Ávila

While Charlene was here, she and my friend Amanda (who also went to UNC) and I took a day trip to Ávila, a small town near Madrid with lots of history. Apparently its "heyday" or Golden Age was in the 15th century, and it has been a sleepy city ever since. Thanks to this, many of the buildings from this era are still extremely well preserved. It's 12th-century fortified walls still surround the historic center of the city, which contains many old buildings, from a large cathedral to a Roman-style basilica, all from the 14th or 15th centuries.

One of the largest gates into the historic town center

Part of Ávila's medieval walls

Cathedral of Ávila

Roman-style Basilica

Interior of the Basilica

What's more, the city is built atop a hill, so when you go to the edge and look out, the views are pretty spectacular, with blue mountains rising in the distance. The train ride from Madrid was one of the most beautiful trips I've ever taken.

View from the edge of the city

Ávila is most famous for being the birthplace of Saint Theresa, who was a very important figure in the Spanish Renaissance, writing a great number of mystical texts about her intensely passionate religious feelings. There are therefore many churches and monasteries which were in some way related to or influenced by Theresa.

An altar to Saint Theresa in the cathedral

A picture of one of Saint Theresa's mystical visions - being pierced by the arrow of Christ's love

A church built adjacent to the house where Saint Theresa grew up

Ávila is also well-known for its sweets and desserts, especially one called yema. Yema simply means (egg) yolk, which is intuitively its main ingredient. It has a texture somewhere between marzipan and merengue and is very dense and sweet. I thought it was delicious! But I was even more excited when we found another monastery a bit outside of the city center (thanks to my Smart Phone) which sold treats made by nuns. They had some called Corazones de Santa Teresa, or Hearts of Saint Theresa. According to the box, they are a mixture of marzipan, yema and pine nuts. It is impossible to describe their flavor, but they were - pun intended - truly divine!

The yema (right) and another almond cookie

Saint Theresa's heart(s) - perhaps my favorite nun treats so far!