Then it was on to Avila. It was much bigger than what I was expecting although the walled part of the city was still very much intact and walkable.
Some of us did a little wall walking, which provided some great views of the surrounding countryside.
We made a stop at the four posts. The Four Posts is a religious monument outside Avila that was erected in 1566. The site provides some great views of the walled town of Avila.
Our home for the next couple of nights was Salamanca. Our apartment building was in a great location. Large grocery store just across from us and a short walk to the Plaza Mayor.
Roman Bridge 
House of Shells 
The Plaza Mayor is lit up at night and is not a site to be missed. The historical city center is relatively small, and it was easy to walk around and see the historical sites.
Plaza Mayor 
Most of the group decided to check out the Casa Lis Museum while Will took his mom to the Cathedral. The museum is an eclectic collection of art nouveau glass, dolls, etc. But the building its housed in is an old mansion built on the old city wall. It has a stained-glass ceiling and stained-glass windows with wrought iron. This building is also a lit-up show piece after dark.
Found a tapas place for lunch where I had a delicious meal involving beef cheeks marinated in red wine over fries. Mmmm.
With our time up in Salamanca, we were headed to the capital of the Asturias region of Spain, Oviedo. But of course, we did a drive by of the little village of Gallegos. There wasn’t even a place to stop to get a picture of Will and his mom by the sign.
Oviedo, where the food portions are large and hardy. It was Thursday, one of the town’s market days. It was interesting to walk around and see the different type of items that were for sale. Oviedo is also the original starting place for the Camino de Santiago.
We managed to also stumble on what we can only assume was some type of military memorial service.
Oviedo is also known for statues all over the city. We managed to find a number of them.
Then it was on to the Sideraria or cider house. They are known for their cider and the different way it is poured and served.
The Sawdust is on the floor for a reason.
I ordered the Ponte Austria, a cabbage and bean soup. It was another winning dish.
This pork dish was delicious as well.
Went to the town of A Coruna and visited the Tower of Hercules. It is the world’s oldest working lighthouse. The Lighthouse was built by the Romans in the 1st Century. At that time, it had an exterior ramp where wood was brought up to light the fire to provide the light. The tower was renovated in 1790. We were able to climb the tower and get some great views of the sea and the city.
From our stop, we continued on to Santiago de Compostela. I found some interesting murals along the way.
Santiago is the final stop on the Camino trail. It is said that the remains of St. James are entombed in the Cathedral there and a pilgrimage was born. There are many routes and starting points for pilgrimage, but the end is the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
St James 
We had great accommodations, right in the old town area. We spent the first night just walking around, getting familiar with things. The next day, we went to the market and got some fresh scallops for dinner, along with Tarta de Santiago, which is an almond cake that is entirely gluten-free. It was really good, and I recommend checking it out, even if you’re not gluten-free. We also made a visit to the Pilgram Museum. It was really interesting. It discusses the history of the pilgrimage, the various routes, and delves into why people do pilgrimages.
Scallops on the half shell 
We took a little day trip and checked out the little town of Cambados. It’s a small town along the sea where you can find the ruins of Santa Marina from the 16th century and the San Saturniño tower. The tower was built in the 8th or 9th Century where many battles were fought. It was rebuilt in the 12th Century and expanded over the years until a massive earthquake damaged it in 1755. We also thought that we would have a little beach time, but the tide was out. There were a few people out searching for shellfish, but really wasn’t the beach experience we were looking for.
Yes, actual shells used as siding. 