Ávila

Avila has an impressive wall. You can walk on top of it, as I recall. Otherwise, I didn't find anything else to do. I imagine there must be one or more churches worth visiting, but Avila was a disappointment to me. If you have an option to go to Segovia or Salamanca instead, that would be my recommendation. Avila's not a bad place, but Spain has so many destinations I found more interesting.

And see...we loved Avila! From the moment you walk past the Romanesque San Vicente de Ávila and into the walled city, there is something just really transporting about it. If you are a photographer, the walls are endlessly fascinating -- they change color with the light, shifting from yellow to almost blue. The sense of history is palpable. As for your lunch question -- 100% recommend the courtyard restaurant in the 2-star Las Cancelas hotel. Don't let the hotel stars fool you -- the restaurant's food is top notch, and grilled meats are the specialty of the house. As usual, we were among the first diners (Americans are always among the first diners in Spain!!), but the rest of the tables quickly filled up with locals. That's a good sign!

Hello to you both,

Thanks for the reply, and information. We wish to pop into Avila on our way to Salamanca, which we plan on staying for 2 nights.

As stated, the main draw is the wall. One can walk about 3/4 of the way around the town along the wall and there is a fee for doing so. One can access the wall from a couple different locations. We entered by the Puerta del Carmen. A good place to view the town is from the Cuatro Postes overlook about a 1/2 outside of town (from the Parador), shorter from the Adaja Gate.

There are a few small plazas (Mercado Chico, cathedral) and another in front of the Church and birthplace of Saint Teresa of Jesus. Otherwise, there’s little else there. We spent a night there last September to get over jet lag. Unfortunately for us, we were there on a day after a festival and many cafes and restaurants were closed. It also just happened to be the day of the week when the churches were closed, so check the hours of the places you might want to visit. We stayed at the Parador and it does serve lunch at its restaurant.

@jaimeelsabio's reply reminded me...

I don't know if are interested in religious history, but Santa Teresa of Ávila (i.e. Saint Teresa of Jesus) is a really fascinating figure -- a prominent female theologian in the 1500s, at a time you don't typically put all those words together! As it happens, she is also the patron saint of headache sufferers, and my mother and aunt are both migraine-afflicted. I learned quite a bit about Santa Teresa de Ávila on my most recent trip to Spain, collecting some devotional objects for them. Perhaps completely useless information while you are in Ávila, but you never know...

@History Traveler - on your next trip to Spain take your mother and aunt to visit the Convento y Basílica de la Anunciación, MM Carmelitas in Alba de Tormes outside of Salamanca. That is where the tomb of Teresa of Ávila is, at the main alter. The relics (body parts) of a number of other people are in an adjacent room.