Friday 10 August 2012

Stunning little town of Pedraza

What I really like about old towns is character. Spain is full of such small towns and even villages.



Pedraza is definitely one of them. Lying 40 kilometers north-west from Segovia, with its 500 inhabitants, today it is nothing more than a small town. Many well preserved buildings and a castle with magnificent walls tell a story of a once important settlement. Everything is restored with a lot of care and it does not come as a surprise that a few years ago the town won a special European prize "for bringing new life to the medieval walled town and respectfully restoring its old buildings".


It has been a tourist destination since the seventies and has been gaining popularity since then. Even if you are not interested in historic details it definitely deserves a stroll through its cobbled streets.



Apart from a great variety of restaurants in which one can enjoy the area's exquisite cuisine (you must have a taste of delicious roast pork and lamb in traditional Segovian style) as well as magnificent accommodation, supposedly Pedraza has become an excellent place to go to look for rustic furniture as well as gifts and decorative items.
Since furniture and souvenirs were not on my list this time, I tried to concentrate on many photo motives. Some of the results could easily make it into picture-postcard category.



If you are ever in the neighborhood, do not miss an opportunity for a walk and a cool drink at one of many authentic looking bars in the main town square.

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Wednesday 8 August 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Bell tower of Sepúlveda

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Monday 6 August 2012

Iglesia Vera Cruz

This small church near Segovia, Spain was consecrated in 1208. Vera Cruz (literally meaning True Cross) was built by the Knights Templar to house a fragment of the True Cross.


This church has a unique 12-sided exterior with a tower on the south side. Its shape is patterned on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where according to legend the True Cross was found by St. Helen in the 4th century.



The insides are supposed to be quite interesting - the round nave centers on an unusual two-story gallery, where the Knights are thought to have kept vigil over the sliver of wood.
I guess views from the tower must be great but even from bellow there is a great view of the Alcazar and the old city.

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