Segovia

When I was in Madrid we took a day trip to the town of Segovia, about an hour north of the city, over the mountains.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and definitely worth a visit. The Roman Aqueduct, the cathedral and the Alcazar (Royal Palace) are surrounded by old houses and shops and the main square was a lovely place to have an al fresco lunch.

Walking from the bus station to the town centre the first thing that strikes you is the number of churches in the town, but then you reach the aqueduct and the town ramps up a gear.....built in AD50, 2 tiers of arches carried water to the old walled city, bringing to the end the water's 18km journey along man-made canals from the Rio Frio. The aqueduct itself is over 800m long and at it's highest stands 28.5m tall. 

The cathedral was the last gothic cathedral built in Spain, constructed during the 16th century - it really looked like a wedding cake!

We ate lunch in one of the many cafes on the main square. It was warm and sunny and I was happy to be eating outside. These are croquetas filled with one of the delicacies of the region, suckling pig (sorry vegetarians). 

The square in spring time - no leaves on the trees yet, but still mild enough to be outside.

Another church! Just look at that blue blue sky! 

Carvings on an archway - just the door of someone's house!

Just the door-handle of someone's house!

A view of the city from the Alcazar - the black dot in the sky is a kite - these amazing birds of prey were everywhere.

The Alcazar - started in the 11th century - and some say the model for Disney's Castle. 

Peacock in the grounds of the Alcazar.

Perhaps the most exciting thing for me were the storks! Just returned from Africa to nest....

Just outside the walls beyond the city is the Iglesia de la Vera Cruz (the Church of the True Cross), founded by the Knights Templar in the 12th century. It is a 12 sided building, with another 12 sided structure inside.

Looking back to the Alcazar from the Iglesia de la Vera Cruz.

A fantastic day trip from Madrid - thanks Mariana and Maria for your company!

Madrid

I had a little trip to Madrid in March - to catch up with friends, to enjoy a little sunshine and take in some of the sights.

I have been to Madrid before but it's a great city to spend time in. 

First stop - Atocha Railway Station, the main station in Madrid with it's beautiful tropical gardens and wrought iron work.

Then it was on to El Retiro, the main park in Madrid for second breakfast out there in the sun. First meal outside for 2014!

Beautiful blossom on a stunning spring day.

We walked from El Retiro, past some of Madrid's most amazing buildings to the Plaza Mayor. I loved this building, all art deco in style.

The beautiful Metropolis building completed in 1910 and restored in 1995.  

Then it was on to the Plaza Mayor, the most famous of Madrid's squares. The current square was built in 1790, surrounded by 3-storey buildings with over 230 balconies looking over the square. It remains a thriving, if somewhat touristy, heart in the city. 

One of the 9 entrances to the Plaza Mayor.

Lunch followed at a favourite spot in Madrid, the beautifully restored Mercado de San Miguel. You can find out more about it here on my post from 2011. The food looked as amazing as ever.

Bacalao and a selection of empanadas.

Post-lunch drink - Sangria!

Churros!

Aviles, Spain

In November I headed to the town of Aviles in Asturias in the north of Spain. It's a long trip to get there - flying from Edinburgh to London to Madrid to Asturias....but it was an interesting visit. 

Situated on the north coast it is the third largest city in the Principality of Asturias, with a maritime and industrial history. There were many old buildings in the town, alongside buildings designed by one of the key figures of modern architecture, Oscar Niemeyer.

Old buildings in the centre of Aviles, traditional architecture with arcades and colourful houses.

Los Fransiscanos/Saint Nicolas Church, the oldest church in Aviles, built in the 13th century.

The rainbow bridge to the Cultural Centre.

The Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre, Aviles

The Prince of Asturias Awards are given annually to individuals and organisations from around the world who have made a notable contributions to the arts, humanities and science. The awards were established in 1980 and in 1989 Oscar Niemeyer was awarded the Arts Prize for his contribution to architecture. During the 25th anniversary year, the Awards held a number of celebratory events, inviting past winners to contribute. Aged 98, Oscar Niemeyer declined the invitation to travel to Spain, but did send a contribution to the celebrations - the drawings for the Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre. The centre opened in 2011, and houses an auditorium, cinema, conference facilities, restaurant (at the top of the tower) and hosts a series of arts focused events throughout the year, both inside and out, offering the people of Asturias access to a wide range of cultural opportunities. When we were there the centre hosted a talk by one of Spain's best known authors and dance from Ballet Nacionale de Cuba.

In this image you can see that the city is still industrial, with the flames from the iron foundry burning brightly behind.

The restaurant is at the top of this tower!

My tour of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

This summer I visited some beautiful places, many of which have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.....

1. Real Alcazar and Cathedral of Seville with it's Moorish architecture and beautiful landscaping. The orange grove in the courtyard of the cathedral, the view from La Giralda tower..

2. The Historic Centre of Cordoba, including the Mezquita with its forest of arches covering the floor of one of the largest mosques in the world, with a Baroque style church constructed in the middle by the Christians that retook the city in the 13th century. 

3. The Lavaux Terrace Vineyards of Switzerland - the vineyards seem to extend high into the air above the shores of Lake Geneva, with the terraces dating back to the 11th century.

We spent an hour in the late summer sunshine wandering through the vineyards, looking at the large bunches of grapes almost ready for picking and looking at the view over the lake and the mountains.

Madrid

There was a lot more to Madrid that just food....honest!

We visited the Reina Sofia Museum (a little disappointed - it was a large building that didn't seem to contain much, with minimal direction for the visitors) and the Thyssen Bornemeszia Collection - definitely not disappointed - one of the best galleries I've been too and I've been to quite a lot. A collection built over years by the Thyssen family, now on public display - over 1600 paintings from the 16th century onwards....Picasso, Van Gogh, Franz Marc, Kandinsky oh and to my joy 3 little Klee's around a corner, just as I had said the collection would be more complete if there had been a Klee! Had chocolate and churros (typical Spanish dish  thick rich hot chocolate with doughnut like pastries to dip in the chocolate) at Chocolateria San Gine, walked through El Retiro Park, took in the cathedral, markets galore, crowed over the architecture, wandered the shops, met an old friend for dinner and ate a lot of tapas - octopus, fish, croquetas, chorizo, patatas bravas.......yum.

All in all a good few days was had!

Museo Reina Sofia

Old Market

El Retiro Park

Madrid Cathedral

El Retiro Park