After graduating from high school in the spring of 2007, I took a trip to Barcelona, Spain with my mom, and Aunt Kim and Uncle Adrian from Boston. Kim and Adrian are avid travelers having visiting 6 out of the 7 continents and many World Heritage Sites across the world. Luckily, us Texans brought our Spanish skills... and that's about it.
After spending a few days on the beach in Barcelona, we embarked on a trip to Madrid, stopping at paradores on the way. What is a parador you may ask. Well, a parador is a kind of luxury hotel, usually located in a historic building such as a monastery or castle. According to Wikipedia, the paradores were founded by Alfonso XIII of Spain as a means to promote tourism in Spain, with the first opening in Gredos, Ávila, in 1928.
Below on the map you can see which ones we visited on our way!
Our first stop way Bielsa, the most beautiful of the castles in my opinion. It was early June when we were there and the 80's-90's we experience in Barcelona were nothing in comparison to Bielsa. It was very chilly, and I think I remember some flurries and snow up on the hillside. It was certainly one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen with seemingly random waterfalls popping out of the mountain in every direction.
Our first stop way Bielsa, the most beautiful of the castles in my opinion. It was early June when we were there and the 80's-90's we experience in Barcelona were nothing in comparison to Bielsa. It was very chilly, and I think I remember some flurries and snow up on the hillside. It was certainly one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen with seemingly random waterfalls popping out of the mountain in every direction.
Farewell, Bielsa. On to Olite. I don't believe we stayed the night in Olite (I could be wrong), but I do recall walking around the city's maze-like towers. The town of Olite is as if frozen in the past, and has not been discovered by the tourists crowds. It is nearly completely surrounded by the original medieval walls that are marked by 15 towers – the grandest of which is appropriately named, Gran Torre, and can be explored and climbed. The Parador of Olite has an assuredly medieval feel with it’s stained glass and four-poster beds. This is a proper castle, and apparently one of the prettiest in the Parador chain. The interior is tastefully decorated with tapestries, wrought-iron chandeliers, and red tile floors.
After roaming around Olite we made our way to our final destination, Segovia. Segovia is located within the Iberian Peninsula, near Valladolid and the Spanish capital, Madrid. Probably the most famous landmark in Segovia is its aqueduct. At 18-years-old, I'm pretty sure I had no idea was an aqueduct was, a bridge that conveys water, nor did I care. Looking back, this was actually pretty cool! The Aqueduct of Segovia, located in the much-visited Plaza del Azoguejo, is the defining historical feature of the city, dating from the late 1st or early 2nd century. It is acknowledged as one of the most important Roman civil engineering works in Spain, and consists of about 25,000 granite blocks held together without any mortar.
Next, we went on our way to the Alcazar of Segovia. At this point, I really didn't care to see another castle or palace as they are all pretty grand... and pretty much the same. The Alcazar of Segovia is the royal palace located on top of a rock between the rivers Eresma and Clamores. It was one of the favorite residences of the kings of Castile, built in the transition from Romanesque to Gothic and Mudéjar decor highlighting its ample rooms. Devastated by fire in 1862, it was later rebuilt, and now houses the General Militar de Segovia archive and museum of the Royal School of Artillery, managed by the Board of the Alcazar.
Next, we went on our way to the Alcazar of Segovia. At this point, I really didn't care to see another castle or palace as they are all pretty grand... and pretty much the same. The Alcazar of Segovia is the royal palace located on top of a rock between the rivers Eresma and Clamores. It was one of the favorite residences of the kings of Castile, built in the transition from Romanesque to Gothic and Mudéjar decor highlighting its ample rooms. Devastated by fire in 1862, it was later rebuilt, and now houses the General Militar de Segovia archive and museum of the Royal School of Artillery, managed by the Board of the Alcazar.
I'll admit, it was pretty at sunset. After leaving Segovia we spent the night in Madrid and flew back to the good ole U S of A the following morning. Thanks to Aunt Kim and Adrian, we had one of the best trips of our lives, and one that won't soon be repeated.
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