Overcast, once again. Checked out at nine and headed onto the highway south and west about 40 miles to Ávila, another small hill-top walled city. We drove through a band of attractively-landscaped industry, apartments and nine traffic circles, and after only one missed turn, drove through a narrow gate into the city and magically found our way to Hotel Palacio de los Velada. The hotel is in a small palace with a huge inner courtyard with a glass roof where, out of character, we settled down for a Sandwich Club and beer. The sandwich came with ham, tomato, lettuce, gherkins, HB eggs and a few other things and really hit the spot. Our room is up under the roof eves with only a skylight, but is very cute and attractive with a blue and white tiled bathroom and enormous tub.
We set off to explore the city, which is small enough for easy walking. The wide ornate walls that surround it are its main attraction, but inexplicably, on Mondays, they are closed for walking on!!! We went into the main cathedral, which was very high, narrow and dark, and then to the Convent of Santa Teresa, the local saint. Found a brilliant gold-covered alcove dedicated to her and went into the museun where we could see her relics: her shoe sole (very small) and her index finger with ring still on it!….a bit too soon after lunch for that! We. wandered in and out of the walls and returned to the hotel when it started to get drizzly.
Hotel has Great wi-fi…my AOL screen is just like as at home!! But the blog is all in French..pretty scary; I thought being in Spanish was a challenge!
Went down at nine to the small, elegant dining room where, strangely, we were the only diners, but had an excellent dinner of tiny lamb chops and cod baked in garlic sauce with chestnut-covered fried cream for dessert.
We didn't realize that our skylight could open (actually it has a pad with nine different buttons so we'll play with it tomorrow; who knows what it will do?), so a rather warm sleepless night!
Weather forecast is for rain for the next four day!!
1 comment:
I'm enjoying this so much - pictures and text - especially the culinary "portions." Looking forward to some pictures of birds.
Your description of the relics of Saint Whatshername reminds me of our first trip to Sienna. I was fascinated by St. Catherine's old bones (but not right after lunch).
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