Home / Travel / Spain 2011 / On the Road 220
- IMG_2570
another giant-ass press - IMG_2571
a triple-press, each with an individual, religiousy name - IMG_2572
An exhibit with all the aromas found in Rioja wine, smellable - IMG_2573
an exhibit of wine-related fine art - IMG_2574
okay, and popular art - IMG_0065
the real wine cellars - IMG_2575
purportedly the world's largest corkscrew collection - IMG_0066
including the inevitably naughty ones - IMG_0067
another playground! this one wine-grape themed - IMG_2576
more stunningly red grapewines - IMG_2578
again - IMG_2579
We were very excited to see this bull silhouette, which was featured on the cover of our guidebook, until we drove a little more and realized they're all over the damn place. - IMG_2580
view from our hotel balcony in Logroño - IMG_2581
Almost without exception, our hotels had wonderful teensy balconies - IMG_2582
Bryan enjoys our "obligatory" glass of wine in the hotel lobby. When in La Rioja... - IMG_2583
cathedral in the dark - IMG_0071
Always iconoclasts, we ended up in a beer bar for dinner during our night in wine country. In fairness, it had been practically impossible to find decent beer thus far. Plus, Leslie was in the throws of a cold and needed some heathful Franziskaner to heal properly. - IMG_0072
the remarkable-for-Spain beer list - IMG_0073
A side effect of turning our back on wine was that we had some delicious dry cider (sidra) from Northern Spain, which you pour into glasses from great height to give it some foaminess. - IMG_0160
Our meal consisted of toast spread with various pates and a blue goat cheese blended with some of the sidra that was astringent and delicious. - IMG_2584
typically fancy alterpiece in the cathedral - IMG_2585
No doubt it's better for historic preservation and whatnot, but in the last few years all the candles you could light in front of various alters and chapels have been replaced by tacky electric ones. Sigh. - IMG_2586
wonderful old wooden doors - IMG_2587
random mural outside a very, very old church in Logroño - IMG_2588
Rio Ebro - IMG_2589
another Camino de Santiago marker in the sidewalk - IMG_2590
It was impossible to get a good shot, but I loved the spire of this, oh, 12th-century church in the middle of the city. - IMG_2591
cool cathedral clock - IMG_2592
The moment we passed a sign telling us we'd left La Rioja and entered Castile y Leon, all the vineyards disappeared. - IMG_2595
a near-rainy day made for some excellent skyscapes on the road