Fairytale fantasy

It was like entering the pages of a fairytale. Before my awed eyes lay a town with twisting alleyways and Romanesque churches and a mysterious fairyland bound by a medieval wall and bordered by two rivers. There were miles and miles of shaded walks with pedestrian streets where cars are not allowed.
My tour of Segovia began at the Plaza of the Aqueduct, a Roman construction that has fetched the town a Unesco World Heritage city tag. Nearly 30 feet high at places, the 2,000-year-old aqueduct is one of the best preserved remnants of Roman construction across the world. The aqueduct was constructed to bring water from the 15 km source in the mountains and runs up to the Alcazar through the town. Interestingly, no mortar was used to bind the huge rectangular pieces of rocks that stand tall even today.
Segovia is a medieval city perched on a cliff above the rivers Clamores and Eresma, a dozen Iglesias Porticadas, a 14th century cathedral and some quaint structures. As I walk along, I take in the tiny shops, narrow lanes, beautiful buildings and innumerable statues of eminent people from the town.
Like most Spanish cities, the Plaza Mayor lies in the heart of the town. It is not possible to walk in Segovia and not notice the ornamented houses and the carved doorways, some studded with colourful tiles.
Traversing through labyrinthine lanes, lined with interesting houses, one of which had pyramid shaped pieces studded all over its walls, I arrived at the Plaza Mayor. My jaw drops at the sight of the beautiful Gothic architecture of the Cathedral. The construction, carried out in phases, took more than 200 years to complete. The Cathedral came up in 1525 and although the Gothic style had gone out of fashion, it was used for this particular structure. Probably, this is the last one in Spain to be built in the Gothic style.
The interiors are grand. The high vaulted roof and the columns that soar up to hold the dome, the stained glass windows and lavish paintings make the cathedral one of the most beautiful ones I had ever seen.
My inclination to rest my tired self under the shady cupola in the square is quickly forgotten as soon as our guide declares — “Now we will walk toward the Alcazar which inspired the Walt Disney set of a castle for their movie Sleeping Beauty.”
Built between the 8th and 12th centuries when Segovia was ruled by Muslims, it is a fairytale castle complete with turrets, crenellated tower and drawbridge. At the confluence of rivers Eresma and Clamores, the fairytale castle was badly damaged by fire in 1862 only to be restored at a later date on a grander scale. Stories abound about the happenings in the castle. While some swear it to be haunted, others claim that an unfaithful nurse dropped Don Pedro, the heir to the throne, from one of the windows of the castle.
It was once the summer palaces of Spain’s Bourbon monarchs. Keen on constructing another Versailles at Segovia, King Felipe V chose a beautiful spot in the midst of a mountain range. Set within a beautifully landscaped park with elm and chestnut trees and 28 spectacular fountains, it is the ultimate spot for relaxation.
Constructed in an amalgamation of French and Italian architectural elements, the 300-room palace is a superb piece of work. Passing through the private rooms of the royalty I stare goggled-eyed at the priceless paintings and twinkling crystal chandeliers, some of which were made in Segovia.
It is time to bid adieu to Segovia and its treasures. Reluctantly, I made my way back to Madrid and reality.