http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Spain , La Rioja en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:51:39 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:51:39 BST Yesterday we arrived into Najera and found a decent if not slight quirky campsite where we are going to stay a couple of nights. Although a very comfortable campsite we think it's fair to say the place is a little passed its best. We're now deep into La Rioja and have been wandering past many acres of vines the last few days with little else seemlingly grown. The terrain has changed quite consid http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/Logro-o/blog-287976.html The 100 kilometres has been passed. The rest day in Estella two days ago worked certainly worked wonders to help tired limbs and to ensure our journey is more voyage of discovery than diligent plod. One of the goals that we have been successfully acheiving is the 30 Euro a day budget. It seemed ambitious if not perhaps a little too frugal but has been supporting a very successful existence. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/Logro-o/blog-287140.html Hoy visitamos en grupo las bodegas vincolas de Ysios en la zona de La Rioja Alavesa y a los pies de los montes cantbricos unos 100 kilmetros al suroeste de San Sebastin. El motivo principal de la visita era conocer las bodegas de dicha casa vincola perteneciente al grupo Domecq diseadas por el arquitecto cataln Santiago Calatrava. Para mi fue una sorpresa porque no saba que Calatrava http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/blog-284159.html Hi everyoneHaving a rest day means I can catch up on more of my adventures not to mention sleep and putting up the feet.Thanks Janet for your advice shall do the stretches.And on to the walk...leaving lovely Villamayor at 7am was truly inspitational and worth rising early. As I set foot out of the Albergue door I was greeted with a soft yellow and hazy sunrise over the valley below. I really e http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/blog-278712.html Gee guys you made me all weapy with your comments. It was so good to hear from all of you and those who emailed too. Many fellow walkers ask me if I am walking alone. the obvious answer and the one I give is yes. But it occured to me yesterday and has been confirmed by all your comments that I am not walking alone at all. As I walk I often think I must blog about this scene or this experince http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/blog-278361.html free internet at a great little cafe in the middle of nowhere. We are about 130 miles into the walk. lti finally recognize my toes today. lthave been hidden beneath blisters for past 2 weeks. all is good although the rain clouds are threatening again. we walked through record rains a few days ago. drowned rats we were. the people in the albergues are fascinating. 70 year old couples walking http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/blog-277833.html The Camino de Santiago. Where to startThree things to set the picture1. The Camino is an old 12th century Pilgrims route that stretches from many far off places in Europe to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela where the relics of St. James are supposedly interred. The most popular is the Camino Frances which begins in St Jean Pied de Port just across the Pyrennes in France and spans rough http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/Logro-o/blog-275375.html I cant catch up on all the days since I last posted so I thought Id just add my last. Unfortunately without pictures I might not be able to add them till Rome. Half the Alberges dont have internet and the other ones dont have a computer that can do much besides word process... in DOS jk.Today the wind was the main factor in walking with its gusts making it impossible to walk in a straight http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/blog-257105.html Camera still not working right so sorry for the small amount of photosLast Thursday Iigo picked me up from Segovia and we drove three hours north to La Rioja Spainrsquos bestknown wine region. We met up with his best friend Tiri and his girlfriend Alejandra and another couple Chema and Alicia at our twofloor suite at the hotel Los Augustinos. The hotel was located in the little hilltop http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/blog-219597.html We left the coast and entered a flat hot valley not unlike Yakima valley in Washington. As we topped the last hill before entering La Rioja we could see colorful patches of vineyards and crops small hillsides and winding highways curling across the valley. The air was drier and a lot hotter. Compared the coastal climate it was now in the high 90s to low 100s. Quite a change We stopped http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/Logro-o/blog-182739.html I think I should change my major and enter the winery business. This weekend 10 of us took a bus about an hour and a half south of Bilbao to visit Logrono and Haro in La Rioja the famous wine region in Spain. I loved it. We checked into the CUTEST pension or guesthouse in Logrono Friday afternoon and the owner Lucia went completely out of her way to make us feel at home calling cab and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/Logro-o/blog-128403.html Tomorrow I will go to Valencia to see the aquaruim. Then I will return to Calafell. After that..... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/Logro-o/blog-74860.html Hola AmigosWell I knew it wasnt going to be easy but feck Lordy LumpusI started out in the Pamplona bus station assembling my bike like a participant in a reality TV show. I was fairly happy with my progress until the back wheel just wouldnt spin... So a phone call to Matt it seemed to be working again.... hit another snag but managed to work that one out all on my own. I was about to s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/La-Rioja/Logro-o/blog-65188.html