San Andrés is among the oldest Romanesque churches in Ávila, and one of the first you meet if you come in from the north side of the walls. It stands near the great basilica of San Vicente, so that a single short walk gives you two good examples of how Ávila's builders handled granite, with thick walls, round arches and a modest scale that seems right for a place so exposed to wind. You can feel the age of it in the stonework without needing any dates.
What I like about this church is its place in the day. Ávila rewards slow wandering, and San Andrés is the sort of building you step into for five quiet minutes in the middle of a longer walk. After the noise of the plateau road, with trucks and wind, it offers cool air and old stone.
The ride that begins here heads east to Alcalá de Henares, the university city east of Madrid, where Cervantes was born. That means the highway across the plateau, then through the hills around Guadarrama, where you can use the mountain roads rather than the motorway if you want something more fun. There are fast open sweeps with views of the Gredos range behind you, and then a dive toward the capital's outskirts, where traffic builds and the day becomes a different one.
Ávila has all the services you need: fuel stations on the main roads, supermarkets, bakeries and bars. Because of the altitude, the climate is harsh in winter, with sharp frosts, and even in June the first hour of the morning can be chilly. Dress in layers and expect a warm afternoon. Park outside the walls, and bring change for the car park meter, which tends to be less forgiving than the weather. If the day turns grey and the wind picks up, as it often does, take it as local colour and keep walking.