When we picked up the kids from camp in July. (Yeah July...I'm super behind in updating I know), we decided to stay the night in Salamanca again instead of our original plan which was to spend the weekend in Madrid. But when we changed our plans that left us with Sunday to fill. We'd already seen Salamanca and the kids were looking forward to getting on the road. On the way to pick them up Nick and I noticed the walled city off the highway and commented that it would be a nice place to visit. Avila, the signs said. So Sunday morning we woke up, had breakfast and headed out to Avila, which is conveniently half way between Salamanca and Madrid, where we'd take our flight home.
Avila (accent on the first A-I need to find a Spanish keyboard) is famous for it's brown granite walls, constructed in the 11th century and still standing today. Inside the walls are many shops and restaurants.
a view from outside the city
outside one of the churches, Nick thought it was funny to get a picture of the Lion's rear end.
and more lion hijinks. You can take the boy out of Jersey...but you can't take the Jersey out of the boy
and we walked a little on the top of the wall. Some of us a little less than others. That wall was high.
We were walking around all day and I kept trying to think why Avila seemed so familiar to me. Then I saw a sign for St Teresa...and it dawned on me. St Teresa of Avila. One of the saints I had learned about when picking my confirmation name...and it was interesting to think of her life, one of contemplation and writing, existing within these very walls. After a day well spent we boarded our flight back to Barcelona and a very busy August full of visitors...more on that soon.
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