La Granja

I took this trip from March 2-3. 

It's been a long while since my first trip back in December. This time around we still relied on Álvaro's connections--this time his aunt and uncle--to stay at their house in La Granja. It's a small village just outside of Segovia, known for its royal palace built for Filipe V in 1751 (thank you, Wikipedia). 

I'm not unfamiliar with La Granja. Back in February 2011, almost two years before this trip, I came here with a large group on a weekend trip from Segovia to Salamanca. La Granja was a small one-hour blip on our radar. We arrived there in the morning, toured the palace, and made our way to Segovia (and later to Ávila and Salamanca).

Two years ago

To be fair, there isn't much to do as a tourist besides see the royal palace and the surrounding gardens. The town itself is tiny--you can essentially walk around the town in about an hour. I'd recommended a day trip, but we stayed for two days. More than anything, it was a chance to get out of the city and see the last bit of snow before spring. 

Nevertheless, it was a bit surreal to be back. Two years ago, I hadn't yet met Álvaro. In fact, I was still in a different relationship, still unaware that it would end in the coming month. I certainly didn't see myself back in Spain, let alone in this small village. Moreover, his family's house was just down the street from where the bus dropped our group off back in February. I can't say there are any coincidences in these circumstances, but I couldn't help feel a bit connected to my past. 

View from his aunt and uncle's house. 

Royal Palace

In the Gardens

Walking around