Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Road trippin' - Avila: The Town of Stones and Saints

Those of you who have read my American adventure blogs, will understand this about me: I love road tripping. I love nothing more than to get into a comfortable vehicle ("comfortable" for me equals: power steering, power windows, a functional digital radio, a reliable engine, good suspension, ABS brakes and dual airbags. I am otherwise not particularly concerned about type or size of car, or engine capacity) and hit the road. First stop - gas station for gas, water, road snacks. There's something very inviting about the open road.. some kind of sense of throwing convention out the window, embracing the freedom a motor vehicle offers, the independence of choosing your own path (literally and figuratively) to where you want to go. So it will come as no surprise to you, dear reader, when I tell you that I have expressed this love of road tripping to A, who like the lovely gentleman he is, has indulged my bitumen-traveling desires not once, but twice in the past two weeks.

The last weekend in April, we drove (yay! I was happy just climbing in his gorgeous car) to Avila, the Town of Stones and Saints; a medieval walled city built in Romanesque style, rich in history and beauty. I was completely unaware that Avila is at higher altitude than Madrid, so after sticking my arm out our bedroom window decided that a light jacket and jeans would be fine.. boy was I wrong. I stepped out of the comfort of A's car and straight into a blast of icy wind that had me tugging my scarf (thank god for bringing a scarf) around my nose and mouth and thinking to myself "shit". It was a slightly overcast morning, which made it worse of course, and as we made our way up the hill from the parking garage towards the true centre of town (and our lunch reservation) I did genuinely wonder if I would be able to actually see the city, or if I would snarf-and-run after lunch. Thankfully, three courses and half a bottle of wine later, and I was practically merry with warmth.

The history of Avila goes back as far as the 1st Century (say WHAT?! Yes, first century..) but it didn't get its impressive walls until Raymond of Burgundy commissioned them in 1088. The gothic cathedral inside the city walls began construction in 1107, and took two centuries to fully build. It really is breathtaking. Incredibly high, arched ceilings; ornate woodwork and stained glass; bronze and gold metal work inlaid into the highest points of the ceilings. We spent a fair amount of time walking through the halls and corridors of the cathedral, marvelling at the beauty and craftsmanship that had gone into building it. I had another deeply moving spiritual experience in one of the alcoves, and took many photos to try to capture the atmosphere inside.

Other than the cathedral, there are other churches to admire, and plenty of cobblestoned, winding streets begging you to get lost in. You can climb up some very steep stairs and walk along the fortified wall - which I highly recommend, as not only does it offer spectacular views of the valleys across to the snow-capped mountains in the distance, it also gives you a good angle at which to see the storks nesting on the rooftops, and a view back into the city, to see things you hadn't noticed at ground level.

We spent the afternoon wandering the walls, finding our way back to our car (thank goodness one of us has a good sense of direction..) and buckling up for the drive home. A was kind enough to show me the button for the butt-warmer in my seat (I love his car..) and after my butt had thawed to a reasonable degree, he piped up with "I think I know where I'm going to take you next weekend".

Did I mention I love this man? Dreamy.

Till 'next weekend',
M x

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