The Walled City of Avila
A weekend excursion to the Walled City of Avila was part of my masteral studies at the Universidad de Salamanca. The course was nearing its end and Marc had already arrived from the States. He too was able to join our class as we toured this beautiful and historic city.
The well preserved walls of Avila. These walls were massive and circled the entire city. I first visited it in the fall of 1987. I was invited together with my fellow room mate, Marvi Zambrano, by Katia Machuca, the daughter of Avila's Mayor at that time. We all happened to stay in the same dorm in Madrid back then while studying in the Spanish capital.
One thing wonderful about the walls of Avila was that people could walk on top of it and get a bird's eye view of the city by circling it. This was taken right on the wall.
Marc in front of one of the many gates that provided entrances to the city.
One of the intricately decorated entrances to the Cathedral of Ávila
This entrance depicts some of the first men the Spaniards saw in the New World: the Amerindians
The cathedral had images or sculptures of Native Indians who the Spaniards saw for the very first time upon their arrival in the Americas. As my professor who taught us Spanish culture mentioned, this statue depicted the "men who were covered in feathers".
Another sculpture of an American Indian at the Cathedral of Avila.
This was the detail on one entrance to the Cathedral of Avila.
In front of the main entrance to the Cathedral of Ávila. Since mass was being celebrated at the time of our visit, we were not allowed to enter the premises. Those are my batchmates from the University of Salamanca behind me.
Marc in front of the Cathedral of Ávila
One of the towers of the Cathedral of Ávila
La Basilica de San Vicente
A side view of La Basilica de San Vicente
This one's an obstructed view of La Basilica de San Vicente from the muralla
La Iglesia de Santa Teresa de Ávila
The façade of La Iglesia de Santa Teresa
In front of la Iglesia de Santa Teresa de Ávila
El Ayuntamiento de Ávila
My second visit to La Iglesia de San Juan de la Cruz. I first visited this church in the spring of 1988 while I was a student in Madrid. I joined a day long trip to Salamanca then. During that trip I met a Thai couple who worked as diplomats for the Thai government.