Spain Series #3

After trying and rejecting (or being rejected by) several eateries, we just gave up. As we walked back toward Sue's apartment, we passed a very small restaurant on a side street. The lights were on, there was man behind the bar, but the six or so tables inside were empty.

Rush hour traffic builds in Madrid. Segovia is just beyond the mountains in the background.

We ducked in and asked the man (with Sue's help in Spanish) if we could get something to eat and if he'd allow Collette in, too. He said that he normally wouldn't let the dog in, but since there were no other customers it would be ok.

Domes on the Segovia cathedral.

After getting situated and getting some wine, we asked him for something to eat, I'm not sure what. We tried to decipher the menu. He said he'd make us up something. Again, I'm not sure what. We watched him work behind the bar and a few minutes later he brought a large platter of cold meats and cheeses and some bread. It was incredibly good and we ate well.

Then it was back to the hotel and bedtime. We were, as the British say, knackered.

The cathedral, seen from near the alcazar (castle).

If I remember correctly, we planned a day trip for the following day to Segovia, which is a small city north of Madrid, and boasts an alcazar, cathedral, and an old Roman aqueduct. It's a very picturesque city and is, consequently, a great magnet for tourists. Like us.

Street scene with dome.

We drove over and actually found a parking spot in the old town - this was February after all - and started walking around to get the lay of the place. Then it started to snow lightly. Did I mention that it was cold? We walked and walked, did some shopping, and took lots of pictures. We took turns holding the dog's leash so the other could snap photos.

Arches in the old town.

We strolled around the cathedral, the alcazar, and some other interesting sights, but we didn't venture into any of them. Mostly because we had the dog and she would not be allowed on the tours. So, rather than one of us staying behind with Collette, we decided to just be exterior tourists on this trip.

A church tower.

After a while in the upper town, we decided to look for a small place for lunch. We drove down by the aqueduct and found another parking spot. This time we left Collette in the car to nap (she was very used to this and didn't mind at all) and set out to find a place to eat.

Part of the alcazar.

We were obviously in a very touristy area. We could tell by the style of restaurants. The hundreds of souvenir shops lining the streets were also a clue. Not to mention the tourists milling about. But, since we were tourists ourselves, we blended right in.

Looking down from the alcazar.

It didn't take long to find a restaurant (eenie, meeny, miney, moe) that served an approximation of paëlla (all tourists want to eat paëlla in Spain and we were no exception). It was ok, but I've had better paëlla in France. Obviously we were not eating in the right place for paëlla. But it didn't matter. It was edible, warm, and we were having a good time.

Segovian laundry.

After the meal, we all had some little bits and pieces left over and we wanted to take them with us for Collette. Sue wasn't sure her Spanish skills could handle such a request, so Ken asked what the word for "dog" is, and Sue said "Perro. I think." When the waitress came to clear the table, Ken pointed to his plate and said, "Perro?"

The aqueduct and a line of pizza delivery bikes.

By the look on the waitress' face, it was clear she thought Ken was asking if we just ate dog. With a lot of laughing and waving of hands, he got the message across that we wanted to take the leftovers for our dog, and she quickly brought out a Styrofoam container. We thanked her profusely, scooped up the leftovers and made our way back to the car. Collette appreciated her reward for being a good dog. All's well that ends well.

We ate our lunch off to the right of this photo.