European Vacation - The Camino de Santiago

Thursday 30th June – Goodbye My Darlin’

Well we spent most of this morning catching up with administrative details and packing my bag in readiness for my early check-out tomorrow morning. I have packed only the bare essentials for the next 12 days and the rest of my gear will end up in a storage locker at my next hotel in Barcelona. Around midday I deposited my bag at the very cheap rate of 2euro a day and then took the opportunity with Alice for a final stroll around the city centre and the Barri Gotti area. It is a good walk and there are number of interesting sites that you can see or visit. I used Rick Steves walking trail and if anyone is travelling to Barcelona then contact me and I will email you the information. If I get an email then I know you have been reading this.

Back at our lodging Alice did her final preparation for her return flight to Brisbane. I managed to secrete a few unwanted items into her luggage. Her limousine arrived on time and I went out to the airport with her to see if we could up grade her ticket between Dubai and Brisbane. Unfortunately as I was not travelling with her we were unable to arrange it even though seats were available. We said our goodbyes and I know that I will miss her dreadfully over the next six weeks. I ended up catching the airport bus which is excellent value if you are staying in the heart of Barcelona. I alighted at the Espanya stop and took a short walk to watch the Magic Fountain show. There were plenty of tourists with the same idea but I gave up the wait at 9:15pm and caught the metro back to our area. I ended up at the Beer Brew where I had a light snack and a couple of craft beers.

Friday 1st July – Barcelona to St. Jean Pied de Port

I woke up early this morning as I have to catch a train from Barcelona to Pamplona at 7:30am. The journey time is 3.75hours and is due in at 11:17am. The trip was quite relaxing but I must admit I was a little nervous about alighting at the correct stop. In the end the train was about 10 minutes late which through my plan about walking the 2 km to the bus station. I ended up catching the L16 bus (1.35E) but had no idea where I was to get off. Fortunately, the old guy who was standing next to me came to my rescue. I ended up catching my Coanda bus (27.10E) to St. Jean with 10 minutes to spare. The bus was only one third full and departed on time at midday. After clearing the suburbs of Pamplona we were soon travelling some beautiful country and over the Pyrnees. I found my accommodation in St.Pied at 2:00pm only to find that they were closed until 3:00pm. Stuff happens!

I took the opportunity to look around this beautiful French town which happens to have a campervan area on the banks of a beautiful stream that cuts the old town down the middle. The view from the Citadel which was an old fort is quite impressive. The passport office for the Camino is opposite my lodging so I dropped in just before 3:00pm to get my passport for the Camino de Santiago. The office is manned by volunteers who are all enthusiastic about the walk. For 2euro I left with my passport and was armed with a lot of useful information including places to stay along the walk. They also had a set of scales and my little backpack came in at 8kg. I ended up checking-in (Gite Azkorria 32E) at 3:15pm and was assigned my room which I will share with three others. The hostel is close to the Porte St. Jacques which is the gate for the start of the Camino. After looking around town I could have picked up similar accommodation for 20euro. An early dinner and it was off to bed.

Saturday 2nd July – THE WAY, St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles (6.25hrs – 25.1km)

I could have used a sleeping tablet and ear plugs last night as the Belgians that shared the room with me did a great job of vibrating the walls. At 5:30am I got up, did my ablutions and gave Alice a call at home. After a very nice breakfast I hit the trail at 7:00am. The weather was cool and ideal for walking. The Belgians are waiting an extra day as the forecast is promising rain. This first section of the Camino is supposed to be the hardest and I soon found out why. It is quite steep but the reward is the great views and lush countryside. Eight kilometres and two hours later I stopped for a five minute break at Orisson. There is an alberque here and in hindsight I should have booked my accommodation here and did the first 8km in the afternoon as there is plenty of light until 9:00pm.

