Segovia Archives • Folksy Travel by Bill Smale

May 13, 2026May 13, 2026

Madrid Segovia Cuenca

late last year I went to Madrid to see my friends who you can see below. I spent some time there in Spain before going to Germany to see the Rod Stewart concert. I wish I was able to spend more time in Spain since I was just getting back up to speed with Spanish.

Madrid

visiting friends who are professional musicians and also play for the national Orchestra of Spain.

Famous musicians Madrid Segovia Cuenca — Having a little wine with Sergio and Omar before there Venezuelan music group Jim session. Omar is a well-known flute master and Sergio is a well-known guitarist. They grew up in Venezuela and Argentina respectively but now reside in Spain as professional musicians.

Venezuela musicians Madrid Segovia Cuenca — Venezuelans playing tunes they remember and created

Sergio and Omar playing Madrid Segovia Cuenca — Sergio and Omar playing

Cured ham Madrid Segovia Cuenca — So many places sell cured ham by the leg

Beautiful lake Bill Smale — Proof I was there at the beautiful lake in the center of the city

Nice time of year Bill Smale — It was a nice time of year

Street musician Bill Smale — And of course there was a very good Street musician

Gremlin fountain — The interesting fountain with figurines that look like gremlins

JardineS park — This is the large park in the center of Madrid

Green birds — The beautiful green birds gathered together

Beautiful day — It was a very beautiful day and seeing the birds was a real treat

I just took a few pictures of the colors because they were so striking. This was in October

Park explanation — The explanation of the park

Took took — They have duk duk also in Spain

Restaurant menu — Screenshot

the above was a menu for some things which I ordered

Tapas — These were just little things to fill up on

Pamplona

Reference to Hemmingway — In the city Hemmingway is very famous

Tapas — Some more little cup to fill up on

Segovia

Segovia Palace — These photos are of the palace in Segovia

Small chapel altar — The altar in the small chapel

Ornate object objects — Very ordinate objects

Palace entrance — The palace at the entrance

It’s a very beautiful building

Alcazar — The palace is called Alcazar

Inner courtyard — The inner courtyard

Protection for a knight — Very good protection for a knight and his horse

Reception room — The royal Reception room

Ornate ceiling — Incredibly ornate ceiling

Beautiful view — Beautiful views of the surrounding area. What do you see in the distance is the Mirador de la Vera Cruz

Ornate ceiling — Again a very ornate ceiling

Receiving room — The receiving room

Beautiful views — Such beautiful views

Guard weapons — Weapons for the guards

City view — Looking back into the city

Palace courtyard — Looking down under the courtyard

Jewish quarter — Entering the Jewish quarter

Café bar — This café bar was not open

Old garden walkway — Walking down to an old garden

Beautiful photo — I just thought this was a beautiful photo

To a cemetery — The Jewish cemetery is way on the other side of the road and the graves are inside caverns

Cuenca

Fortress town — This is an old fortress town which is a lot of fun to walk up and down

Nice view — Beautiful views

A tourist restaurant — This was a menu in one of the restaurants. I don’t recommend eating up there since it’s fairly expensive and it’s tourist food

Museum — This is the monastery and now a museum

The Lord of La Mancha — Maybe this will remind you of the Lord of La Mancha, Don Quijote

December 19, 2025December 19, 2025

Exploring Segovia

exploring Segovia is easy from Madrid. It’s a very short ride, less than an hour, and after you visit this town you can go back through Madrid to Toledo for a very short train ride there as well. One main feature of Segovia, of course, is the aqueduct where you will start your journey into the old town.

The town in aqueduct exploring Segovia — A view of the aqueduct from a distance

Madrid terminal exploring Segovia — Just to show you how much building is going on at the Madrid Central train terminal

Jewish area exploring Segovia — This is the old Jewish area

Main cathedral — The main cathedral in the old town

Calamari — I went to a small bar, not a tourist place, and had very good quality calamari and a salad

Christmas decorations — In early December they are putting up Christmas decorations

Cathedral — The main cathedral

Pipe organ — The extremely ordinate pipe organ

Vaulted ceiling — The cathedral voltage ceiling somewhat reminiscent of Gaudi’s work

Alcazar — The Alcazar is another “must see” palace in Segovia

Priest robe — These priests robes look somewhat Chinese

Artifact — Gold ornate artifact

Gold and silver — Golden silver decoration maybe to hold something

Gigantic entryway — These gigantic entrance doors are reminiscent of the palaces in Italy. They are large enough for men on horseback to enter

Coordinate chapel — Very ornate chapel

Side road — Side road by the Cathedral

Old building — Just an interesting old building

Alcazar — Alkazar as you approach it

Courtyard — The main courtyard

Ornate ceiling — Unbelievably ornate ceiling

Queen — Welcoming the queen

Ceiling — Another ornate ceiling

Moorish influence — You can see the Moor influence in this depiction

Palace view — A view from the palace. I think this is the monastery

Chapel — A small chapel

Works of art ceiling — Many of the ceilings are just amazing works of art

Palace view — Another view from the palace

Armament’s room — The armament’s room

Canon — A stubby Cannon

Korean tour group — A Korean tour group

Swords — Rapiers

Tapas cookbook — In the gift shop you can learn how to cook tapas

Palace view — A view from the palace into the city

Mote — A mote

Shop — A shop in the Jewish sector selling menorah?

Jewish supporter — One of the very famous Jewish supporters of the monarchy

Steak — The steak looks very delicious but it was sinuey

Horse steps — These large steps were good for horses

Scarecrow — Is this scary?

Jewish cemetery — Entering the Jewish cemetery

Tunnel — The tunnel under the road to the cemetery

Jewish caverns — This is the cemetery. It is a group of caverns chiseled out from the rock

View of the city — A view looking back at the city

Graveyard view — Looking at the graveyard

Burger restaurant — Kind of a strange sign but in Europe the burger is extremely popular

Administration building — A night view of an administration building

Alcazar — More of the Alcazar

Outfit — Can you imagine having to walk in this outfit

Knight on horse — The complete outfitting of a knight and his horse

Gelato — Mango and raspberry