Day 16, From Logrono to Bilbao, Spain

We get up and have breakfast at the hotel as usual and then are to be lead out of town. We are the last ones out of the dungeon garage (all the garages are gated and under the hotels with tight turns).

We go with Jay and Pat and Terri being lead to the winery by Carla. About half way there we need to stop for gas then carry on through pretty vineyard countryside. 

Note Jim and Kathy in front of us and Manfred and Werner behind us.

 Kathy & Jim in their coupe.

We arrive at the winery, which Shirley helped set up through Carla. Her neighbor back home deals with this winery. It is called Beronia.

The vineyards are just leafing out. Harvest isn’t until the fall – October.

This little beehive building is where the workers would eat in the old days when they were working in the vineyard.

Mural at the entrance to the winery.

They have the sacrificial rosebush at the end of the rows of vines. It will attract the deadly bug  that will hurt the vines.

The pretty vineyards at Beronia.

Some of the group with our guide in with the large wine vats.

The wine barrels. They have 31,000 barrels of wine stored here.

 Bottles of wine behind old locked iron gates.

Lori & Rick standing in doorway of a huge barrel.

View looking out to the vineyard.

Our photographer always at work.

Carla serving samples of the wine, with Shirley getting the first taste.

Mean while the quick change artists change Bob’s fan belt before we leave.

 

An old grape press.

Lizzie at the winery. We then are off and away to find gas for Bob and Marilynn. Easier said then done out here. The first station is closed. The next town doesn’t have a gas station. While getting directions to the next town with gas Rick lets a little local boy get behind the steering wheel. Not unlike Jenner he is soon pushing and turning levers and having a great time.

Gas is gotten and we are off to Bilbao. However we now are on the back roads and have to backtrack. We go up and down 6-8% grades to get into Bilbao. We get checked in and find out that Jay’s brakes are locking up. Rick , Bob and Jim will help him in the morning. For now we are going to walk to the old town part of Bilbao.

I am still amazed that this is how people do there laundry here. These are their clothes lines.

We walk through the streets and eat from a little shop on the square. Here is Rick and my dinner. It was very good. A chicken wrap and fish kabob.

While we were eating this black gentleman came up and started singing Louie Armstrong music. Ken & Shirley and Bob & Marilynn get up & dance.

We then walk back to the hotel by the river. It is 10 o’clock at night and very pleasant outside.

Time to go to bed.