The rest had to be five minutes as I had to delve into my backpack and retrieve my poncho as the promised light rain has arrived. As we continued upwards the cloudy mist engulfed us and the people in front looked like ghostly silhouettes. I was maintaining a good steady pace and after three hours I was about halfway. The rain was getting heavier which wiped out the view but that is the way it goes. At the 15km mark there was an entrenueper selling coffee and other necessities to keep your body fuelled. I ended up purchasing a boiled egg which will keep me going.

After our lowest point of 170m in St. Jean I have been forever going up and at last reached the high point of 1450 metres at Col le Lepoeder. It was a little clearer in the beech forest but the track was slippery and muddy in places. At long last I reached the point where it was all downhill to Roncesvalles. The passport office advised us to take the bitumen road down to the village as the track through the forest was dangerous. Of course I ignored that good advice and plunged down a very steep descent. I have to say that it was particularly hard on the knees and toes but after about a kilometre it became easier.  I arrived at the alberque at 1:15pm which was pretty good going. After booking my bed for 12euro and the pilgrim meal (10euro) I headed over to one of the two restaurants and had a beer and a couple of small rolls. At 2:00pm we were allowed into our allotted areas which hold about 80 beds on each floor. The room is quite new and the beds, lockers and bathroom facilities are clean and well maintained. It is quite cool here in the Pyrenees and the one mistake I made is that I don’t have a sleeping bag or blanket. In the end I went to bed with 3 t-shirts, socks and a skimpy towel to stay warm.

My goals for this walk are not only the physical challenge but also the spiritual elements of the Camino. I am finding as I walk that I think of family and friends. It is important to remind myself of what everyone means to me and how you all enrich my life. A few silent prayers are said along The Way. Tonight I attended the pilgrims mass and although it was all in Spanish the meaning was clear. There was also a visiting choir whose voices were so clear in the cloister. You cannot have a pilgrims mass without a pilgrim meal so it was off to the restaurant. The meal consisted of soup, pasta, pork, chips, yogurt and of course a bottle of wine. I could get used to this.

Sunday 3rd July – Call Me Crazy, Roncesvalles to Zabaldika (9.25hours – 35km)

It is a huge complex and with all the snoring, farting, super flush toilets that could carry away children and the banging of bathroom doors that started from 4:00am meant that I just could not lie there. In the end I hopped out of bed at 4:00am, did the usual business and hit the Camino at 5:45am. There was just enough early morning light to make my way along the path that was sometimes obscured by overhanging branches. With the wind whipping off the Pyrnees it was a bit chilly and I did not begin to warm up until after breakfast which I took at Viskarret. It was a little after 8:00 and I had already clocked up over 11km. I think my speed is good as the terrain so far has been reasonably flat.

There was good woodlands, shade and plenty of drinking water. At a couple of points the path crosses the N-135 which was the road the bus used on the way up. At the last crossing there is a mobile café, Kiosco where I rested for five minutes over a cup of coffee. The path then descended over a steep rock outcrop to Zubri which was the recommended stopping place for day two. It was only11:00 and I was feeling strong so I decided to kick on to Larrasonna as there are plenty of alberques here. To reach the town you have to cross over the stone bridge (The Puente XIV) that spans the Rio Arga. I think this bridge was used in the scene from the movie “The Way” where Martin Sheen’s backpack fell off and into the fast flowing waters of the Arga. This is where the craziness begins, instead of stopping I decided to kick on for another 3.8km to a 4 bed alberque on the banks of the river at Zuriain. I should have known better as they were already booked out. It has been stinking hot so I took a rest, aired my feet and had some OJ and spinach pie for a late lunch.

The next village was Zabaldika and my destination was the parish building PAGE 63. Just before the village the path followed a beautiful section of the Rio Arga. There were heaps of families enjoying a refreshing dip in the cool waters. How I wished that I could join them as it reminded me of summer outings with Dad to Colleges Crossing when we were kids. I virtually crawled up the last 300m of the steep path that led to the monastery where I was welcomed by the RSCJ sisters (Society of the Sacred Heart). I was in luck as I was the fourth person to register for a bed. They have eighteen beds in total and you cannot register in advance. It is a single bed with a blanket, I also had my clothes washed (I had to hang them up) and receive dinner and breakfast. There is no charge but there is a box where you can leave a donation. After a hearty dinner with wine it was over to the church for prayers and a chance to climb the bell tower and ring the oldest bell in the Navarra region. It was a wonderful evening and perhaps there was some divine intervention that led me here?

