Day 31 (6/11) Segovia day trip / last night in Madrid

On our last full day, we boarded a bus and took a 1 hr 20 minute drive to Segovia. This day trip took the place of the Toledo day trip in 2024, and of the two, I think I prefer Segovia, but both are interesting and worth visiting for different reasons.

The most notable thing about Segovia is the Roman aqueduct. From UNESCO:

Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct:

The Roman aqueduct of Segovia, probably built c. A.D. 50, is remarkably well preserved. This impressive construction, with its two tiers of arches, forms part of the setting of the magnificent historic city of Segovia. Other important monuments include the Alcázar, begun around the 11th century, and the 16th-century Gothic cathedral.

We met Letitia, our tour guide, who gave us a 2-hour tour of the city and provided valuable history and context for the aqueduct, the cathedral, the historical Jewish quarter, and the castle.

Also from UNESCO:
Segovia is symbolic of a complex, historical reality. Its neighborhoods, streets, and houses are laid out in accordance with a social structure in which hierarchy was organized and dominated by belonging to one of the different cultural communities. Moors, Christians, and Jews coexisted for a long period of time in the medieval city and worked together during the 16th century manufacturing boom. The evidence of this cultural process can be seen in the large number of outstanding monuments in the city, among which, the Roman Aqueduct stands out. Other important monuments can be found in the property: the Alcázar, begun around the 11th century; several Romanesque churches; noble palaces from 15th and 16th centuries; the 16th-century Gothic cathedral, the last to be built in Spain in this style; and the Segovia Mint, the oldest industrial building still existing in Spain.

After the tour, we had an impromptu group lunch at Restaurante El Fogón Sefardí--it ended up being one of the most delicious and memorable group meals of the trip! Strongly recommend for future visits.

I should add that Cory didn't join us on this day trip because he had been invited to give a talk at la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Centro de Tecnología Biomédica) about his research related to capturing and enhancing memories made in the real world using deep brain implants and wearable sensors. At some point, I'll turn the blog over to Cory to give a more detailed explanation of his research and his day in Madrid.

We returned from Segovia just before 5PM. Cory and I raced over to la Reina Sofia to tour the museum (unfortunately, another speed tour but totally worth it). Interestingly enough, in 2024, I preferred the Prado, but this year, I definitely preferred La Reina Sofia. The temporary exhibitions were especially interesting. In particular:

Felix Gonzalez-Torres
Sweet Revenge

AURÈLIA MUÑOZ

Beings

Plus the Dali works are always fascinating, as are the process-oriented artifacts that chronicle Picasso's creative process related to La Guernica. 

We met with the group at 6:30 to officially close out the program and thank everyone. Thank you all, for a wonderful experience together. I am proud of this group and what we accomplished and learned as a team.

After saying goodbyes, Cory and I went back to La Reina Sofia to see the last floor of contemporary art, and then we joined folks at the Mercado de San Miguel for more tapas before heading over to a local watering hole to watch the first game of the World Cup. Viva el Tri! 

We closed out the evening with gratitude and appreciation for good community, good food, and an overall amazingly profound and unique experience that we will all cherish for a very long time.

A special thank you to Cory for being a wonderful partner and companion. I love doing life with you. Thank you for being so supportive of me and these experiences.