Guest Post by Keith

After arriving in Madrid on Saturday and enjoying catching up with Meghan and Anoop (and as Anoop said before I left, "Meet you in Madrid! How often do you get to say that?"), we were by now in the area just outside Madrid.

Our first stop of the day was Santa Cruz del Valle de Los Caidos – or the Valley of the Fallen. Tucked into the mountains, this part-basilica, part-grave, part-national monument was built just after the Spanish Civil War, commissioned by “former head of state” (as the monument reads) and fascist dictator, Francisco Franco. We approached it on a foggy morning, so its remote location, grey and simple decor, and imposing size all added to the somber effect of the site. It was so foggy, in fact, that we couldn't see the large cross on top of the basilica – even from a couple hundred metres away. Entering the basilica is more like entering a tomb on the side of the mountain. I suppose that is what you get when a church is commissioned by a fascist. At over 100 metres in length, the eerie grandeur of the cave-turned-nave help to both celebrate and grieve the more than 50,000 people who are interred behind the side chapels and main alter – all victims from both sides of the Spanish Civil war. Front and centre is the burial site of Franco: not surprising, but certainly controversial. The pieta atop the entrance expresses the grief of mothers of all the fallen soldiers; the grief of mothers doesn’t have a political allegiance.

We were leaving disappointed not to have seen the cross on top of the mountain, but then we realized the fog was lifting, which lead to a long photo op as well as a lifting sense of hope after such a sombre visit. The cross is enormous, both beautiful and imposing. The four evangelists are carved at the bottom.

The afternoon was in stark contrast to the morning. As Meghan drove us into Segovia, we quickly saw the Roman Aqueduct that runs through town, but our stomachs were getting the best of us and we were disappointed because our first choice restaurant was closed. We settled for our second choice – no, we upgraded to our second choice with a 12 Euro menu del dia. Between the three of us, we got a noodle soup with a savoury broth, a rich bean and squid soup, and herbed jamon for starters. These were followed by mains that inspired such comments as “we need to do more reduction sauces” (Anoop commenting on the salmon in a saffron sauce) and “I didn’t know squid tasted that good” (me commenting on the squid carpaccio on cod). For dessert, Meghan and Anoop enjoyed chocolate crepes with orange gelato and pure yummy inside, while I adventurously tried something that translated to candy with cheese and fruit – which was actually white chocolate filled with cream cheese, raspberry gelato, and swirled with berry sauce. Including the bottle of house wine Anoop and I shared and Meghan’s fancy water, we could not stop talking about the quality for such a low price. If you are ever in Segovia, tell Narizotas that we sent you.

Segovia, outside of the restaurant, was an enjoyable visit – perhaps influenced by our delicious food. The Roman Aqueduct, as I mentioned, runs right through town and provides a unique up-and-close experience of the 2000 year old structure. We saw a few interesting building from the outside only, such as the gothic cathedral that was finished in the Renaissance, so its dome provides a contrast to the Gothic spires. The Alcazar (fortress) sits on the edge of the old city wall looking over the cliff like it is out of a fairy tale – a fortress with towers in all the right places and beautiful brick work. Besides these, the mix between ancient, less ancient, and “new” Spanish Renaissance architecture shows why Segovia is a world heritage site.

Our afternoon coffee on the way out of town was motivated by Anoop’s careful research of the local treat – a Marzipan cake called ponche segoviano. After our amazing lunch, it was the gastronomical equivalent of lightening striking twice, because as Meghan said, “Marzipan cake doesn’t quite describe it.”  It was more like creamy almond custard cake – delicious and sweet. And delicious.

Thank you Segovia for a delicious and historic visit. If you want to know more, I dare you to ask Anoop about the Red Pepper reduction sauce.