After finishing the Camino, our feet are wrecked. While each step isn’t the agony it was a few days ago, we are using them far more than we hoped.
Segovia is a perfectly walkable city if your feet are functioning appropriately. The three major sites are the Roman aqueducts, the cathedral and the castle (the Alcazar). Not surprisingly, the city is very popular with tourists with loads of buses arriving daily from Madrid.
The good news is that many of the buses and tourists leave in the evening. The city feels reclaimed by the locals in the evening and early morning. Families socialize in the squares; out for walks around dinner. In the old city center, expect ridiculous tourist prices at shops targeting the crowds of visitors. Makes sense. A little digging will find places catering to locals.
It was also a great opportunity to reconnect with a friend we hadn’t seen in ages.
Since I was last in Segovia one million years ago, high-speed rail fanned across Spain (I heard recently that Spain has the largest high-speed rail network, second only to China). However, the rail station – lovely as it is – is well outside of town so a bus or taxi will be required to get to the old city.
Our trained eyes caught the Camino scallops in Segovia – the Camino de Madrid passes this way. It took a while at the Tourist Office for them to find the sello for us; peregrinos must be rare. We easily got a stamp at the Cathedral de Segovia – as well as free admission. Bonus! It was gothic style and more austere than the Cathedral de Santiago – far less gilding and gold leaf.
The Jewish Quarter was probably my favorite part of the city – quieter, less touristed. We didn’t spend a lot of time seeing sites in this area other than wandering the streets. It was a welcome respite from the crowds.
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