Postcard from Segovia, Spain: Falling in love seems so easy

Those clever Romans always took care of business, making sure the water supply was adequate however far afield they marched and conquered. In Segovia, they left behind a monumental aqueduct of graceful arches constructed of 25,000 granite blocks assembled without mortar. It still stands.

The successful cultivation of industry based on Merino wool at the end of the Middle Ages swelled the city’s population to 27,000 before 1600. Major declines countered by investment by royals punctuated by Rip-van-Winkle periods combined to create a picture-book city unspoiled by modernization. This is a city where they care enough about aesthetics to pay attention to the textures of building walls and how every window is framed.

With a population of little more than 50,000, Segovia is a city of narrow streets and a multitude of plazas where pedestrians rule. On streets where cars are allowed, few automobiles venture. The going within the old city walls is simply too slow to tempt drivers to navigate there unless absolutely necessary. Large trucks and buses just don’t fit. In other words, residents and tourists can wander freely and fearlessly.

And the setting of the historic center is beautiful. Outside most of the ancient walls encircling the city’s 3,000-foot hilltop perch, one is plunged immediately into verdant countryside framed by a few low mountains whose tops still are stained by snow. Plus, this place has the most magical merry-go-ground I’ve ever seen.

Once again, I’ve fallen in love, so am throwing a few random photos your way….