Leaving San Bartolomé de Pinares it was still cloudy but fortunately the rain held off. The views back to San Bartolomé were beautiful with many blossoming almond trees.
After following a paved road for a few K, we ascended into the mountains on a narrow rocky path a couple hundred meters.
We then hit a plateau at over 1300 meters elevation with a cold wind though the sun was breaking through and warming us up a bit by the time we started the descent to Tornadizos de Avila.
In the quiet village, the local police pointed us to a nice bar for a tea break before our final 10K into the maginficent walled city of Avila. We passed the Church of Santiago which was unfortunately locked but powerful to see worn Camino shells on the stone gate coming in.
Reaching the Avila Municipal Albergue after 29K, a woman came out of the house next door and called a local volunteer who arrived 10 minutes later. Once again we had the albergue to ourselves. The kind hospitalero told us that this Camino is always quiet and they only have 47 pilgrims last year. Just a few this year.
My hamstring has tightened up so we decided to take a rest day and explore the city tomorrow. We did take time to walk into the old town and had a great Meñu del dia at Coco. A 500 gram steak for Mika and mushroom risotto and salmon for me.
I think that is one of the nicer sections on the Levante,pity about the weather. Lovely weather when i walked it