In 1562 a Carmelite nun named Teresa de Cepeda opened a small convent in Ávila, dedicated to St Joseph, with a handful of women and a very strict way of life. It was the first house of what became the Discalced Carmelites, and it began a reform that would spread across Spain and well beyond. Teresa is now a saint and a Doctor of the Church, and the town she came from has never quite stopped talking about her, but her writing, humane, funny and extremely practical, is the better way to know her.
The convent is not far from the walls, and is still home to a community of nuns. It is a modest building, brick and stone, in a quiet street, and the atmosphere around it is one of calm rather than spectacle. Visitors can see a chapel and a small museum; check the opening hours, because they vary and the nuns keep their own timetable. The best approach is to arrive without expectations and leave the helmet outside.
The riding from Ávila rewards early starts. The ride that begins here heads north-east toward the beech forests of Ayllón, crossing the Guadarrama. Distances are not large, but the plateau road is exposed, and the wind can be strong. In winter, there may be ice on the passes, and in summer, the heat gathers on the plain by midday. Be prepared for large temperature swings between morning and afternoon.
Ávila has everything for a stop: fuel, supermarkets and many bars. For something to take with you, buy yemas from one of the pastry shops. They were originally made by convents, using the surplus yolks left after egg whites were used for starching and clarifying, and they are very sweet. Then walk to the walls, and follow them for a while as the evening light comes up along the stone.