Gumiel de Mercado

 

You can see the "castillo" with bodegas in the background of this pic

For me, a trip to Spain is not complete without a visit to my mother in-law's home village of Gumiel de Mercado (Trip IV). We trekked up to the view point and enjoyed a beautiful clear day. In the evening I poked around the castillo in the center of town. A small hill that has been hollowed out with small scale wineries (bodegas) it has recently received some renovation to make it more tourist friendly. It's a stunning area with views of  the landscape and unique little chimney's aerating the cellars below.

Fresh grass of spring

Beautiful light

Mountain hikes: Miraflores de la Sierra

 

A view into the mountains

 

One of the things Madrileños tend to do is escape to the mountains. The city is surrounded by mountains most notably the Sierra de Guadarrama, Sierra del Norte and the Sierra de Gredos. There are loads of small mountain towns peppered throughout the mountains and their surroundings are perfect places for long walks. There are still many people that herd animals and thus there are a variety of trails to wander on. The backdrop of both the mountains and views into the plains below are stunning. 

I always enjoy visiting friends in the mountains and it is only natural to go on a walk. This year the spring time weather was particularly inviting and thus a perfect excuse to get out. Although there are natural parks and protected areas around (such as La Pedra) what is so nice about these villages is that you can literally step out the back door and find a suitable area to enjoy.

Fallow field

Segovia town

 

Segovia Cathedral towers over the cafes.

Although the aqueducts of Segovia are the most well known attraction, Segovia is a charming little town with some stunning buildings most notably the Segovia Cathedral and Alcazar. The Alcazar is particularly stunning located on the edge of the city overlooking a cliff. There is a deep moat and a beautifully landscaped area in front of the grounds. It's has a distinctive and romantic shape and style paired with the location on a rocky crag make it a prototypical medieval scene (in my unscholary opinion.)

It's not a tiny town like Morella but had a similar feel with the main pedestrian rohad connecting the aqueducts to the cathedral being packed with touristy shops. It was a holiday weekend when we visited and it was very crowded though enjoyable due to the nice weather. The city is a great place to spend the day and a must do day trip from Madrid.

 Alcazar of Segovia

A view of the city from Alcazar

Cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig)

 

One of the things I enjoy about Spain are local food specialties. Some are more well known like paella from Valencia or tripe in Madrid(callos a la Madrileña) but others are much less known. In Burgos we had the local specialty cordero lechal (roasted baby lamb) which was delicious but I am slightly squeamish at the whole baby animal thing. Well, in Segovia the specialty is cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) which cranks up a notch even further. 

The restaurant was called Venta Vieja and it is a charming old place that feels like it has existed for millennia. The building is old with a massive open floor space and huge wooden ceiling beams and bare brickwork. Sure enough, according to the website:

It is located in the same place where there was an old inn, called Santa Lucía, on the road from Segovia to San Rafael and at the foot of the Sierra de La Mujer Dead, because of the way her silhouette recalls.

The restaurant takes its food seriously which is apparent from the moment you step in. There is a photo collage of various pig slaughterings and barbecues! The food itself was delicious and all of the tables around us ordered the cochinillo asado indicative of the restaurants prowess in preparing the local specialty.

Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja

Blowing the glass to expand it.

Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja is a really interesting glass museum, gallery, and factory. If you have even the slightest interest in glass making, the history of glass production, or appreciate glass art, then you should absolutely make a visit. 

The main reason I went was to see a glass blowing demonstration. They have a constant production of vases and the steady stream of tourists can come and observe. It was a really neat process of him heating up the glass, blowing, shaping, using a machine to form, cutting the top, and then putting in a gigantic oven-like object presumably for finishing. It was really well presented and the guys were really friendly and happily fielded questions from the tourists. 

I was unexpectedly engaged with the history of glass blowing production in the area and technologically. There were several replicas and originals of glass blowing equipment with some seriously impressive engineering. There was even a guided tour but we could not participate in the entire tour due to time. 

After the museum there is a gift shop and small gallery full of impressive works. The Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja was a real pleasant surprise, a kind of hidden gem for sure!

An old press for making glass sheets.

Acueducto de Segovia

 

Segovia is most famous for the 2000 year old Roman aqueduct that runs straight through the town. It dramatically bisects the city center creating a stunning backdrop for the bustling plaza. We climbed the stairs on one end of the aqueduct and got a stunning view overlooking the city. The attractions carried on highlighting the presence of the underground aqueduct but we did not follow that circuit. We instead wandered around the main aqueduct with the throng of tourists posing for selfies, relaxing in the shade, or taking a drink at one of the many surrounding cafes.  

It's quite amazing that the aqueduct was used until the 18th century to carry water. The engineering is phenomenal and I recommend watching this video if you're interested in learning more.

Riofrío Royal Palace - Palacio Real de Riofrío

The view of the surrounding area.

The Riofrío Royal Palace - Palacio Real de Riofrío was a little underwhelming though we did not actually enter the palace. It's known as the "little brother" of La Granja and it's well worth visiting if you are in the area. There are a few walking trails and a nice open and partially wooded area next to the palace. It's a great place to have a picnic and stretch your legs. We were also attracted to the grounds due to the possibility of seeing Roe Deer (corzo [Capreolus capreolus]) and European fallow deer (gamo [Dama dama]). We did manage to see some Roe Deer on our way out and apparently it's not uncommon to see them rather close around the actual palace.

We took a short walk around the grounds and it was a good stop over for us during our Segovia day tour.

The actual palace.

Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso - La Granja

A view towards the mountains

Palacio Real de La Granja de San Ildefonso, or more commonly and much less pretentiously known as, La Granja, is a huge park in the mountains north of Madrid. As the name suggests it was formerly a royal palace and hunting ground but is now open to the public. 

The springtime weather was perfect for a trip up to the mountains from Madrid. It was a sunny day with clear and chilly air. The main palace is an impressive building with classic manicured gardens, ostentatious fountains (apparently they only put them on a few times a year) and an assortment of centaur statues. The property is massive and eventually the landscape gradually becomes more wild. There is a reservoir stocked with fish and a massive forest that was traditionally used for hunting. 

I really enjoyed the different parts of the "garden" though it is really more like a park. The oak forest was a particular highlight for me. Also to note, I did not visit the inside of the palace due to time constraints. 

Crystal clear mountain spring water

Beautiful oak forest