Avila and Valladolid

So this weekend I took two day trips. Saturday I went to Avila, which is a really beautiful city and it's known for its wall. It has a wonderful wall that was constructed between 1092-1099, and it's in excellent shape and well-preserved, and you can walk on it. It was erected by the Christians to keep out the Muslim invaders. Between 782-1492, Spain and the Iberian peninsula were constantly changing hands between the Christians and the Moors (Muslims). The southern area of Spain (Andalusia) is where you'll see the most Moorish influences, but this history has left its imprint through the whole peninsula as well.

Avila is also well-known for being the home of Santa Teresa de Avila, one of the two patron saints of Spain, and very important and well-known in the Catholic Church. She reformed the Carmelite nuns, and created the Carmelitas Descalzas, and the nuns/monks don't wear any shoes on their feet, as a form of humbling themself. She is said to have created the recipe of Yemas de Santa Teresa (see below post about these sweets).

I really liked the atmosphere of Avila, and the people were really nice (and they let me try a sample of the Yema de Santa Teresa, as they're normally sold in boxes of 6-12....and I really only needed one!). It was a very small little city inside the murrallas (walls), while a lot of the more modern constructions and a lot of daily life takes place outside the walls. There are gorgeous views of the plains, and it's obvious that back in medieval times you would have been able to see invaders coming across the plains from miles away. Beautiful.

Then we got back and watched La Copa Mundial - Spain won against Paraguay, so of course everyone went crazy again! They're in the semifinals now, so the people are really excited.

Then today, we went to Valladolid. While we had gone by bus to Avila yesterday, the bus company is on huelga (strike) today. There are a lot of transportation strikes occurring throughout the country here, as the government is trying to lower salaries (and raise taxes). About half of the months of July and August the bus company will be on strike, and apparently the metro of Madrid is only working 50% of its normal load, as it is striking also. So this raises some concerns about how to get from Salamanca to Madrid-Barajas airport as I fly home on the 31st, and the huelga begins the 30th at noontime. But I will deal with it and figure out the best way.

So we arrived in Valladolid via train, and Valladolid has been a really important city in the history of Spain, and it was at one point the capital. Kings were born here, Ferdinand and Isabel were married here, Cervantes once lived here, Christopher Columbus was here assembling his Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria as he explored the Americas....but alas, it was not as interesting as I would've hoped for. There are some really beautiful buildings, a wonderful Plaza Mayor, a beautiful Cathedral, and wonderful plazas...but it wasn't an outstandingly memorable city. Also, as it was Sunday, many of the attractions were closed all afternoon or day. We ended up touring the house where Cervantes once lived (for 2 years), and the Museum about Columbus, and enjoying a nice relaxing day walking around the plazas and city. We enjoyed a nice meal, and some good helado! And it was really very hot during all of this. Very hot.