Tuesday, May 22 - Birding around Ávila

Light rain on our skylight this morning. Extracted our car from the small underground garage via a steep very narrow alley and got out of town. Today was supposed to be a big birding day and Bob had several places picked out to explore on the northern slope of the Sierra de Gredos mountains, from his “Where to Watch Birds in Spain” book, but as we drove higher, up to 6000’, it rained and blew harder and harder and fogged in completely. At the top are several hiking trails and we were going to hike a couple of miles to a lake where it’s possible to see the Spanish Ibex, plus the Bluethroat, the bird we particularly wanted to see, but….. We headed over several passes and down the steep southern slope, crossing back and forth over the old Roman road. It partially cleared briefly and we passed through a town full of palm and olive trees and golden grass: warm southern Spain! But even there we drove through a brief torrential cloudburst so we eventually took a break for ice cream and returned to Ávila via a different scenic route at about 4 PM.

Amazingly, the sun came out so we headed for the city wall, paid the lower Edad Oro rate, climbed up about 80’ to the top and walked a km or so on the 6’ wide walkway with wonderful views of the city and eye level looks at many storks on their enormous nest on bell towers, chimneys and even on a crane counterweight. We returned to the hotel just as the rain resumed and had drinks and dinner in the courtyard. When you order a drink, you are brought a glass of ice and the waiter then pours as much at you want of, say rum, into it. Good way to get pretty snockered!!

Heavy rain all night. We’re beginning to reconsider our plan of driving north and spending five nights birding in the mountains as the weather report is for Rain for the next ten days for all of Spain, but worst in the mountains!