Monday 4th July – Where Are the Bulls? – Zabaidika to Pamplona (2 hours – 9km)

There is no rush this morning as it is only a short walk into Pamplona. I enjoyed some coffee and toast with the Sisters and three other trekkers. After a nice hug I set off at 7:30 and immediately I felt the tightness in my calves. Nevertheless my pace was still reasonable and I was on the outskirts of Pamplona at 8:30. My guidebook gave the tip of following the river into the heart of town. It is a little longer but you avoid walking on a lot of the city pavement. There were plenty of locals out on the river path jogging, riding bikes and walking dogs. After crossing the Puente de Magdalen it was a short uphill walk to the Cathedral of Santa Maria. It was only 9:30 so I took the time to admire this austere Gothic structure with a neo-classical façade. The cloisters with their fine filigree stonework are a beautiful sight.

I have a room booked at the Hotel Eslava and check-in time is 1:00. I dropped in at 10:00 in the hope that I could leave my bag and go off exploring. To my surprise the room was ready which suited me perfectly as I needed to freshen up. The Running of the Bulls starts on the 6th July so I went out to walk the route starting at the Bull Corral. The bulls are released from here each morning at 8:00.They first run up Cuesta de Santo Domingo and all you have to do is follow the signs labeled El Encierro. Halfway up the street there is a small shrine embedded in the wall on your right containing an image of San Fermin. The first stretch is uphill which allows the bulls to use their strong hind legs to pick up some serious momentum. Next they turn down Mercaderes Street for a short distance and then turn right onto La Estafeta Street. At this turn the bulls are going downhill and begin to lose their balance often sliding into the barricade. Once the bulls regain their footing they charge up the middle of La Estafeta. This street is narrow with no room for barricades and no escape for the mozos (male runners). La Estafeta eventually leads into Pamplona’s bullring and at the end of the run the bulls charge down the ramp through the red door. It is not a long walk but it is something that gives you a feel for the run especially at this time of year.

Next to the bullring is a large bust of Ernest Hemingway who wrote of this event in his bullfighting classic “The Sun Also Rises”. A short distance away is the Running of the Bulls monument which shows six bulls, two steers and ten runners in action. Another short stroll brings you to Pamplona’s cozy square the Plaza del Castillo. It is dominated by the Navarre Government Building and several Hemingway sites. The sun was beating down so I took shelter in the Bar Cerveceria in La Estafeta and sampled some of their fine cuisine.

An afternoon rest was in order before heading out for some evening tapas. After a relaxing walk along the wall overlooking the Rio Arga I headed off to Plaza de Castillo in search of a Rick Steves recommendation, Café Roch. No, not Cockroach! It was only 7:15 so the place was nearly empty. I ordered a deep fried spinach, cheese and pine nut croquette tapas that set me back 3.4euro. It was enjoyable so I ordered another tapas which was olives and anchovies. The bar stool out on the street had my name on it so with my glass of chardonnay in hand I took up my people observation position. The Bruce Springsteen song “Girls in their Summer Clothes” sprung to mind as there were plenty of them strolling by in their finest outfits. There were old couples holding hands, young children and parents licking ice-creams and of course the young brigade with their mobiles entrenched into their ears not seeing anything at all.

My next tapas bar was just around the corner and was doing a roaring trade. The La Mandarra de la Ramos had a good bar and I managed to squeeze myself into a comfortable position. Above the bar there is a multitude of cured legs of Jamon dangling enticingly over your head. I hammed it up by ordering a 2012 Tempranillo with a ham and prawn tapas. It was a little more expensive and cost 10.40euro of with the wine accounting for 40% of the cost. A great evening but I wished that I had brought along the camera to capture some of the moments.          

