Avila

After three days in Madrid, all of us piled into our own bus and headed to Avila.
The countryside in Spain is beautiful.
We visited a huge monastery that had the crypts for the kings and queens of Spain. There's a separate area for all of the children that died.
We stayed in Avila next. It's a beautiful town. Part of the city is surrounded by huge walls, that protected it long ago.

And there are families of storks that build their nests on top of the church towers.


We visited some sites relating to Saint Teresa (not Mother Teresa). There was the first chapel she ever founded. And then there was a display at another place that held her finger. From my understanding, churches at the time were desperate for holy relics, so her body was rather torn apart. Hence places that display her finger. Yeesh. Some way to treat a saint.

Mom tried to get me lost a couple times. She put me in charge of directions, and then tries to take charge anyway. I won't let her do it again. She sucks at navigation.
Oh, I got locked outside the front gate of the place where we were staying. I was stuck on the street for 20 minutes until someone who worked there drove through and let me in.
Heh. How pitiful.

Oh, Spain has a dish called chocolate with churros. You get really thick hot chocolate, and dip churros in it. Not like the churros in America, because these ones aren't coated in sugar.
The chocolate is so good.

We took a day trip to Segovia. That place was fantastic. I think it's my favorite area so far. We got to tour the big castle there.

And there are these ancient towering aquaducts.

We also went to the royal palace at San Ildefonso.

Man, the palaces are so crazy and amazing. They are all so elaborate.