Segovia

The aqueducts of Segovia.  They were thought to have been built during the 1st century BC by the Romans using granite from the Giadarrama.  What's most amazing is that they are not joined using mortar rather they are joined by the force of equilibrium.  After leaving the Guadarramas and channeling down the 166 arches, the Segovia aqueducts water crossed the city underground until it reached the Alcázar.  Mind blowing public health and engineering feats!

The Alcázar of Segovia was beautiful. 

Hiking Sierra de Guadarrama

What a great hike up the Sierra de Guadarrama's.  This trail was only an hour north of Madrid.

Another day in Madrid

Today, Aunt Meg and Uncle Brian had some things to do, so our family ventured into Madrid.  We spent 2.5 hours in Museo Nacional Del Prado and had a really great private tour guide.  Our favorites pieces were "Washing the Disciples Feet by Tintoretto", "Las Meninas" by Velazquez and "Charles IV of Spain and his Family" by Goya.  "Washing the Disciples Feet by Tintoretto" was a large piece that created an optical illusion as you walked from one side to the other.  "Las Meninas" was painted to look as if you, the observer, were Philip IV and Marinana of Austria being painted by Velazquez.  A mirror in the back of the painting reflects Philip IV and Marinana image.  "Charles IV of Spain and his Family" was the last piece Goya was commissioned to paint for the family because he made a bit of a mockery of them AND he did a early 19th century version of the photo bomb, including his likeness in the back corner of the painting.  Who new art could be so fun!

After lunch we walked all around the Parque del Retiro.  It reminded us of NYC's Central Park.  

Cordoba, Consuegra and back to Madrid

Before we left Cordoba, we checked out the Baños del Alcazar.  

The baños were literally feet from our airbnb.  That is our place on the other side of the street with that super big terrace.

On our way out of town we stopped by Castillo De Almodovar.  This is where Highgarden, of House Tyrell, was filmed in the Game of Thrones.

Kids looking down from a turret with a grate floor.  Yikes!

The queen mum and her two knights.

No comment needed here.

Consuegra and Don Quixote's windmills.

Cordoba, Spain

After settling in our super cool AirBB in Cordoba, we had dinner at El Caballo Rojo, The Red Horse.

We enjoyed walking around the walls and on the Roman bridge in the evening.  It was nice and cool when the sun went down.

When we woke up, we went on a free walking tour of Cordoba.   Our guide took us to the Calleja de las Flores a popular location to take pictures.

We walked through some super narrow streets!  

And we visited El Zoco, a Muslim market.

This is a statue of Sephardic Jewish Philosopher Maimonides who was born in Cordoba around 1135.  If you touch his book you will have good luck in your exams and studies.

This is Calleja del Panuel, Handkerchief Alley.  It is only wide enough to spread out a handkerchief from point to point.

Taken at the end of Calleja del Panuel.  

After lunch we went to the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos.

The gardens in the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos were beautiful.

We then toured the Mezquita de Cordoba.  The footprint is made up of five additions.  Abderraman 1 constructed the original mosque in the 8th century, Abderraman II expanded the mosque in the 9th century and Alhaken II expanded the mosque a third time in the 10th century.  In the 13th century, Obispo Inigo Manrique constructed the gothic nave which adapted the old Muslim chapel into a Christian worship and in the 16th century, the major chapel and bell tower were completed.  WOW!

After dinner, we attended a Flamenco show that was recommended to us by our walking tour guide.  It was very good and was in an intimate setting.  Unfortunately, there were no señorita dancers.

The show was standing room only.