Tuesday 5th July – Pamplona to Puente La Reina (6.75hours – 27km)

Had a great breakfast and hit the city pavements at 7:15. The first 5km is mostly on city pavement and suburban roads which are hard on the feet. Beyond Cizur Menor the pathways are through farmland and scrub. In the distance you can see the wind turbines standing on the hill. After the village of Zariquiegui it was a steep climb to Alto del Perdon (790m). As I ascended there were panoramic views back over Pamplona to the south and Monreal is clearly visible. At the summit the view westward over the Arga valley opens up with the villages that I will pass through now visible ahead. The wind was howling up here so I did not bother with a coffee and instead plunged into the steep descent over loose boulders. I was really motoring in this section as I am fairly confident on a loose surface when I have my hiking poles. I did pass quite a few people on the way down.

My feet were starting to burn so at 10:30 and 17km later I took a rest next to a fountain in the village of Uterga. While resting I feasted on cake and kiwi fruit that I had purloined from breakfast this morning. With my energy restored and glutes burning I soldiered onto Muruzabal. At this point I left the main Camino and detoured 3km to visit Eunate. It is a beautiful X11th century Romanesque Church of Santa Maria de Eunate and is one of the jewels of the Camino. The church has been linked to the Knights Templar who long ago defended the pilgrim on the route to Santiago. The sun is really beating down so I took a 30 minute break in the picnic area next to the church. After getting my Camino passport stamped I headed off again. Fortunately I am not dehydrated as there are plenty of fountains to refill my 500ml plastic water bottle.

After trudging through Obanos I headed downhill and crossed the highway. From here it was only another 2km to the end point for today’s journey Puente La Reina. After taking a few pictures in town I crossed the old bridge which the town is named after and headed uphill to the Santiago Apostal where I will spend the night. I have secured a bunk (10E) and a three course meal (10E) and could not be happier. There is washing facilities, wi-fi and a swimming pool which I did take advantage of. This is Livin’!

Wednesday 6th July – Scorcher of a Day, Puente la Reina to Estella (6hours – 23km)

The meal last night was simple but excellent. My glass of red wine was served in a large beer mug that could have held a half litre. Needless to say I had a great night’s sleep with the added bonus of no-one sharing my cubicle. Breakfast (3.50E)was a basic OJ, bread with marmalade and a freshly brewed coffee. I tried to call Alice but she missed my call so I headed off down the Camino at 7:10.

This stage is a rather quiet one with gently rolling farmland, vineyards and a few trees for shelter. The first section has steep climbs to the three hilltop villages of Maneru (5.2km,1hr), Cirauqui (2.6km,45mins) and Lorca (5.7km, 1.25hrs). Between Cirauqui and Lorca there are some fine examples of old Roman roadways. Every village has a beautiful church and thankfully a fountain where you can refill your water bottle. My feet needed a rest so I stopped at Lorca to partake of a coffee and vegetable pie. Time was marching on and it was 11:15 before I reached Villatuerta. A long the way I had a bit of a chat to a young guy from South Korea who was struggling a bit with his feet. I sat in the shade for five minutes and said hello to the kiwi girl whom I had met on the first night. The sun was nearly at its zenith so it was time to once again walk uphill. The heat was starting to get to me and when I came across a water fountain on the outskirts of Estella, I could not resist the urge to dunk my head under the fountain. I arrived Estella at 12:15 and took a few pictures.

Estella is big enough to provide reasonable facilities and yet sufficiently compact to easily explore its historic buildings, museums and interesting churches. I continued on through the narrow alley that runs beside the Rio Ega until I reached the suburb of Ayegui. I spotted a large supermarket that was simply called “Simply”. I needed to purchase a USB power point and cable as like an idiot I had discovered that I had left mine in the hotel at Pamplona. It is difficult to survive without access to your electronic devices. Just 500m up the road I found my lodging that I had selected, San Cipriano de Ayegui. It has 80 beds and is part of the Ayegui Sports Hall. At 8euro for a bed and 9euro for a meal it is good value. As I was writing this account there were only 4 other people staying, including a lady that was at Zabaldika.

