There are just a few more things that I want to add regarding our trip to Segovia. The last thing that we saw together as a group was the Alcázar. The palace has its origins in the 12th century. The young Isabel of Castile took refuge in this palace in 1474 when word came of the death of her brother. She was soon proclaimed Queen of Castile. Also, it played a significant role, being the place where Queen Isabel and King Fernando received Christopher Columbus.
This is the throne room in the Alcázar
This is the ceiling. Like I always tell the students, "You must always look up when you travel in Spain because you never know what you will see."
This is the view from the throne room into the area where nobles and ambassadors would wait to meet with the king and the queen.
Who doesn't like a good pair of armors?
The guide made it a point to have us notice this odd configuration in the floor. Turns out that this was the "royal throne" where the king and queen could relieve themselves. Whether it is true or not, it makes for a good story.
And, here we all are!!!
As part of our adventure we climbed to the top of the Alcázar's towers. From there we had this magnificent view of Segovia's Cathedral and the city.
After we left the the Alcázar the students dispersed to find something to eat. Jannette, the kids (minus Ethan) and I headed for the Iglesia de San Justo. On the way we ran into President and Sister Jackson from the Spain Madrid Mission.
It is a shame that we San Justo was closed. It is one of our favorite visits in Segovia. It is a beautiful Romanic church with the original murals covering the interior apse. Though we weren't able to go inside, we did take a couple of minutes to sit outside...
One other point: On the way to the plaza we passed an often ignored location of significant historical importance. In 1574 Saint Teresa de Avila founded this convent for the Carmelitas Descalzas. Saint Teresa is one of the most significant Catholic nuns of the 16th century, founding more than 20 convents throughout the country. This year is the 500 anniversary of her birth with many celebrations taking place in Avila.La Granja
After our visit to Segovia we went over to La Granja, made up of an 18th-century palace and its gardens.
The main spectacle there is to see the fountains go off. This is how it works. There is a large reservoir in the nearby mountains. Water is released from the reservoir. As it flows down, certain gates can be opened to allow water to enter the fountains one at a time. They are very spectacular. You will notice the hundreds of people there to see the event.
The most amazing one we saw was "La fuente de las ranas" (The Frog Fountain). The fountain is covered with small frogs with larger human/frog figures in the lower pool. Slowly they begin to shoot water out until the whole fountain is completely engulfed in water and mist:
And that was our day! Hope that you enjoyed this snapshot of our first trip.
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