Today was quite an interesting day.
After touring the entire cathedral (where El Cid is buried), we left Borgos behind and headed for our next stop of Segovia.
served a four course meal of salad, local beans simmered in a flavorful broth, baby pig, and finally an amazing chocolate lava cake with a small scoop of a vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. We were all full but the portions are amazingly just about right! In Spain the big meal is eaten for lunch and the supper meal is much lighter (and much later).
Our last stop in Segovia was at a castle for photos:
This castle has been used in many films and photographs by companies including Disney.
First we had mass in Burgos after breakfast. It was beautiful church with an ornate altar area.
We drove through the beautiful Spanish countryside to the town of Segovia.
However, by the time we arrived in Segovia, all of Spain and Portugal were without power. The first indication of this issue was when we were nearly hit at an intersection by a speeding car. Our bus driver, Edwardo, expertly applied the brakes and missed the car (all of our Guardian Angels undoubtedly helped as well). Segovia was a bit of a mess with the absence of electricity, especially for the traffic lights. But the restaurant where we had reservations for lunch was opened and ready for us.
I have included photos of the restaurant, the carousel, and the beautiful aquaduct there. The restaurant:
served a four course meal of salad, local beans simmered in a flavorful broth, baby pig, and finally an amazing chocolate lava cake with a small scoop of a vanilla bean ice cream for dessert. We were all full but the portions are amazingly just about right! In Spain the big meal is eaten for lunch and the supper meal is much lighter (and much later).
We left Segovia and spent the next hour and a half driving to Avila - the walled city. We had no idea how the countrywide blackout would affect our stay (by this time the phones including all cell phones were out as well as the Internet). We arrived in Avila well before dark but had to walk up the hill to our hotel (there was an escalator in the visitor center but no electricity....). This was quite a hike for everyone but we arrived at the hotel (very close to the Cathedral) relatively unscathed.
Even amid a few grumbles, we were all thankful to have a safe place to sleep and have water even if we didn't have lights.
It was not terribly long after we arrived before the lights came on and have stayed on since. A good night's sleep was definitely needed.