We arrived at the Barcelona train station on Friday, 6/23 at 11:30 am for the weekend. Our airbnb was some 2 miles away, so we decided to get some more exercise and walk the streets. The architecture is a mix of old and new, the new is called Catalan Modernism.

Little did we know that 6/23 is the Festival of Sant Joan which is the same as our 4th of July celebration. It’s their celebration of the summer solstice with loud booms, fireworks and louder booms late into the evening. Lucky for us, we had an incredible view from our balcony.

We decided to tour the city by bus to give our feets a rest. We took the Barcelona hop on and off bus tour with the open roof and got to see all the major sights.

The fun treat was our special guests for dinner. Cameron and Rachael joined us for some fiesta. Our evening began with a very lovely dinner and sangria. Someone said they were drinking sangria like water. It’s tasty and very inexpensive. We strolled down Las Ramblas Blvd, a tourist area with a huge pedestrian walkway through the heart of the city center. Basically, lots of tourists!

The highlight of the evening was a Flamenco show, up close and personal. Emotional, mesmerizing, and raw. We all loved it.

If you’re trying to decide on Madrid or Barcelona, the winner for us is Madrid.

Since we messed up the first time, getting to the train station to Segovia was a breeze. It was like a groundhog moment. Segovia is located in the center of Spain on a rocky bluff surrounded by rivers. Its neighborhoods are separated by cultural communities, Moors, Christians and Jews, who lived and worked together during the 16th century manufacturing boom. So much history and diverse architectural styles. Lots of pedestrian paths, terracotta colors, flower pots in windows, mountain backdrops and beauty everywhere you turn. A central plaza with vendors selling fruit, clothing, flowers and more.

Points of interest

Aqueduct of Segovia (El Puente) – an immense structure of granite blocks built without cement under the Roman Empire welcomes you to the city. It brought water 10 miles from the Acebeda river in the mountains to the city. An amazing civil engineering feat that my Dad would have appreciated. We were welcomed by flocks of tiny birds squawking and flying in and out of the arches in the aqueduct. I was impressed by the birds more than the architecture.

Welcoming birds

Segovia Cathedral – the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain with construction starting in 1525. The exterior architecture and detailed stone carvings and lattice work was incredible. The interior was massive and impressive too.

Alcazar de Segovia – one of Spain’s most famous castles built above the city. It began as a medieval military fortress and changed to a royal palace for Spanish kings, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy. Today it’s a museum and military archives building. Urban legend says that the castle was the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella’s castle. The view from the castle is spectacular.

Reflections for the day

Today was a perfect day where I thought about different cultures living together to build such a beautiful city. It’s hard to imagine the blood, sweat and tears that went into carving stone, building scaffolding to reach high areas, laying roof tiles, lifting heavy granite blocks, all with no modern machinery, tools and air conditioning. I was exhausted walking the city for the day and my lower back by the end of the day said “no Mas!” Also, Spanish olives don’t taste like American olives. Both Sean and I don’t like olives, but these were pretty good. Tasted freshly picked and not salty. Olives served complimentary with cocktails. Muy Bueno! Adios para dia! We loved Segovia!

Back home in Madrid for a very late dinner – 11:30 pm. Found this cozy spot for a sweet meal. Quiet for a nice change of pace.