Madrid: Day 4 - Ávila

Today we departed from our apartment in the morning to make the hour and a half journey to Ávila on our own private bus. Needless to say, I slept through most of the ride there but when I awoke I was immediately captivated by what I had seen. An entire city-- surrounded by medieval walls at least 3 stories high if I had to estimate. Situated over 3,700 feet above sea level on a rocky hill, the weather was much more comfortable than that of Madrid.

The walls of Ávila

The first stop on our day trip to Ávila was El Convento de San José (The Convent of Saint Joseph). This was the first monastery of Discalced Carmelite nuns founded by the famous Saint Theresa. It was here that we entered the church and went into a small exhibit about the life of Saint Theresa. Here we saw just how simple and holy her life really was. We even viewed the tomb that her body remains preserved in, as well as the room in which she resided in for most of her life.

El Convento de San José

Before stopping for lunch we briefly visited the Convento de Santa Teresa and the museum situated just below the church on the life of Saint Theresa. From this museum we could really see what a divine life she really lived, and how powerful her spirituality truly was. We had yet to see my favorite part of the trip, La Catedral de Ávila. The Cathedral, that originally was constructed in the 12th century, was absolutely spectacular. The Cathedral resembles that of a fortress, and lies adjacent to the famous walls of Ávila. The interior of the cathedral contained both Romanesque and Gothic influences with multiple chapels, a large choir, and a magnificent main altar.

 Main altar, Catedral de Ávila

 Before heading home we finally ventured onto the walls of Ávila where we saw fantastic views of the entire city and beyond. The top of the castle walls had a walkway that stretched all around the city, but we were only able to stay for about half an hour. The bright red colors from all the rooftops as well as the distant mountains in the horizon were remarkable. The city of Ávila made me feel like I had travelled back in time, and like I was actually a part of Spanish history.

On top of the walls of Ávila

"It is love alone that gives worth to all things." -St. Theresa of Ávila