TRAVEL REPORTS
From Jean Laikin - Travel Co-ordinator
REPORT ON TRIP TO LA RIOJA. 18th - 22nd October 2004
A day later a full coach load left Calpe to explore La Rioja country - just south of Burgos with towns like Haro
the Riojan capital, Logrońo and Nájera, where we stayed for four nights. A town well worth exploring fully.Two special degustaciones made sure every one learnt the basics of Riojan red wine tasting. so every one is now well educated in the ritual associated with the ceremony. Small glasses are no good for this job; they must be Riojan size.! Monasteries and cathedrals were visited, including the famous Yuso monastery, (it's sister Suso saw the first written words in the panish we know to day) and the Cathedral at Santo Domingo de la Calzada where two live white fowl live commemorating a long ago legend.Apart from wine Rioja is also famous for the dinsoaurs which roamed the hills near Enciso. It was an awe inspiring moment to see the original foot prints of some of the dinosaurs who ranged through that part of the country some hundreds of millions of years ago. Modern scientific research has enabled life like models to be erected on the hill sides where they originally lived.
On the return journey a short break was made at the "roof top" village of Darroca - a totally delightful end to a lovely few days.Darroca is just another of the many Spanish villages which really warrant a visit.
Alberto at the degustatacion in Haro. Alberto was our elegant and charming host showing us exactly the right way to evaluate wine.
This replica of a dinosaur added authenticity to the mountain scene where roamed hundreds of millions of years ago. Modern science is discovering more and more about dinosaurs.
To view the rest of the reports, return to Travel Reports
Return to 