Day 7: OCEAN to FOREST

Spain:

Day 7

From:       San Vincente - Bay of Biscay /Altantic Ocean (CANTABRIA) 

To:           Logrono - (RIOJA)

Distance:  355km

Climate:    45F - 65F

Altitude:   Sea Level to 1680Meters

Semana Santa:  Otherwise known as Easter. This is the largest holiday celebration in Spain.Bigger than Xmas. Which means a double the prices and harder to find hotel rooms. Which is why Bob and I together with our big brains thought it would be better to drive inland today rather than fight the crowds along the coast - which we thought would be full of holiday makers. WRONG!!

ROUTE: With no special route planned, we just decided to go on a very small road away from the coast. We had no plans except to lay low while this weekend played itself out. We randomly took a simple one lane road which looked interesting. It took us to a gorgeous national park. We thought we would be the only ones. 

Nope!  I thought we joined the "Tour de France". I really had no idea until this trip that almost every Spaniard was such a bicycle enthusiast. And a serious one at that. Up and down steep mountains - most of them well up in age. I can't even begin to tell you how many times my jaw dropped when I would see a group of them peddling up steep hills, and talking at the same time with their buddies, only to see as we past them that they looked about 70 or 80 years old. This went on and on and on.... They were up as high as 1280 meters in 45 degree weather just peddling away as if it were a leisurely ride! Amazing.

The scenery was gorgeous... words and photos do not give it any justice. The province of CANTABRIA has to be one of the prettiest and most natural. Just to give you an idea, we saw signs warning " free roaming animals - caution". And we would see, sheep, goats, cows, horses, just walking around. The nature is breathtaking. Hills upon hills with surrounding snow peaked mountains. Only nature and medieval stone like villages. All neat with flowers everywhere. Vibrant and subtle colors greens.... misty dew on the fields and the smell of fresh forest were heavenly. 

Although I was suffering still with my strep throat and a migraine the day was not ruined because of it. Until......

HOTEL: We decided to look for a place to sleep..... Place after place after place was BOOKED. And I mean booked. And prices were 3x the price. 355km later we found 1 place. 

Moral of the story- Do not travel during Easter time in Spain without a hotel. I went into a gas station and bought some munchies thinking we were going to sleep in the car!

FOOD: We thought being on the water would make for some inexpensive seafood...quite the contrary. For example - a dinner menu for clams, mussels, or a fish started at about $80+ for two.

SUMMARY: Our random drive today took us from the Bay of Biscay, across the mountains and forests and down towards the region of Rioja. Bobs favorite area since it is the Napa Valley of Spain. We were greeted with a gorgeous full rainbow.

Here is where all the mains wines are from... so next will be a wine tour! We are just across the street from many of the Bodega's...

Thanks for touring with us!

(FACT: Did you know lunch is served fro 2-4pm? After 4pm it is very difficult to find a place to serve you. Dinner doesn't start serving until after 8 30pm til midnight or later)

Day 7

San Vincente - view from room

San Vincente - View from room - Bay of Biscay

San Vicente - Medieval Town

Our hotel

Bridge connecting the town

45 degrees out.. Too cold for the top down!!

San Vincente

Bye bye....

Lost in the woods! Bob took a wrong turn .... so pretty

They were just hanging out...

They were everywhere!

Coming down and going up. 1680 Meters!

All wear these outfits!

Fields of green towards Logrono

Ah.. Napa Valley of Spain

So much green in the Spring!

Beautiful welcome rainbow into town.

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