Day 9: Torres del Rio to Logroño

I left early from Torres del Rio today because I wanted to get to Logroño for the San Mateo festival, which actually started yesterday and goes on all week. This is their huge annual wine festival for the entire Rioja region, and I want to help them celebrate their wine. 😄 The other reason I left early is because once people start waking up in the hostel, it’s pretty impossible to sleep. I think I heard the first alarm before 6 AM.
It was cloudy and rainy for a couple of hours during my walk today, but the temperature was cool and a nice reprieve from all the hot days we’ve been having. The countryside was beautiful, with lots of olive groves and vineyards. The first 10 km were pretty challenging with lots of ups and downs, but after a nice break in the beautiful town of Viana, the last 10 km were a piece of cake, mostly flat trails and the rain stopped.
I crossed the river and walked right in to the center of Logroño to see thousands of revelers enjoying their festival. I’m taking a rest day here so I’ll post more festival photos tomorrow. I enjoyed walking all over the city and had a nice tapas dinner. I’m actually pretty pooped so it’ll be an early night for me, but I hear the festivities go on all night long. I asked the guy at the hotel how late the festivities go tonight, and he said until Friday. 😂Read more