And so we were off to Avila, a city famous for the stone walls that protected it beginning in the 12th century with 9 different gates, which is approximately an hour SE of Valladolid.
We are traveling in smaller groups as we are using the train to reach our destination. That means that we visited the city three different times with three very different days of weather. On the first trip, as we entered the train the temperature was 31C - the highest it has been since we got here.
The second time we watched through the windows as the rain stormed outside. Last night, our last time to the city, it was chilly and overcast but not too many raindrops.
The train itself reached a high of 154 km/hr. Most of the students seemed anxious about traveling by train and none had problems understanding the attendant who checked tickets and tried to make small talk with them telling them about the greatness of Spain and its food. While some students took the opportunity to finish their homework, others took a quick nap or read.
Once we arrived at the station we had a bit of a jaunt ahead of us to reach the wall. We went up to the top and walked around, climbing the towers and posing for pictures. Beautiful views surrounded us with black mountains in the distance. Cameras snapped as everyone attempted to catch the sight that surrounded us.
On the first day the sun was strong and we all were thirsty. The second day some of us attempted to walk further on the wall not letting the rain ruin our tour. At this point the students had free time to discover all the city had to offer.
Avila is famous as it is the birthplace of Saint Teresa, the most famous Saint of all of Spain. Unfortunately we were disappointed to find out that the Cathedral was closed as it has not yet started the summer hours of operation. So instead some students browsed the souvenir shops as others looked for a snack.
The city was quaint with various bars and lots of pastry shops. Apparently the city is famous for yemas which are sweets made out of egg yolks & sugar. Everyone seemed to enjoy some kind of treat before our night in Avila ended.