After settling in I gave Alice a lengthy phone call on my recharged mobile. I needed some beers so I set off down the hill to Simply and purchased my supplies including breakfast and snacks for tomorrow. The heat is absolutely stifling so I will be staying inside for the remainder of the day.

Thursday 7th July – A Walk In the Woods, Estella to Torres del Rio (6.75hours – 28km)

Dinner last night was a simple affair with a tuna salad, pork medallions with chips, ice cream and a half bottle of local red wine.  After waking up at 5:30 I had a simple breakfast of OJ, sweet pastry and yogurt. Eating the yogurt was a challenge as I did not have a spoon. I must have looked a sight as I was using my tongue as cutlery which although a little messy did the trick. I hit the road at 6:15 and was soon in a good rhythm. Just out of town is the Bodegas Irache with its famous wine fountain where pilgrims can fortify themselves for the journey ahead at the generosity of the Bodegas. Stupidly, I did not go over for a taste, so is it water or wine that it dispenses. According to Dr Google and another pilgrim it is wine. Now that hurts! http://www.irache.com/en/enoturismo/fuente-del-vino.htm

Today I’m taking the road less travelled which skirts away from the main Camino for 9km and hits the lower slopes of Monte Jurra. The path wound its way through woodland, pine forests, high pastures and fields of lavender. I topped up my water bottle in Luquin which is a typical hill village with winding streets radiating out from the Basilica. A couple of kilometres later the route rejoined the main Camino and continued along remote farm tracks.

Around 10:30 I took a 30 minute break in the main square of Los Across. It is a pretty village with narrow streets and is a popular place for pilgrims to stay. I want an easier day tomorrow so I needed to tackle the last 7.5km to Torres del Rio. The sun was getting stronger and beginning to sap my energy. The gravel path is wide and has very little shade as most of the land is taken up by arable farming. The last couple of kilometres was on a quiet country road that had a bitumen finish. Of course it was uphill as all the villages seem to gravitate to any hill. At 1:00 I strode into Torres del Rio and chose the first hostel in town. It was the swimming pool that got me in but the fact that the Hostal San Andreas was modern and new did not go astray. Once again it is 10euro for a bed and 12 euro for a meal. After doing my washing and having a refreshing swim I went for a walk around the village. All of the hostals look good and one of them also had a pool. The church Iglesia de Santo Sepulcro is linked to the Knights Templar and based on the octagonal church of the Holy Sepulchure in Jerusalem. The simple interior is very similar to the one in Eunate.

Friday 8th July – The End of the Way For Me, Torres del Rio to Logrono (4.75hours – 21km)

It was a sensational dinner last night and similar in many ways to previous ones. The real difference was the Iberian Surprise which were like grilled pieces of pork belly. After all that food or possibly the bottle of wine that I almost finished made me sleep like a baby until 6:00. I was going to take breakfast at the hostal but decided to get moving so I could avoid the heat. Unlike yesterday there is not a cloud in the sky so it will be hot. The majority of this stage is on natural paths through open farmland. I am thankful that I have my cap and sunscreen to protect me. I made good time and stopped at Viana around 9:15 which gave me a chance to cool the feet down and have a small bite to eat.

The trail from here was relatively easy and I made good time to the outskirts of Logrono. I stopped and had my passport stamped by two Catholic monks who had a table setup in the shade. We spoke about the work they were doing with the community in Logrono and finished with a prayer in Spanish. I was moved by the prayer and the holding of hands. I arrived at my end point in Logrono about 30 minutes later. My next task is to find a taxi to take me to the Meson Pepa where I have booked a room for the next two nights. There are times when you know that you have made a bad choice with a booking and this was one of them. The hotel is in the middle of nowhere in an industrial strip on the outskirts of town. It reminds me of being in the American mid-west where there is one hotel on the crossroads of a dying town. Checking-in was also fun as none of the staff could speak or read English. Consequently, booking.com has me down as a no show. It looks like sign language for the next two days. After a shower I ventured down to the restaurant which was doing a roaring trade. Another three course dinner for 10euro with real coffee and a bottle of Tempranillo put me in a better frame of mind. The other good news is that the air conditioning for my room is non-existent. I ended up staying in my room for the evening and watching American movies in Spanish, highly entertaining.

