For my last day in Segovia, we started with a little shopping. Laurie and I walked through the touristy Old Town area looking for some local thank you gifts for Laurie, Maggie and Juan, and some things to take home. We came across a Segovia-based store (modern, black and white store with wine in rear) and the shopkeeper gave us a good sales job on local wine, cheese and snacks. We learned that the Duero/Douro wine region extends to Segovia vicinity and offers some good regional varieties, an alternative to Rioja. After looking a little further for better deals, we returned and got some wine and snacks for Laurie, Maggie, Juan and the boys, some cheese for Allie, some snacks for Barb and Judiones beans for me. Suitcase stuffing time to replace all the supplies I’d brought for Laurie.
We met Maggie, Juan, Sam and Nico at Royal Mint, a museum and garden near the river below the Segovia castle (TripAdvisor). This is a multifaceted museum with stories to tell of the development of minting processes in Europe, a favorite place and garden of King Philip II, and early working examples of waterworks/hydraulics.
We spent about an hour going through the Mint museum, each at our own pace. Maggie made a game effort explaining things to Sam, but honestly most of the exhibits went into more detail than I needed. The most fascinating story for me was the actual rehabilitation of the site which had been in bad disrepair as recently as 2007. The site had been dormant since 1968 and there was a remarkable effort to restore the area from 2007-2011. There’s more to the story, I think, than what’s told here, but I’m not sure how to find it in English. 
The end result is a very nice facility for locals and tourists, though I’m pretty sure it only exists through extensive government support, not on its own draw of tourists or activities. Still, made for nice photo op for Laurie, Nico and Sam, and Nico had fun on a little stage set up in the garden.
Part of the complex is a restaurant overlooking the river, El Ingenio Chico, where we attempted a family lunch. I had salmorejo (soup, per Juan) and Lamb (Lingote de cordero confitado con salsa de oporto y manzana caramelizada); Laurie had a good looking steak and a white bean appetizer, Maggie had the same lamb as I, Juan had bacalao cheeks with clams and shrimp, Sam had a burger and fries, sort of. Mostly Sam mostly wandered the terrace which Nico mostly napped. The lunch was long and leisurely, with a big birthday party for an extended family and kids, which gave Sam more to do for a while. The terrace itself is very nice, with the river just below and shade trees all around. Made for a nice final afternoon. We finished up with a stroll along the river, back toward Laurie’s apartment. We sorted out one final swap of cars with Juan so we could drive the Audi to Madrid, and bid farewell to Maggie and the boys.
Laurie and I had dinner and drinks at the Lebanese restaurant at the base of Aqueduct, Tuma. We were lucky to snag one of the tables in the courtyard outside the restaurant, just under the Aqueduct, in time for the purple remnants of sunset. I had cochinilla shawarma and we shared muhammara and a salad. Very lovely evening with a few final tinto de veranhos.
The next morning, Sunday, Aug. 20, I drove with Laurie to the Madrid airport in time to get there by 9am or so. We’d determined driving was best since the train might not get me there until 10. Laurie was not eager to drive back on her own, but it was easier to do so in the Audi. I had no troubles at the airport, despite the ongoing hunt for members of the Barcelona terror cell. The United return flight was uneventful, and Barb picked me up a Dulles after having lunch with Mary Salhus in Reston.
I do love having the opportunity to see Laurie and get the chance to travel to some of the offbeat areas of Spain, and now Portugal. It’s a tradition I hope I can continue for as long as Laurie is able and Barb is willing.
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