FUN-travel: Northern Spain – Salamanca to Ávila to Segovia, Spain
July 26, 2012 by Susan Clarke
Day 15 – Tuesday, July 24 – Salamanca to Ávila to Segovia, Spain
Ávila
What I LIKE
- hot coffee only costs 2 Euro @ Parador
- 11:00 take 15 minute walk to the Art Nouveau Museum – 2 floors of bronze sculptures, ceramic & porcelain figurines, paintings, furniture & an incredible doll collection dating to 1860 – really beautiful!
- Garmin works!
- Euro is down to 1.20 to the dollar!
- much warmer this morning
- finally getting on “Spain Time” – get up late – drink wine with lunch – take siesta – wake up and repeat – go to bed late
- 1 hr drive to Ávila – OMG Camelot for sure! – another walled city
- free parking lot has security surveillance
- lunch – local dish of huge white beans & ham stew – nice mixed salad
Roman Aqueduct
- walking back to car realize we’re parked next to Police Station (what are the chances)
- 3:30 head off to Segovia – only takes 1 hr
- Parador sits high on the hill overlooking the “old city” – more panoramic views like Salamanca
Segovia Cathedral
- 7:30 take taxi to “old city”
- 1st stop – Roman Aqueduct – really massive & impressive
- 2nd stop – Cathedral – it too is really massive & impressive
- 3rd stop – Alcázar – palace too is really massive & impressive
- 4th stop – Plaza Mayor for dinner – mixed salad & grilled tuna – Juan Gil 18 – Jumilla wine – quite good!
- being serenaded on plaza by piano player
- love watching all the families out & about
- kids actually playing – no Ipods or computer games
What I DON’T LIKE
Alcázar
- paranoid about leaving car in lot with all of our luggage inside
Ávila Cathedral at City Wall
- really hot mid-day
- Parador is 20 years old & dated – too new for my tastes & too big & too expensive (prices have been all over the board depending on availability)
(FUN-fact) – The Paradors offer a 5 night card for 525 Euros. Much less expensive than we have been paying per night. Breakfast is not included but we don’t eat that much anyway. Breakfast charges have varied from 20 to 40 Euros for two people. We’d rather spend that money on lunch or dinner. When breakfast is included we always make a sandwich with the meats & cheeses and have it for lunch.
More FF (FUN-fact) – Segovia wins a Gold Medal for the most delightful, authentic local experience in our Travel Olympics.