NaClhv

(This is a work in progress. Come back later when it's done)

I chose to see this eclipse in Spain. That had been the plan for years now, ever since I picked up a smattering of Spanish on my first eclipse trip to Chile. It's good to see the plan come to fruition through the course of many year, even if my Spanish is still bad.

The specific city, though, was still up in the air - after weighing many factors, I eventually decided on lodging in Madrid, then taking a quick train ride to Segovia for the eclipse itself. Crucial to the choice was the need to optimize for actually seeing the eclipse, considering issues like the weather, the time of the day, the position of the sun, and possible backup locations. So I had considered locations Palma or the Atlantic coast, but ultimately rejected them. This was my 7th eclipse, and I would have personally been okay with risking not seeing the eclipse for a better scenery, but this time I had my companions to consider - and I don't think I actually ended up giving up much, if anything at all.

Because Madrid itself is of course a world-class city, filled with palaces, parks, and museums well worth seeing on their own:

<photos>

And Segovia, also, is a destination in its own right - Its city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a famous Roman Aqueduct, a cathedral, and a fortress.

<photos>

In fact the Plaza de la Reina Victoria Eugenia, right next to the Alcazar (the aforementioned fortress), was our chosen site for viewing the eclipse, after some scouting. And it turned out to be the most beautiful scenery yet among all the eclipses I had seen.

Sergovia destination in its own right

Sun, moon, earth

Still the most beautiful thing 

Camera

View, shots