OVERVIEW TO BLOG & OUR TRIP

 

DAY 3 Saturday May 7^th Travel Day between Alcala de Henares and Logrono.

Hermitage North of Soria

Normal buffet breakfast at the Parador along with a quick good bye to Veronica until the beginning week of June. Paul took the luggage cart to the garage and Jane went to check out. She asked the chap to confirm our return booking in June which to her surprise he said we were coming back for 2 nights before our flight to Atlanta. Paul came back up from the garage and informed the chap to look for our ‘other’ reservation because we will be staying for 3 nights at the tail end of this trip. Ultimately he found the reservation and all was sorted out to confirm the first night on points would be in the same room for the 2 night stay and NO need to change rooms.!

Great place for a lunch stop!

Outside the Parador entrance were two old Model A’s 1930-1935 era convertibles no others in sight and we did not find how or why they had stopped in at the Parador this Saturday AM. Now we can hit the road, bright and sunny but only 64F at 1000. We headed towards Medinacelli and the turn to the Navarra highway north from the old A2 highway. We stopped short of Soria for a coffee and to stretch.  Again none of the Sat AM crowd was wearing masks.

Model As outside the Parador

North of Soria about 35 miles we stopped for lunch at a place just short of a bridge over fast running snow fed waters which had an old hermitage next to the bridge. (See photo) Lots of people outside enjoying the sunshine, we went in to have a bit of lunch. It was just before 3pm and they were bit taken aback that we wanted lunch so early! However they opened up and turned on a butano heater as the room was quite chilly. Not long after people started coming in! Menu of the day was recited. I had lentil soup and Paul ensalada mixta, followed by a ternera, queso, ham, and ternera sandwich, Paul had a simple ternera and fries. I have not quite adjusted to the large lunch yet and felt stuffed! Refreshed and stretched we were ready for the last 40 miles into Logrono. We are now in the La Rioja province of Spain. All you wine lovers will recognizes that name! The finest wines come from this region.

Aged beef on display.

Then we had trouble locating the hotel via the pedestrian walkway without other cars but we did find it only to shudder when Paul saw the narrow garage door leading to the underground parking for only 8 cars. Still 5 slots empty at 4:30 check-in. Mirrors in and away we go into the tiny opening. Car parked and up to 607 we went. We always lock our passports etc in the room safe but try as we may we could not get the safe to accept our code!   After 14 trips to the front desk for new room keys. I was beginning to feel quite stupid. I mean, I speak and read Spanish but nothing! The  daytime Manager stepped in to help the young girl solve the problems for the Americans.  First WIFI did not work on our devices, could it be their weak WIFI transmitters, probably. Eventually she got us hooked up. Then new key cards as the safe can bugger up the cards after two tries when setting the safe combo! Eventually the Manager came to the room with her master safe changer/charger only to find that 607 had dead batteries in the safe mechanism and she had no spares without the maintenance chap on duty. So she changed our room to 706 which turned out to be an upgrade to a suite and king bed. PLUS the safe in 706 worked fine..!! So, a mere 2 hours after arrival and  luggage taken from -1 floor to both floor 6 and to floor 7. We were ready to go out into the crowds forming outside hotel. We got a map from the receptionist who pointed out all the best places to go. I think it was the complete Old Town!  Lots of people dressed up, dancing and singing. Hardly any masks a lot of double kissy face (you know what I

Rioja Museum

mean a kiss on each cheek) This town knows how to party and they did so until 0600 Sunday morning and we were up on the 7^th floor but trust me we could hear the drunks. We actually got to bed about midnight and passed out but were awoken by crashing banging and singing at 3 am and again at 6am. I asked the gal at the front desk if there was una fiesta and she said no, just Saturday night! I still cannot understand why the cops didn’t break it up! We had pintxos that surpassed those of San Sebastian and of course the wine and rioja were very, very nice, too!! I would argue against that last statement of Paul’s. No one beats San Sebastian’s pintxos!