This past weekend was filled with two day trips, one to El Escorial and the other to la Granja and Segovia. They are about an hour outside of Madrid and a perfect place to spend the day! El Escorial is one large complex that has basically anything a king could ever want. Rey (King) Felipe II of Spain created this masterpiece in the 16th century. El Escorial has a Basilica, a library (2nd only the Vatican in its collection of religious literature), beautiful gardens, a palace (where the kings would vacation), a school for monks, and the burial spot of almost all the Spanish kings. The entire building is truly stunning, but of course I was only allowed to take pictures of the simply decorated outside.
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| El Escorial |
La Granja is another palace where the kings would spend the summer. It looks very similar to Versailles. We didn't go inside, only walked through the gardens (on a beautiful fall day), and saw the many fountains and statues.
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| La Granja | | | | | |
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| Aqueduct - Segovia |
Segovia, a small city outside of Madrid, was exactly what I had been picturing Spain to be like! It is very rustic looking with lots of hills and narrow roads. The city has a aqueduct, which is truly astonishing. It also holds another palace, Alcazar, which is what Disney's Magic Kingdom is based off of. We climbed over 150 stairs to the top to see a stunning view of the whole city and surrounding land. The Cathedral, is the last Gothic Cathedral built in Spain and the spires are absolutely gorgeous. I had to give an oral presentation on the Cathedral, so I could tell you lots more facts (they are all pretty boring though)! We had two wonderful days, despite the cold temperatures!
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| Alcazar - Segovia |
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| La Catedral - Segovia |
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| Kelly-Ann and Me - Top of Alcazar |
I also had my first midterm today, 17 centuries worth of Spanish history... a lot to learn in just two months! Off to Morocco this weekend with my Dad, hopefully will have lots to tell!
Muchos Besos!
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