Day 43 - Logrono to Haro

 Morning after the night before! 

Slept like a baby but woke feeling warm and a little ‘dehydrated’!

Graham went of in search of fresh croissant whilst I got the coffee on. Beautiful morning and already glad of the trees at the car park. It’s busier now with it being Saturday and also being adjacent to the sports centre but still lots of space around us. We also discover that the toilets are on the outside of the sports centre so accessible from the carpark!

Todays journey is s short one. We are heading to Haro, the birthplace of Rioja, and so possibly more wine to drink later!

We use the road adjacent to the motorway, not specifically to avoid tolls but to see if there’s an interesting stop on the way. After running alongside the Ebro for a bit we diverge and the road becomes a constant  stream of vineyards and bodegas. When we pull over just before LaGuardia to look at a small body of water we notice a track running alongside it and the next couple of hours are sorted. The walking is easy with wide dusty tracks and lots to look at but the heat is not easy and there’s a lot of sitting and watching involved. Lots of wildflowers and butterflies and some enormous locusts flying in our path. Spring has definitely sprung! It noticeable how much life has come into what seemed like old dead vine stumps just a few weeks ago.




Back on the road and just one quick stop to look at a Dolman that’s very close to the road. 



At Haro we head straight to the campsite and find a shady pitch. It’s good to just chill for a bit and I’ve found some ready mixed G&Ts that help!

We hang around at the van until early evening when it starts to cool off. 

The walk into town is easy enough , 10 mins with a bit of a hill to the main square. We stick our heads in the church where some sort of service is taking place and the voice of the nun singing at the pulpit has an amazing sound, so we sit for a bit before slowly sliding out.


The town itself seems to have less of a vibe after the excitement yesterday. Bars vary between being very basic and very shiny. 


Whilst not so appealing at first, we find one in a square and then move on to another as they warm up (and so do we!). Lovely garlicky mushrooms with our Rioja …




By the time we leave the street is heaving but as we divert to see the Basilica on our way back it appears that all life is in a very confined area as the rest of the town is silent.



A bit more restrained tonight so the walk back is easier… Time at the van for one last glass. I suspect the sleep will be as sound as last night after all …

Miles so far: 2468

Steps today: 11666

Overnight: Camping Haro, 25€ inc electric (ASCI)

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