Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches

Avila has the most complete town fortifications in Spain, according to the UN website.  The walls are certainly an impressive sight from the train just before you arrive.

On the walk into town from the station I passed a proper greengrocer’s (the first I’ve seen all week, amazingly) and feeling very much starved of fruit and veg I bought a tomato and two nectarines for my lunch, to go with the bread and cheese I’d liberated from my generous hostel breakfast. I did seriously consider buying a small cauliflower and munching my way through that but thought the better of it, mostly because of the possible unfortunate digestive consequences.

The encircling walls are studded, at frequent intervals with semi-circular towers that give a pleasing rhythm to the view:

Avila city wall, with thunderstorm looming

The gothic cathedral is essentially part of the fortifications, not just bonded to the city wall, but deforming it, with the wall bulging out to accommodate the apse. The town is awash with romanesque churches and semi-fortified 16th century palaces of important families:

Avila, 16th cent palace

 After toying with the palaces, I decided that the main facade of the cathedral would be today’s model:

Avila cathedral

And in Lego:

Lego Avila cathedral