Europe - Spain, Segovia - 5 Reasons to Visit - September 2018

Segovia, Spain

It's Friday, September 21, 2018. We stopped in a small city located in the Central part of Spain. Segovia, which is an old town that is the home of One of the greatest surviving monuments of Roman engineering aqueduct

Segovia's most impressive monument is the colossal monument that makes the city stand out among other historical Spanish towns: it is Roman Aqueduct. 

 The Aqueduct of Segovia was built during the second half of the 1st century A.D. under the Roman Empire's rule and supplied water from the Frío River to the city.  It is 2000 years old.

It is a symbol of the city, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 View of the  Segovia Cathedral, a Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral located in the main square (Plaza Mayor) 

 In Granada, on March 31,1492, just a few months after the final defeat of the Moors, the ‘Catholic Monarchs,’ Isabel and Ferdinand, promulgated The Edict of Expulsion, decreeing that the Jews in all of Spain had four months to either convert to Christianity or leave the country. This ended almost 300 years of Jewish presence in Segovia.

A Jewish community can be traced back to 1215, and for almost 200 years, there were few restrictions on their place of residence. That changed in 1412 when they were restricted to the area, more or less, around the present Cathedral, but things worsened in 1481 when they were forced into much more of a ‘ghetto,’ the area of this walking tour.

Decorative patterns on the facades

Small narrow streets in the Jewish Quarter

Jewish symbol with the shape of the Iberian Peninsula

Segovia Cathedral is the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain. Fronting the historic Plaza Mayor in Segovia, it stands on the spot where Isabella I was proclaimed Queen of Castile. 

 

Alcazar de Segovia

Fortress of the Kings of Castile and Royal School of Artillery

The Alcazar is a beautiful, extensive complex and a part-time residence of the Spanish royal family. 

View of the countryside

The Throne Room

Museum of Weaponry 

Elaborately Golden Ceiling

More beautiful ceilings

More Military Weaponry

Stainglass Windows

Back on the Street - there are plenty of shops to wander in and out around the City.

Colorful plates and dishes

Decorative jars, cups, and plates

We stopped at a Restaurant Asador El Bernardino.

We tried a very famous large bean soup - it was Fabulous!

Photo provided by Facebook 

Map of Spain showing Segovia in the Central part of Spain!

We had a great day in Segovia. The 5 reasons to visit:

The Segovia Roman Aqueduct

The old city and the Jewish Quarter

The Cathedral de Segovia

The Alcazar de Segovia

Asador El Bernardino

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Europe - Spain, Bilbao - Greetings from Bilbao - September 2018

It's Thursday, September 20, 2018, we are traveling to the Basque Country - Bilbao is the center of the Basque industry and the largest Basque city.

 View from the deck of Hotel Melia Bilbao

Jeff Koons, Guggenheim Puppy 🐶 

Fog Sculpture de Fujiko Nakaya 

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.

 Colorful Tulips by Jeff Koons

 View of La Salve Bridge

 Hans Kellner - Guggenheim Bilbao Spider

 A Matter of Time -by American Richard Serra.

Marilyn

Joana Vasconcelos  a Portuguese artist– I Am Your Mirror exhibit - High Heels made of Pots, Pans & Lids 

 

Bell 47 helicopter, ostrich feathers, Swarovski crystals, gold leaf, industrial paint, dyed leather upholstery embossed with fine gold.

 Old Town

 View of the Bridge

 City Hall

 Bilbao Train Station

We had a great day in Bilbao - wish we could have stayed longer. 

 

Europe - Spain - Beyond Barcelona, Montserrat, Catalonia - September 2018

It's Tuesday, September 18, 2018; we took a short bus ride to see the Santa Maria de Montserrat it is a Benedictine abbey located on the mountain of Montserrat, in Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. It is notable for enshrining the image of the Virgin of Montserrat.

Montserrat is 4,055 feet above the valley floor,

There are walking and hiking paths that surround the Royal Basilica; many people hike to the top of the mountain and cross and take in the view.

There have always been 80 monks in residency.

The interior of the Basilica

Whether you are religious or not, visiting the Black Madonna at Montserrat is a spiritual and worthwhile experience. We joined the people in line and waited 35 minutes to touch the statue and say a prayer.

There are two funiculars, one connecting with Santa Cova (a shrine and chapel lower down the mountain) and the other connecting with the upper slopes of the hill.

Back in Barcelona, we stopped by La Flauta II for lunch.  We were told to ask for the Menu of the Day. Customarily served between two and three in the afternoon by just about every restaurant in Spain, this is a great way to eat good food at a very reasonable price.
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Shrimp

Calamari

Fresh salad and pasta

 Visited the Picasso Museum this afternoon. No photos are allowed in the Museum, where 4,251 works are exhibited. The Museum has one of the most complete permanent collections of Picasso's works. Here are a few of the highlights.

The Wait (Margot) 1901

Photo provided by Picasso Museum Barcelona 

Pablo Picasso

Photo provided by Wikipedia

This is a free poster given out in the Picasso Kitchen Exhibit.

Portrait of Jaume Sabartes with ruff and cap (1939)

Photo provided by Picasso Museum Barcelona

This is a free poster given out in the Picasso Kitchen Exhibit.

 The Columbus Monument is a 60 m tall monument to Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona in honor of Columbus' first voyage to the Americas. 

 La Rambla

Tapas and Wine