Avila is the last city Jason and I visited on our trip. It is the highest provincial capital in Spain and winter weather can be severe. The center of the city is encircled by the best preserved medieval walls in all of Europe. These walls are over 1 mile long and are punctuated by nine gates and 88 massive turrets, imposing themselves on every view. On three sides the terrain falls steeply away making the fortifications practically impregnable.