Looking out the window into the courtyard/ pigeon sanctuary below. There are literally about two dozen pigeons living here , coming and going and cooing whatever messages pigeons coo to each other . But I have only captured one on camera . They disappear in a near silent flutter of wings each time I raise my phone.

Why , you may wonder, pigeons ? I don’t even particularly like them . But the last few days in this very lovely hotel with the odd name Antika Snoga( yes you may chuckle) I’ve lived with their constant cooing and whirring of wings. It’s a comforting sound that blends with the church bells constant ringing ( there’re a lot of churches here.)

My amiga has just left to continue her walk in the Levante and today in Avila is my last Espana Sola day . A change . A pause before returning home. I miss my companion although we were only together for a week,

There’s been a lot of reflection these last five weeks away . Right now though it’s about peace and grace . These birds,really scavengers and plump and relaxed and happy it seems just to fly around cooing,, lend a sort of assurance to life. A quietitude in the middle of a very peaceful, uneventful city.

Sure, there’s stuff to see. Here’s the Avila Cathedral, considered to be the first Gothic cathedral in Spain . Although in reality there has been a lot of rebuilding snd the most beautiful part is the gothic that remsins

And the walls that measure.2.5 km, with 87 turrets and 9 gates . Built between 11th and 14th century , they are a great example of Romanesque architecture . Built on the remains of Roman fortifications to defend against the Moors .

But yesterday the most remarkable thing was not the cathedral or the long walls surrounding this city, but some interactions; grace .

Yesterday afternoon we were walking towards the start of the Camino to Gottarendura . Way off the point and winding around hills and on the wrong side of the huge walls. Along comes a dapper looking man with a small black bag on shoulder , neat T shirt, clean walking pants and walking shoes . “ Donde va?” he asked as we pored over maps.

He walked with us for half an hour right round to the other side of the wall , talking along the way about the city and where to go , what to see. He’d worked for the post office and now retired was on a break in Avila . A sweet, quiet, interested man who shook our hand when we reached the Mirador viewing point , and the start of the path to Goturrendura .” Encantado de conocerlo” and he left .

There were other interactions yesterday: the old man strolling up to the mirador walking stick in hand who talked to us about his four grown up children who all live away from here,, how he spends his day living alone, and commented on the contemporary poor enunciation, by Spaniards, of the Spanish language. “Hasta luego “, the sweet woman in the bar where we stopped in the late afternoon sun . She came out with tapas and cold beers for E4 (. $8); the guy with 2 dogs sitting in another cafe who opened my water for me with “ necesitas comer mas “ and a chuckle.

These are small events but they brought light into the day. Moments of grace.

Like those quite ordinary pigeons , grace is just here, waiting to be seen

So now I’m off to explore Avila some more.

I’m aiming to go to Convento de Santa Teresa , the mystic and church doctor , who wrote

“Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, all things are passing . God is unchanging…..”

Those pigeons are driving me crazy.