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My buddy, Gilberto drove like the wind and brought me to Avila. On the other side of the highway were traffic jams of people going away for the May 1 holiday. It is labor day and May 2 is the province of Madrid holiday as well so people were streaming out of the city.

I liked my hotel very much. Las Leyendas ( the Legends) is built just under the famous walls of the city. I was sad to say goodbye to a new and dear friend but he had an hour or so drive to his home.

Access to the ramparts was scary enough in itself. One step at a time. Not like the young couple who dragged a baby carriage up there!

The view from the heights was spectacular. The sky was full of large beautiful clouds that only let the sun peep down on notoriously cold Avila. Far off I could see a storm cloud drenching the plain. I cautiously made my way down to the spacious ticket and book shop. Sure enough a hail storm rattled the town and then bright sunshine returned.

How cold and forbidding it was. I refuse to pay to simply enter a church so I sailed past a ticket booth at the door. No one challenged me. I was struck by how odd it was to see almost everyone with a history audio device stuck to their ears. At various strategic points you could push a button and various gloomy altars were illuminated. I got the distinct impression not much praying goes on in there any more

I had a nice but simple room in Ávila and a good sleep. Off the next morning in a huge bus driven by a woman who had been a bit too enthusiastic in the matter of Botox on her lips. The countryside on the way down was lovely but you know how you never can do justice with photos from moving vehicles.