The past week and half has really been a blur. The last week at the pharmacy was interesting, but I'll write an update about everything I learned in Alcala later (hopefully). Other than that, a lot has happened since my last post.
The last week in Alcala, I had realized I had put off every single day trip I wanted to make from Madrid until the last minute. One of them was to Avila, this ancient roman city in Spain, with the most well preserved fortress walls in Spain and one of the best in Europe. The town was beautiful and the walls--mesmorizing. The town had quite a bit of charm to it, but as there wasn't much else exciting to see, it made an easy day trip.
Next was Segovia. I had been absolutely dying to see Segovia since I studied it in class (who knows when that was...). First on the itinerary was the roman aqueducts. I was impressed by the architecture, and since I'm some what of a history buff (as I've recently learned), it was thrilling. But... As beautiful as they were, they pailed in comparison to the other popular sight in Segovia---the Alcazar.
Have you ever experienced a truly breathless moment? I'm sure most parents will say "of course," and tell some sob story about when their children were born (which we all appreciate :) ), but as I have never had children, I can safely say that upon reaching the top of the tower of the Alcazar, I was left truly breathless for the very first time. Now, in all fairness, I had just climbed up a 156 staired tower, which came with it's very own disclaimer to the unfit. Nevertheless, even though I was alone, I couldn´t help but release an ¨oh my god ¨ when I reached the top. The views were absolutely gorgeous, undefinable, and unrelatable. Pictures don´t do justice, and neither do words. The only way to understand it is to experience it. The rest of the Alcazar was amazing as well, having many stories from the 15th century of the Catholics Monarchs, or as its much easier to say in Spanish, los Reyes Catolicos (Isabel de Castilla and Ferninand de Aragon...the monarchy during the launching of Christopher Colombus' adventure, the end of the Reconquista--or the end of the Muslim reign in Spain--and the Inquisition, in my opinion, the most interesting rulers in Spanish history).
Another day trip included Toledo, which the Hungarian girls I studied with guaranteed was the best town in Spain. However, Igor, Dejan and myself were quite disappointed after that description. Toledo is known as the religious capitol of Spain, because Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived there harmoniously for the longest period than any other area in Spain. The whole town is built on a hill, each street changing from uphill to downhill in an instant. The most disappointing aspect of Toledo was that at any moment, you could walk by ¨an important monument" and not even recognize it...to such extent that we had to pass by ¨THE mesquita (mosque)¨ before noticing it at all. To say the least, I prefer almost any other Spanish city over Toledo...but don´t let that affect your opinion. As I´ve slowly learned, history and culture is what you make of it, and you make of it what you want. Others may find Toledo a hidden treasure among the small and winding streets, while others prefer the broad and obvious streets of Segovia. To each his own.
