Salamanca to Segovia

6 November 2023

We said goodbye to Salamanca and came to Segovia by train. Once again we enjoyed travelling by train. Apart from walking, it's the best way to see the land you're travelling through. 

The train went north of our Caminos Teresianos route but took us through the same landscape - mostly flat with views forever. As we neared Segovia though, mountains, with a dusting of snow, came into view. Although the landscape we travelled through was mostly flat, it was still high - Segovia sits at 1005m.

The Segovia railway station is 4.5 kms from central Segovia so we shared a taxi with a couple from Nova Scotia. 

As always, once checked in at our accommodation, we went and found a supermarket. We enjoyed our first look at this city. People, so many people, were out and about. The temperature was 8°C at 6pm.

Walking through Salamanca streets on our way to the railway station: 

Footprints of St Teresa in Salamanca. 

A few snaps taken while on the train:

We went past large areas of pine trees. Most of the plantings were in rows. We have no idea what they are used for as their trunks aren't very big, nor are the trees very tall, and they all had a mop top canopy.

In Segovia:

Walking to our accommodation as the taxi couldn't drive into this part of the city.

The view from our window. 

On our way to the supermarket. 

Toffee apples - they looked so good. 

Views out over the city - still on our way to the supermarket. 

Then we got a bit sidetracked as we saw the Roman aqueduct. It was built in the 1st century to channel water from mountain springs 17 kilometres away. It was in use until 1973. 

On our way back to our accommodation from the supermarket. 

A chestnut roaster - we bought a small bagful to nibble on. 

Salamanca

4 & 5 November 2023

We had been thinking of walking from Salamanca to Zamora on the Via de la Plata. It would have been another three days of walking but it didn't work out, and just as well, as, after walking 680 kilometres over all types of terrain, I somehow managed to stumble on a small set of steps, here in Salamanca, and severely bruised my already arthritis and surgery compromised toe and great toe joint. 

Yesterday was still wet and stormy - the tail end of Storm Ciarán which had swept over Europe - so we didn't see very much of Salamanca before my mishap but today, although quite cold, the sun was shining making it more pleasant to wander and explore the city - a slow wander because of my foot. 

Salamanca, the little we have seen of it, appears to be a city of gorgeous old, soft sand-coloured, stone buildings - many of them churches or university buildings. 

People are everywhere. There are many walking tour groups, cafés and restaurants are full, parents and little children holding hands as they walk by, and groups of teenagers hanging out together. It's a city of people, very few cars.

These photos will only give a glimpse of what the city is like:

Part of the old city wall.

We went to Mass at the Church of San Sebastian - a very small church compared to it's the neighbour, the cathedral. 

The altar in the Church of San Sebastian. 

Some of the ceiling detail...

The walls of this building were covered in scallop shells...

...and we saw many of these camino markers. 

There weren't any plaques for any of the sculptures we saw.

A stroll down this covered walkway took us to a panaderia. 

Of course,  we had to sample some of it's goods.

The rio Tormes 

On Puente Romano, a footbridge across the rio Tormes.