There is a legend behind how it was built. Since it is such a huge and marvelous feat of ancient engineering and me, being such a sucker for legends, it became a must see.

Legend starts with a maid to a very rich household who had to bring water from the river far away to the house everyday. One day, in despair, she made a pact with the devil that he could have her soul should he be able to solve her dilemma before the next day starts. That night, she was awakened by the sound of thunder and saw thousands of demons working — building an aqueduct. Gripped by fear, she prayed that the devil would fail. Before the last stone was placed, the cock crowed announcing the devil’s failure. The maid then quickly went to the priest and confessed. The gap for the last stone now holds the figure of a saint.

My first reason to visit Segovia is the Aqueduct. The second would be Alcazar. The third is the Cochinillo Asado. We got 2 out of 3. Not bad, right? The Aqueduct is in the center of the city itself. There is no way to miss it. It is a colossal structure made without the use of mortar. The Alcazar, on the other hand is a medieval castle said to be an inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle. Before you dispute me, the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany is the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. I have to agree though that they both look Disney-ish. When buying tickets for Alcazar, check if your knees and lungs are fine battling with around 6 stories worth of winding, slippery stone steps. If yes, buy the ticket with the tower access. If no, just save your money and buy the basic entry ticket. The way down is the same winding, slippery stone steps…

Ah! The Cochinillo Asado, was sadly a failure. We got lost trying to find a non touristy restaurant. We ended up not getting to try it since we had to make sure we get to the train station to catch our train back to Madrid. But before we went in the station, we grabbed a bite at a bar in front which served the coldest beer in frosted mugs! The food was so-so only but the beer was good:) For those planning to visit, let me know if the Cochinillo Asado is worth coming back for…