Dejé la Corazón Mia en Segovia, Parte II

[The following post is a continuation of the previous post, so read that one first!]

Next, lunch requires nearly a post of itself. After walking around so much, everyone was starving. It was the first time I’ve been cranky a here in Spain; I wanted something good to eat. We decided on a very traditional restaurant in Segovia, near the main plaza. After we all got situated, I ordered the specialty of the house, which was a three-course menu of Segovian specialties. First we had a wonderful soup, judiones de la granja, also known as “Beans of the Grange.” These beans are large beans that were created by the gardeners of the Palacio Real de La Granja that I talked about in my last post. The soup was perfect for a frigid day. Next came the main course: Cochinillo Asado, or Roasted Suckling Pig. This is a very tasty, very expensive dish that is made in Segovia. A young pig is roasted whole and the meat is so tender, being such a young pig, that they bring it out to your table and hack it into 4-6 servings using plates. A very strange mental picture, but the plates demonstrate the skills of the cook (and of the waiter who dices as well!). Luckily for us, the pig was already served diced up, because Chelsi started crying over the poor dead piglet and my friend Melissa nearly swooned (I was actually pretty worried because she was getting hot, flushed, and had trouble breathing! Luckily when she stopped thinking about Poor Piglet, we were good to go!). We definitely looked like inexperienced tourists! Anyways, the meat was absolutely delicious, very tender. The skin had baked into a crunchy, glorified pork-rind that I found tasty as well. For dessert, we had Torta/Ponche de Segovia which is a rich cake that has been soaked in a liqueur and topped with a marzipan icing layer. Overall, it was one of the most unique and delicious meals I’ve experienced. I say experienced, because you don’t really “try” new foods in another culture. Everything about the experience is new. Also, I won’t tell you how much the meal cost, but let’s just say I’ll be eating sandwiches for lunch from here until eternity.

After lunch, the whole group met up in the Plaza Mayor for our tour of El Alcázar, or The Castle. The world used is of Arabic derivation, as are many words in the Spanish language, due to the presence of Moors during much of the Medieval Ages. Anyways, this castle was used by the Catholic King and Queen, Fernando and Isabella. Think Christopher Columbus. Anyways, this castle is absolutely gorgeous, with a very deep moat, towers, and slate roofs. Though not the official castle that Disney modeled, he used El Alázar as a reference. The interior was MUCH different from El Palacio Real de La Granja, which could be a result of the two centuries gap between constructions. Though much more Medieval, this castle had a beautiful interior, with original tapestries, thrones, suits of armor, woodwork and stained glass. Also, with our ticket, we got to climb the 141 steps to the top of the highest tower and look out over the countryside. Everything was absolutely beautiful in the crisp, cold winter air.

I think that was about all for our trip to Segovia. Everyone had a wonderful time, though we were exhausted by the time we got to the bus and everyone was asleep by the time we got back in Madrid. Our sleepy arrival and departure from Segovia made the trip seem much like a dream. I hope the pictures show how beautiful I found the city to be. Maybe you can see why I Left My Heart in Segovia!