We always try to meet up with friends who are visiting Spain or other nearby destinations. Thus, we were disappointed when we couldn’t see our dear friends Jill & Peter in October, when they were in Madrid helping their daughter settle into a teaching position, because we were in the US. So, when they planned another visit, we knew we would not miss seeing them in Spain again – even if it meant meeting them directly upon our return from Hungary.
Upon landing in Bilbao from Vienna, we took a bus into the city to then catch a bus to Logroño where we arrived around 1 pm. Jill & Peter were waiting for us there, having driven from Zaragoza where they got to witness a traditional Spanish Semana Santa celebration the night before – something we´ve never seen despite living here more than 7 years.
We hadn't been in Logroño since February 2019, so we were overdue for a visit. We explored the city a bit and then took them on a pintxo crawl on Laurel Street, where there are numerous well-known pintxo bars. We tried whatever looked best and we were not disappointed. The last place we visited only served 1 thing – sauteed mushrooms with butter and garlic and topped with shrimp. The place was packed!
Our main adventure was a full day self-guided bike ride that included 2 winery stops. It was a beautiful day that started out cool but eventually warmed up.
We rode more than 30 miles – thankfully we were smart enough to rent e-bikes! There were several hills that made having the power assist essential. We could see snow in the distance, and the vines were just starting to bloom. A portion of where we rode is part of the Camino del Santiago, so we passed a number of pilgrims.
We enjoyed the two tastings at Don Jacobo/Bodegas Corral and Bodega Finca Valpiedra. Thankfully both wineries were very understanding regarding our tardy arrival. It took us a bit longer than expected to make it to each.
We did make it nearly on time to meet Jill & Peter’s daughter back in Logrono and then enjoyed a fabulous dinner that we had earned.
On our last day in La Rioja we visited the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, which was as good as we remember from our visit in 2011.
We took a bus back to San Sebastian and Jill, Peter & Hailey headed to Burgos, before returning to Madrid.
It was a great visit – good friends, good wine, good food, good scenery. Can you ask for anything more?
Hasta pronto,
Shana & Jeff
No comments:
Post a Comment