GK Tours. Day 14
Sunday 16th November 2024 Pamplona to Logrono
Considering the proximity of the road and fire station, we slept really well in Pamplona last night. The sun once again was up and ready to heat the day.
Opposite our Aire there is another car park where campers can stop for free, there are no services but it looks like a good choice if the camping car Aire was full.
On Google I saw that there was a dog walking area just behind it so took Meg across the road for some off lead time.
There were a few other dogs enjoying the agility apparatus and I thought Meg would love to run around with them, but after an initial hello she went off to do her own thing.
Back at the van we packed up and headed for our next stop Logroño, the capital of Rioja country 
. It was only an hour’s drive.
Leaving Pamplona we were surprised to see that it was hazy. It got thicker so we had to put our fog lamps on before heading into a 1km long tunnel.
Believe it or not, coming out the other side the sun was shining, the mist had disappeared and the temperature had risen a couple of notches. Sounds ridiculous but true.
The terrain had changed to flat and vineyards were becoming the norm. We spotted a few hill villages and some caves in the rock, it didn’t look like anyone was living in them though.
Coming into Logrono we had a bit of trouble finding parking. It seemed everyone and their dog was out enjoying the sun in the centre of town.
There is a designated Aire but on Sunday it is used for a market, so wasn’t an option today.
Eventually we found a car park near the cemetery, just a 15 mins walk into the centre.
Crossing the river Ebro, we walked up the main drag to the old lanes where Pinxtos and wine is sold in buckets .
The noise was amazing and, like Pamplona, everyone was out for the afternoon, picking their way through the Tapas bars and meeting friends and family.
We, on the other hand were like children in a sweet shop. Ooh, where to start, what to eat and what to drink 
.
A glass of vinho Tinto each and a couple of little dishes to whet our appetite soon escalated into a mix of wine and small beers with a wonderful array of dishes. Not from the same place though, there are far too many outlets to just choose from one.
One point to mention is that our last bar stop is on the Michelin listing for 2024, the prices though, matched those of the others we tried today – very refreshing.
It only serves one try. A mushroom skewer with a prawn on top cooked with a lot of garlic, delicious!
The main area here for delicious Pinxtos is called Calle del Laurel, make a note of it for when you come .
The whole time we were in the lanes we were serenaded by football fans outside one of the bars. What we couldn’t work out was what team they were celebrating. As far as we could tell, there were no games on today.
Still, they were having a thoroughly good time and were still going strong when we left several hours later!
Oh, nearly forgot to tell you about Logrono itself 
. There are lots of beautiful parks surrounding the old town, great for dog walking and along the river. The old buildings have the delightful Galician style wooden framed bay windows, with ornate glass.
Most of the lanes are pedestrian only so you get to enjoy your surroundings, soak it all up without worrying about getting run over.
The cathedral square seemed to have just finished hosting a flea market, so no shopping for us today. The bars and cafes were still busy.
The cathedral is very big and imposes itself on the square with a beautiful entrance. The masonry is just wonderful, you’ll have to zoom in to appreciate it. The whole entrance is covered in netting, I suspect that’s to stop the pigeons from roosting.
If you have the time, you can visit the bodegas. There are lots of them, now mainly outside the old town, but still offering tours and wine tasting, you know, just to make sure you get the wine you like 
.
On our way back to the van we passed a cheesecake shop! Yes, that’s all they sell, cheesecake in a few different flavours. We bought a traditional slice and a pistachio slice, half of which survived the walk back .
After all that loveliness, we were in desperate need of a cup of tea , but not before a shut eye or two 
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