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Segovia is a small city best known for the Roman aqueduct that runs right across the city center plaza. The center is a mixture of medieval and more modern buildings, surrounded by more recent buildings and then agricultural lands.
In addition to the aqueduct, I visited the 16th century cathedral and the Alcázar de Segovia, a restored 12th century castle.
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I left Segovia late in the afternoon of September 7th, to drive to Salamanca, where I had reserved a room. It's another small city, about two hours west of Segovia and nearing the Portuguese border. Don't confuse the city of Salamanca with the Salamanca district of Madrid. Very different places.
Salamanca is a University town, the University of Salamanca dates from 1130 AD and claims to be the third oldest university in the world still in operation.
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I left Salamanca in mid-afternoon to drive to my next stop, Coimbra Portugal. Coimbra is another University town, towards the north of Portugal and not far from the Atlantic coast.
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I left Coimbra, again in mid afternoon, as I had to reach Lisbon that evening. Along the way, I decided to take a little side trip to Nazare, a beach town on the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
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After visiting Nazare, I continued my drive to Lisbon, arriving at dusk. I had rented a room in a renovated Medieval building in the Alfama district, the oldest part of Lisbon.
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The next morning I began my drive to Lagos, on the south coast of Portugal. Along the way, I decided to stop in Sines, another coastal town about half way between Lisbon and Lagos. Sines' most notable claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of Vasco da Gama, the explorer.
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I arrived in Lagos in the early evening of September 11th. Lagos is in the Algarve (meaning "West" but actually South coast of Portugal. The room I booked is on one of the old, medieval streets which make up much of the town.
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I left Lagos shortly after noon, to visit the fortress in Sagres. On arriving there you find a giant parking lot fronting an equally giant fortress. But the fortress building is a modern, Disneyesque recreation of the fortress entrance with not much inside except a ticket booth and gift shop.
Arriving in Madrid, September 6, 2019