During the second week in November one of my best friends, Bernadette Healy came to visit me here in Spain. This trip was extra special because it was not the first time that Bee and I were in Spain together, we met when we studied abroad in Segovia over two years ago.
So naturally, when she arrived we decided to make a pilgrimage to that magical place, Segovia. It was strange to be back there, a foreign city that we knew so well. (Bee are you enjoying my cheesiness right now?)
As we walked around the city we reflected on how lucky we were to live there for a short period. Segovia is not one of the biggest cities in Spain, nor is it among the top five most popular tourist destinations in the country, but it´s one of the most beautiful.
So what´s Segovia known for? First and foremost, the Roman Aqueduct which runs through the center of the old part of the city. One of the most significant and well preserved monuments left on the Iberian peninsula, the aqueduct is suspected to have originated between the second half of the 1st Century BC and the early years of the 2nd Century—during the reign of either Emperor Vespaisan or Nerva.
Another distinguishing sight in Segovia is the Alcázar of Segovia (literally, Segovia Castle) it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape - like the bow of a ship. The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then.
In 1474, the Alcázar played a major role in the rise of Queen Isabella I of Castile. On the 12th of December news of the King Henry IV's death in Madrid reached Segovia and Isabella immediately took refuge within the walls of this Alcázar where she received the support of Andres Cabrera and Segovia's council. She was crowned the next day as Queen of Castile and Leon. It was also the site where she married Ferdinand II.
If my below pictures look familiar to you don´t be surprised. Cinderella Castle in Disney World was modeled after this one.
The third main landmark in Segovia is the Cathedral in it´s central plaza. Bee and I enjoyed looking at it while sipping on wine upon our arrival. I remembered going to a church service inside the ancient building with my ''madre'' (host mom) two years ago.
A picture from our table in the main plaza (looking in the opposite direction of the Cathedral) the first day:
Aside from seeing the familiar landmarks of Segovia, we enjoyed just walking around, catching up with some of our old Spanish friends, and knowing exactaly which destinations to hit up when we went out for the night.
Me with two old friends: Emiliano and Alejandro (also known as DJ Alex V) respectively:
A picture of Bee and I outside of a bar we used to call ''The View'' for obvious reasons:
When the weekend came to a close we had a surreal feeling leaving the city, but we figured it´s a good sign that we´ve already made it back once.
Sunday afternoon we hopped on the next bus to my current home, Herrera Del Duque. Bernadette came with me to help teach my classes which was fun and hilarious at the same time. Additionally, we had a blast hanging out with my co-workers here in town.
On Tuesday night we had dinner at my friend Angel´s house. Since the handful of attendees didn´t include all of the usual culinary talents, this particular instance consisted of take out hamburgers (actually made from pig meat of course) and fries. Don´t be fulled, this burger was as Spanish as they come: a pig burger topped with a piece of ham and an egg fried on top of that - typical.
Adding another American into the mix made things pretty interesting. My fellow teachers practiced their English with us, which of course improved with each beverage that was consumed. The funniest questions asked about our culture, ''Is it really like ´American Pie' in the United States?'' ''What are these University parties really like?''
Thursday night, Bee and I participated in the usual Thursday night ritual of going out with all of the teachers. Below is a picture of us at one of the local ''hot spots'':
As the work week came to a close, we decided to spend our final weekend in Madrid as Bernadette had to fly out of there on Sunday morning.
Madrid encompasses the excitement and fast-pace of any big city and it´s for this reason that some people love it and some people hate it. You won´t feel the same ''in a time warp'' sensation in Madrid like in some of the other ancient cities of Spain but you will find great museums, food and lots of people.
Since Bee and I had already toured the Prada and the Reina Sofia we decided to spend most of the weekend in Puerta del Sol (a pretty central location) and walked around the shops. There are plenty of other things that I haven´t seen in Madrid but I will most likely see them later as I often have to travel through the capital city.
A few pictures from the crowded streets around Puerta del Sol:
Our first night in Madrid we were able to meet up with my friend Glen who is also in my program. He works in the small town of Guadalupe which I mentioned in my first blog entry. Glen was visiting his friend, Jake who is teaching English in Madrid. Jake was a good resource since he knew his way around and also provided us with some Spaniards to hang out with which always makes things more interesting.
Below a picture of Glen, Jake, Bee and I plus Jake´s Spanish friends (Americans on the right) before a night out in Madrid:
The week was a huge success that I hope to repeat before I leave. Bernadette left a lasting impression on my friends and students here in Herrera, though they have significant issues pronouncing her name, or her nickname for that matter: ''Where´s Bernadaa? Where´s Pee? Where's Beep? Donde esta Peep?''
I promise my next entry will come MUCH quicker!
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