Saturday 9th July – Broken Sleep at Meson Pepa

I ended up having a very poor night and only managed a few hours sleep. At 7:30 I went down for my breakfast which you take at the bar. The poor guy who was trying to serve me had no idea what I was asking for and I had no idea what I could have. Frustrating for all parties but I ended up with a croissant and two cups of good coffee. At 8:00 I watched today’s running of the bulls in Pamplona. There were no serious injuries today and the run was a little longer than normal at 3.5 minutes. Looking at the size of the crowd and the associated madness it is now an event that will be removed from my bucket list.

Back in my room and the air-con is still not working. The house maid tried to help but to no avail. The only good news was that I was able to catch up with Jemma on Skype. It was just what I needed before I venture out into the wide unknown. In between phone calls and getting ready the house maid realized that the air-con was never going to work adequately. She ended up arranging for me to be moved to another room, bless her. The new room certainly appears to be cooler.

At around midday I set out along bleak road and dropped into Bodega Ontanon and arranged a premium wine tasting for tomorrow at 11:00. I continued down the road for another 10 minutes and came across a bus stop. After consulting the map for a few minutes I worked out that I could catch line 2 into the City and it would drop me at the start of their Queen Street Mall. Five minutes later the bus arrived and after paying 72 cents I was on my way. It worked a charm and I may use it to return to the hotel later tonight. After traversing the mall I went into the tourist office and picked up a brochure which is all about Laurel that is the plethora of tapas bars in the Calle Laurel precinct. I chose four of them and had an enjoyable tapas crawl sampling different specialties. The wines were about 1euro a glass and the pinchos (tapas) ranged from 1.40euro to 3.00euro. It was hard to pick a favourite but I could go back again for the grilled langoustine (prawn) and pineapple skewer. With my culinary needs sated I took a short stroll around the historic sites before taking a rest opposite the taxi rank.

I am here because I have booked a tour that starts at 4:30 in a town called Funemayor where I will hopefully learn something about wine production in this area. It is about 12km away and I have a rough address and GPS coordinates for the taxi driver. My driver was a cheerful chap and not just because of the hefty fare he was about to receive. He got me there for 22euro and with time to spare. As a bonus he rang my guide and confirmed that we were in the correct location. Diego the guide arrived around 4:20 and an Australian couple from Melbourne arrived soon after. Three Aussies on a La Rioja wine region education tour.

We took a short drive up into the hills and Diego pointed out the natural barriers such as mountains and climate that make this a great wine region. He also gave us a history lesson on the area right up to when they lost 90% of their grapes in the early 1900’s to phylloxera. To solve this problem they grafted European vines onto American roots which are resistant to the disease. When the field trip was over we had a simple picnic lunch in the shade under the spreading branches of an old walnut tree. Our next stop was the old winery owned by the tour company. The other Aussies have opted out on this part of the tour so it was only Diego and I that descended down the stone steps. The old cellar is a musty 500 years old and is a consistent cool 13 degrees. Diego gave me a lesson on how they pressed the grapes and the process it takes to turn the juice into wine. The cellar is no longer used for wine production as the company sells the grapes to other producers. They do however keep enough so they have at least a cask of wine from each vintage. There were two barrels in the cellar one a 2014 in American Oak and a 2015 in French Oak. Diego took a sample from each barrel and then gave me some tips on how to taste and pick the different characteristics that the wine displayed. I enjoyed the 2014 wine and then had the pleasure of bottling, corking an labeling my own bottle to take home.

