Segovia's unexpected treasure trove

It’s not the big sites or events that really make a trip for me. It’s the details. Segovia is famous for its beautiful Roman aquaduct. It is fabulous. Breathtaking. An engineering marvel. I loved seeing it. But, it wasn’t what captured my attention in Segovia.

Segovia is one the many cities in Spain where the Moorish influence is very strong. You see it in the design of all important buildings. And as I wandered around, I started to see potential in these designs.

It started as a small idea. I saw a design on the side of a building that I thought would be perfect for a garden stepping stone. Before we left Reno, I planned to buy a concrete mold to make stepping stones for a path through the lavender and yarrow in our front yard. The molds I could find were about 18 inches round or square. You pour concrete in them, let them cure, and voila, you have a lovely step for your garden path. Last summer I didn’t have the time to execute the plan. But it’s still percolating in the back of my mind. So when I saw the perfect Moorish design for my front yard path, I started wondering how to turn that design into a mold.

Before I knew it, the walls of Segovia were covered in stepping stones designs. I took pictures of each one; I was obsessed. Lucky for me, our friend Cynthia was with us, and she was right there with me. She moved from concrete to fabric and paper. Notecards, home decorating, rubber stamps. The applications are endless. I kept snapping away and developing business plans. Whew. What a whorlwind that trip to Segovia was!