Today was the coldest and rainiest day we’ve had yet - a high of about 8C and rain on and off all day. Nevertheless, after breakfast in our room we eventually girded our loins - that is, we dressed in layers including long underwear, shirts, pants, sweaters, fleeces and rain jackets - and walked a few minutes down the street to the Alcazar.
The seniors entrance fee was only 3.5 euros each. We didn’t bother with an audio guide because we were given an English language pamphlet to follow and the Alcazar really isn’t that big. This site was originally a Roman fortress and has been built and re-built time and again. The first written record of the Alcazar is from the 12th century. The last big reconstruction was after a fire in the 1860s. It’s been a fortress, palace, prison and military academy in its history. As I mentioned before, it served as a model for the palace depicted in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
We wandered through the various rooms for about an hour and a half. As always, the craftsmanship in these places is wonderful - the stone carving, the woodwork, the vaulted ceilings, the paintings, the sculptures and the tapestries. We walked out onto the battlements at one point but the weather was so bad we quickly returned inside. There was no point in trying to get any outside pictures.
Eventually we walked back to our room for a coffee and to be dry. In the early afternoon, we walked through the Plaza Mayor to our favourite bakery for some pastries for tomorrow morning. After that, we borrowed umbrellas from the hotel and walked in the rain to the Trattoria de Mario, where we had eaten a couple of days ago. Red wine, beer and a bacon and carmelized onion pizza cost us 20 euros. It was delicious and well worth the money. The great thing about Spain is that the price is the price. There is no added tax and no expectation of a tip. Service staff are paid a living wage by the restaurant. Usually, if the bill is between euros, everyone rounds up. Very refreshing.
It’s late afternoon and we won’t go out again today. Tomorrow is supposed to be 16C with a mix of sun and clouds. We’ve had fun today but the weather was a struggle.
The seniors entrance fee was only 3.5 euros each. We didn’t bother with an audio guide because we were given an English language pamphlet to follow and the Alcazar really isn’t that big. This site was originally a Roman fortress and has been built and re-built time and again. The first written record of the Alcazar is from the 12th century. The last big reconstruction was after a fire in the 1860s. It’s been a fortress, palace, prison and military academy in its history. As I mentioned before, it served as a model for the palace depicted in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
We wandered through the various rooms for about an hour and a half. As always, the craftsmanship in these places is wonderful - the stone carving, the woodwork, the vaulted ceilings, the paintings, the sculptures and the tapestries. We walked out onto the battlements at one point but the weather was so bad we quickly returned inside. There was no point in trying to get any outside pictures.
Eventually we walked back to our room for a coffee and to be dry. In the early afternoon, we walked through the Plaza Mayor to our favourite bakery for some pastries for tomorrow morning. After that, we borrowed umbrellas from the hotel and walked in the rain to the Trattoria de Mario, where we had eaten a couple of days ago. Red wine, beer and a bacon and carmelized onion pizza cost us 20 euros. It was delicious and well worth the money. The great thing about Spain is that the price is the price. There is no added tax and no expectation of a tip. Service staff are paid a living wage by the restaurant. Usually, if the bill is between euros, everyone rounds up. Very refreshing.
It’s late afternoon and we won’t go out again today. Tomorrow is supposed to be 16C with a mix of sun and clouds. We’ve had fun today but the weather was a struggle.
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