With the tour over Diego was kind enough to give me a lift into Logrono. I did not have long to wait and the dependable line 2 whisked me away to the centre of town. I was glad that I was not walking because at 7:45pm it was still 37 degrees. My destination was Calle Laurel and a couple of more pinchos and wine. I did not stay long and was soon on the bus back to the hotel. After alighting it was still a 15 minute walk down a deserted road. I started singing to myself “Up ahead in the distance I saw a shimmering light, Welcome to the Hotel Meson Pepa”. Such a strange man!

Sunday 10th July – What No Breakfast

I had a much more comfortable sleep as at last the air-con was functioning properly. The day started perfectly as I had a long conversation with Alice. I was a bit peckish so Downstairs I went for my complimentary breakfast only to find the place locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Back to my room I skulked and had to make do with watching the running of the bulls. Prior to leaving I attempted to contact Pension Laurel where I will be staying tonight. I had to advise them my approximate time of arrival so that someone would be there to greet me. Well it did turn out to be an exercise in futility as neither of us could speak each other’s language. After five minutes of Manuel style dialogue I gave up. To their credit they did contact booking.com who tried to contact me but they got Alice instead on our home phone in Australia. I finished packing my bag and went downstairs just before 11:00 . I could not believe my eyes as they were serving breakfast which must have started about 10:00. Farewell Meson Pepa, I will not be back.

Meanwhile I had bigger fish to fry as my premium wine tasting appointment at Bodega Ontanon is at 11:00. I was five minutes early but the entrance gate was closed. It was already extremely hot so I crossed the road and sat on the footpath of a car lot that was in the shade. In the distance the church bells tolled the coming of the hour and as if the lord had heard the gates opened automatically. Taking no chances I dashed through the gate and into the opulent surroundings of the winery. I have already seen enough wineries on this trip so I was only interested in the tasting. The young woman who was looking after me lined up five glasses and five wine bottles. There was also some cheese and bread to enhance the tasting. There was also a spittoon but I knew that it would not see any action. The first wine was a white made from the Viura grape which is the main white variety in the area. The next three were all reds and tasted great. There was a 2011, 2005 Reservia aged in oak for 2 years and a 2005 Grand Reservia aged in oak for 3 years. The last wine was a family desert wine made from late harvest Moscato grapes. It wasn’t overly sweet and would have paired well with some blue cheese. I was tempted to lash out and purchase a couple of bottles of the 2005’s as the prices were quite reasonable for such a quality aged wine. Common sense did prevail as logistically they would have been difficult to transport. I did however resolve my Pension Laurel dilemma by getting the young wine tasting lady to call and advise them of my approximate arrival time.

http://ontanon.es/es/

I knew where I had to go as I did some reconnaissance when I was in the city yesterday. Unfortunately my ETA was a little out as being Sunday I had to wait 30 minutes for a bus. That was still better than walking in the heat. Anyway I made it to the pension which was only 50 metres from the bus stop. It has a locked gate and is part of an apartment block. Luck was finally with me and a kindly gentleman let me in and the rang the pension on my behalf to advise them that Lord Kawaku was in the building. The mucking around was worth it as my room is excellent and includes a bar fridge, large television and is only 500m from Calle Laurel. The only downside is the shared bathroom which should not be an issue as there are only a few people staying here tonight.
One piece of good news is that Marina who owns the Riojatrek tour company has retrieved my precious Milton cap from the depths of the wine cellar where I left it yesterday. She sent me an email and delivered it to me at the Pension around 8:00pm. I did thank her profusely for her kindness. I finally ventured out into Laurel Land for some wine and pinchos and was surprised that it was not overcrowded. I thought it would be more packed as the European Cup final was starting at 9:00pm. In the end I tried a couple of bars that had the game on and enjoyed a few wines and some delicious pinchos. I was back in my room by 10:00 and finished watching the game. The result after extra time was Portugal 1 and France 0.