Monday - Segovia and Avila

We leave from from Madrid to drive north. We spend the morning in Segovia and the afternoon in the walled city of Avila. Both are world heritage sites. Segovia takes us back 2000 years to time of the Roman conquest. The major sites we visit are the Roman aqueduct






and a synagogue that existed until 1410 and then became Corpus Christi church.


We walk through an area that used to be the Jewish Quarter and view all the examples of sgraffito or use of decorative geometric design on the exterior walls.





fabulous boxed Kosher lunches in the Plaza Major which has the main cathedral.


After lunch we see part of the ancient wall and gate that still exists as we make our way back to the bus for the drive to Avila.


The ancient walls surrounding the city of Avila were built in the 12th century and are still standing 500 years later.



Avila is where Moshe de Leon lived who is associated with the Zohar. Avila is an opportunity to look at the Zohar differently. Avila is highest point in that area and Santa Teresa, one of the three most important figures in Spanish Catholic history, is from Avila. She was born in 1515 and she grew up in a Converso household. The essence of mysticism is looking for the hidden. So today we are looking for the hidden.



Posted using BlogPress from my iPad