Logroño

Before heading to Logroño yesterday, we started our day at the Palacio Real. The line was unavoidably long but it moved quickly so we waited it out. The palace is quite the spectacle, very grand and ornately decorated, exactly what you would expect in a royal palace. It was nice to be able to move from room to room at your own pace, taking in the ambiance and the decor. Walking through, we noticed that everyone was silent. I'm not sure if its instinct or what but there is something about being in the presence of history that makes you be quiet. After an hour of navigating through the royal walls we made our way to lunch.

Lunch was delicious. We were a little hungover from the night before so we were craving comfort food. My dad and stepmom (and the guidebooks) recommended Casa Lucio, a quaint establishment that embodies the sentiment of classic Madrid. Celebrities and the King often dine here, and after visiting the royal palace we thought it was the natural choice for lunch. Walking in was intimidating, apparently you need reservations and although we were able to sneak in, we definitely felt bad for not making reservations. We got over that feeling quickly after our food came. We ordered huevos estrellados, cut fried eggs over potatoes, and bread with tomato and olive oil, the soul food we were craving. It was so good we basically inhaled it. The waiters were astonished when we asked for the check a mere 40 minutes after sitting down (typical Spanish lunch can take up to 2 hours).

After lunch we went to the Reina Sofia modern art museum. In all honesty it was more impressive than the Prado, and much easier to navigate through. Reina Sofia houses many of Picasso's most famous work, including the Guernica, as well as Miro's and Dali's work (and many other Spanish abstract artists). Currently it is also exhibiting several light installations, that were truly remarkable.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the city, people watching, and passing the time until our train left for Logroño.

When we got to the train station we were a bit confused as to what to do. People were walking in all directions, the destination board was constantly changing, and our train did not have a platform assigned to it yet. Since it had been ten years since my last Spanish train ride, the entire process seemed foreign to me. I ended up asking the information desk and we quickly made our way towards the right platform, just in time as the train was boarding when we walked up!

Our journey to Logroño started off a bit unsettling. We had planned to be there most of Friday, Friday night, and leave sometime in the afternoon on Saturday, but the train schedules made this impossible. We ended up taking a 3.5 hour train ride from Madrid in the early evening, arriving in Logroño around 10pm. In order to get back to Madrid by Saturday we would have to leave at 8am, giving us only 9 hours in the heart of the Rioja wine country.

The train made several stops and we noticed that as we got closer to our destination that the stations were less and less crowded, with no taxis in sight. As we made our final approach to Logroño, I decided to ask the lady next to us if there were taxis at the train station and how far it was to the city center, we quickly realized that we were either going to walk about a half hour to our hotel or we would have to hitch hike. Our worries worsened when we read in our guide books that restaurants close at 11pm, and that with our luck we would have to miss dinner and just stay in our hotel, making it an uneventful night. Luckily, the lady we met was nothing short of amazing, as her and her friends happily drove us directly to our hotel.

Upon check in we were reassured that restaurants are in fact open till at least midnight and that we would be enjoying a fun evening out. And that is exactly what we did.

Our hotel was located in the heart of the city, near the Calle Laurel, a local hotspot for tapas and wine. Several streets connect to this hotspot and make up the pedestrian zone where no cars are allowed. Down the streets are many tapas bars, each with seating inside and an ordering window outside, where you can choose to eat and drink with the masses. On a Friday night the small streets and alleys are filled with people. It was so crowded we were elbow to elbow most of the night. It was amazing to see such big crowds in such small areas. The tapas at each bar was even more amazing.

The bars are similar to what the Plaza Mayor of Madrid offers, where each bar has a specialty and you move from one to the next sampling the signature dishes. We had an absolute blast moving through the crowds and tasting the great food. We sampled bocadillos de jamón y queso (mini ham and cheese sandwiches), pork skewers with bread (not sure what the tapa is actually called, but it was wonderful), and the best patas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce) I have ever had. The tapas and drinks are also incredibly cheap, making this a great destination for the backpacking traveler on a budget. The most amazing part is that this gem is only barely mentioned in the guidebooks.

During the 9 hours we spent in Logroño the city stole my heart. My biggest regret is not staying longer. As we headed to the train station this morning we realized just how much there is to see here and how little we were able to do. It was also fun to see the masses of people just heading home from the bars this morning as we journeyed back to the train station, a true indication that this town is more than just for vineyards and wineries, but geared toward genuinely fun nights out.

This is definitely a place I recommend visiting, although you should plan on renting a car as the vineyards are not in the city center and you'll need a ride from the train station (rental car booths are located at the train station). I am already looking forward to coming back here, with any luck we will make it back during harvest.


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