Cercedilla
This place is described as "a picturesque chalet town blessed with great weather...an ideal base for venturing into the Sierra." Basically, it is just a little mountain town. It is known for having good hiking trails, and serves as a kind of escape for city dwellers. It was very peaceful, quite a contrast to the business of Madrid. When we got off the train, we followed a bunch of other people who had the hiking gear (back packs, boots, and of course: walking sticks) to the tourist information center. There we acquired a map which explained the various options of walking routes. We chose the easiest one, but it was very fun. The route was very easy to follow: we simply looked for blue dots spray painted on trees. The surrounding area seemed almost familiar, it just looked a little bit like mountain scenery and trails at home. Also, the woods and ferns around us kind of reminded us of "Pan's Labyrinth".
After our hike we went to get some lunch. We went to this bar/cafe type place and sat down. It was run by this older Spanish gentlemen who took our drink order, but then didn't return for quite sometime. He wondered in and out of the place, aimlessly it seemed, while our stomachs slowly consumed themselves. We didn't know if it was culturally acceptable to flag him down or approach him and tell him we wanted to eat some of his food, but eventually he returned and we got fed. It was really funny because we didn't know what to do and we were starving. The food was good in the end, and experiencing difficulty in placing an order was comical.
Segovia:
After lunch we caught a train to Segovia, only about 30 minutes away. This city is known for its "world-famous" aqueduct. According to "Let's Go! Spain and Portugal" (where all my little factoids come from), it was built around 50BC and was used up to 60 years ago. It was really impressive. We took pictures and got some gelato and then headed back to Alcala.
HIGHLIGHT OF CERCEDILLA/SEGOVIA: Hiking in Cercedilla in fresh air and the peacefulness that nature (devoid of city-life business) brings.
1. Part of the Cercedilla Trail we walked on
2. View from the Trail
3. Aqueduct in Segovia
4. View of Segovia Through the Aqueduct
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