Well, for those of you upset with my snide remarks about the snowstorm,
redemption is yours. Went to Madrid this weekend, (which is a city, and
that's all there is to be said about that) and was able to take 2 side trips to both Segovia an Toledo, each about an hour respectively. Bus to Segovia had about 10 people on it, which was great, all of that room! About halfway
up I realized why Segovia was not a desirable destination that Sunday
afternoon. It may have had to do with the fact that Segovia was in the midst
of a snowstorm. Needless to say, the highway shut down after our arrival,
and all train and bus service was suspended for about 7 hours. Oh yeah, heat
in bus stations is completely overrated. Who needs it? Not Spain I tell you!
We had fun nonetheless, and went to Toledo the next day and had fun as
well. Mostly everything is closed in Toledo on Monday, but at least closed
doesn't mean 8-10 inches of snow. Madrid was ok. The Prado and Reina Sophia (museum of modern art)were great, and I didn't get to go to the Thyssein (private collection) which I regret, but oh well. Before heading to Madrid the school sponsored a trip to the Roman ruins of Itálica. I was able to get some good pictures which are attatched. Hope all is well with everyone, and as you can see I am alive and well aquí en España. I'll be talking to you
soon-enjoy the 2nd installment of photos! Pablo

1. This is at the center of the Ampitheatre in Itálica. This is where they
would keep the animals that were to be released at showtime, usually through
a series of trapdoors (similar to the movie Gladiator). They would starve the lions, tigers and bears (insert an "oh my" at will) for about 4-5 days and feed them little bowls of blood for cravings just so they wouldn't dissappoint the audience at showtime. At the height of the Ampitheatre's success, an estimated 2,000 people a day were sacrificed. Unbelievable. Sounds like a great time to be alive. Now who wants Ice Cream?647

2. This is the view from the stands. After the battle was over between the 2
gladiators, the victor would stand over his opponent with his sword at his
jugular. This is where crowd participation became important. They would vote
on whether or not he should finish him. Thumbs up=Puncture, Thumbs down="I guess let him live". Makes you realize how ruthless the emporer Fonzie was.667

<Different selections from the Prado>
3.This is Colossus. The name that is, but yes it is a very large painting by
Francisco Goya. Apparantly recently, many of the paintings said to be Goya's
are not in fact his. This is one of the more famous ones, and the sign next to it reads "attributed to Goya". I was not able to tell, but then again, I'm no Goya expert. I'm not even an expert. But I liked the painting. Hey, where's that Ice Cream?703

4. This is the most famous work on display at the Prado, Diego Velazquez's
"Las Meninas". It is a portrait of Felipe IV and his family in the Alcázar (fortress) in Madrid. Behind the canvas (in the painting) is Velazquez who
felt that he had earned the right to be a part of it. Or at least that's my shrewd interpretation. (Refer to #3) I figured taking the picture sideways was convenient for the viewer and maintained the integrity of the piece. moving on.704

5.This is the roman aqueduct in Segovia. A true testament to Roman
engineering, it still functions today even at the ripe age of 2,000. What's
interesting is that the granite blocks are joined without any mortar or clamps. They just fit together. Now that's equilibreum You can still see the holes in the sides of the blocks left from the calipers during the lifting. The Aqueduct still brings potable water to Segovia today. 709

6.A shot from the top of the Aqueduct. 719

7. Ok, this the true secret to the strength of the foundation.749

8. The catedral of Segovia. One of the more elaborate Gothic churches here
in Spain. 729

9. The Alcázar of Segovia. Much more of a castle than most of the Alcázars,
it sits on a cliff and was impenetrable for many centuries. Probably due to the fact that they would pour boiling oil on those trying to enter without an invite or RSVP. (Built in the 12th century). The door knocker still works as I soon found out upon using it. The guard wasn't as ammused as I was. He told me to go away. But hey, better than boiling oil. 733

10. The walls surrounding the city center of Toledo. This is one of the true
melting pots of Spain where Muslim, Jewish and Christian Culture combine and
thrive hamoniously(?). This is known as the Puerta de Bisagra and was built
in the 9th century during Muslim rule. It was later built up by Carlos V and
Alfonso VI. 761

11. Guess what? Another Cathedral! This is the Catedral of Toledo. Built in
1226 under the rule of Ferdinand III, it is mainly Gothic in style but is a
testament to 5 centuries worth of work. It also contains the disrobing of
Christ by El Greco, which I could not get a picture of due to the no foto
rule. You can google it though and pretend as if I took the shot. 775

12. the tower of the cathedral.773

13. The area of San Martin overlooking Rio Tajo. 780