Carnival in Logroño

Carnival is definitely celebrated in Logroño. My roommate's friends came to town to stay at our apartment and we all had lunches together and later when out on the town.

Here we are having lunch out on our patio. We were lucky and it was a nice sunny February afternoon. It was the first, and thus far only, meal I've had out on the patio. I hope that spring comes soon.

They all dressed up as geishas, which was a nice coincidence since the only costume I had that I wanted to wear was that of my Japanese man (the same costume I wore to celebrate Halloween). My roommate if you're wondering is the one to the left of me; her name is Alicia.

We went out to the famous Laurel street for pinchos and met lots of other people dressed up in costumes. It's really a shame that we in the States don't celebrate Carnival like the rest of the world, because it's really a good-humored fun holiday.

This was an interesting scene. This guy was dressed up as Superman in a cage. His friends were feeding him through the bars. At least he had a chair...

My New Spanish Apartment

A Hike Around Logrono...

It was a nice Friday afternoon in Logrono, and so I packed my backpack with water and some snacks and I went down by the Ebro River and hiked up a rocky hill that took me over the highest point of the city. I had lived in Logrono for nearly a year and I had never done this. A friend of mine recommended it to me, actually, and so the very next day I went.

Here's the Stone Bridge that crosses the Ebro River. You can see three churches in the background, all located in the Old Part of the city.

The walk up the hill took me through several vineyards, and just yesterday was the first day of the autumn grape harvest for many farmers. The grapes I came across were definitely ready to be picked; they were deep purple and in big thick clusters, hanging from the scraggly grape vines, covered with green and red and violet leaves.

Here is one of the vineyards with Logrono in the background. Logrono is basically in a large valley, and you can see the hills all around it in the distance.

Nobody was looking, so I snatched some grapes to keep me going on the hike. They were all of the 'tempranillo' varietal, which is probably the most common of grapes from La Rioja and Logrono. They're small, red, and they have several small seeds in each one; so, while they taste good, you have to eliminate the seeds as you go. I prefer drinking wine, as do most Spanierds.

The little unripened green grapes. I don't think these will be ready this year.



Here we have the RiojaForum on the left of the picture (a big concert hall), the Plaza de Toros in the center (the Bullfighting Ring), and the rest of the city behind.

The Ebro River twists a few times and flows beneath four or five bridges within the Logrono city limits. Grassy green parks skirt the river and provide it and the people coverage from most of the regular city life.

Here's one of the peaks I climbed with some other hikers (who probably drove up; ha!).





Two days later I took another trek outside the city to visit the largest park in the area, called la Grajera. La Grajera is also on the route of the famous Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), the Christian pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. I didn't see any pilgrims walking the path with their giant packs, hiking sticks, and funny accents (many of them are from Germany, Belgium, Norway, France............ so on.) It's a little late in the season to be doing the 'Camino'.

Here is the symbol of the 'Camino', the shell, which I think was used as a rudimentary tool way back in the days of the first pilgrims. Anyways, it's a beautiful walk. Lots of nice Spanish countryside.

There is a big manmade lake at la Grajera. There are many trails around it, and it's a santuary for many breeds of animals and birds.



I hung out at the park for a few hours and then took the bus back into town, walking one way was enough, as it's like an hour's back to the city center where I live. I found a nice tree away from all the other 'campers' and people celebrating their Sunday having barbecues and picnics, and I had myself a nice relaxing read and write session, listening to the birds and the trees and watching couples and families walk past on the dirt trails. Gotta take advantage of the weather, y'know! We'll see if I can get out a few more days this year... it's starting the rainy winter season soon.

Better than all that snow though.

San Mateo 2008! Get some!

We are back in Logrono this school year. The patron saint of the city is Saint Matthew, or San Mateo. The fiesta of San Mateo goes on for a whole week, in which students don't have class and there are a few days off of work for everyone else. It's true; we the youth have no idea how good we have it.

The picture above is a fountain turned red for the fiestas. The water runs red with the blood of the Logroneses from years ago, who worked hard to create the vineyards and wineries that today we all enjoy so much.


Yes, the wine is good. We went to some tastings and bought some local specialties and reasonable prices. This dish is called 'picadillo', which is basically like spiced pork. It's delicious, and they provided us with a mini wine bottle commemorating the festival and containing a young wine from one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries.


Here's me with another pincho (little Spanish snack/bar food!). I gotta be honest, I don't remember what it is. I should've written it down I guess.


Street performers. They crowd to the fiestas, or anywhere where there are a lot of people. This guy was dressed up as a toy soldier from Toy Story.


There was a wine taster in one of the squares near our apartment. Pay five Euros and you get to wear a glass around your neck while they fill it for you and send you off to bump into other people, who also have wine glasses hanging from their necks.


Here's a view from one of our balconies. We have several in our main living room, and more windows in the bedrooms, kitchen, and bathroom. It's a fairly big place: three bed, one full bath, small kitchen, storage closet, living room with dining table, couch, coffee table, TV, a couple cabinets, some shelves, etc.

Anyways, our situation is on standby. Two of the bedrooms are stilled filled with junk from the previous occupant. He's coming to get it all soon, and then our landlady is going to furnish them. She'll put another bed and dresser in one of the bedrooms and a desk and book shelf in the other. As for now, my dresser is the cabinet in the living room, and my hamper is on top of dude's junk in the other bedroom.


This is a busy street during the fiestas. There are more people in Logrono during the 'sanmateos' than any other time of the year. It's a mess if you wanna go to your favorite places, and many locals--after experiencing the fiesta many times before, no doubt--take the opportunity to go on vacation.


Abby and I lived on this street last year. There are a lot of bars and clubs, and they were all open and all hours of ridiculousness during the fiesta. Par-Tay!


The bullfight ring in Logrono, complete with ultra modern retractable roof! How traditional is this anyway? So there were actually bullfights: those with the bull death and the gorging of matadors and the like; and we didn't go. Instead we went to something called 'vaquillas', which are like bullfights without swords. Entertainers basically just go out with a bull (smaller than the big ones they 'fight' and with taped up horns) and they run around with it, put rings on its horns as it tries to kill them, and by some act of fearlessness some of them actually leap over the large charging animals. Good stuff.


Some of the ceremonies during the fiestas include wine stomping! It's the beginning of harvest time in La Rioja (during autumn), and the stomping creates the season's first (symbolic) mosto! Mosto is grape juice; it's the liquid that comes from the grapes, and when it's fermented you get wine. Increible!

There were also concerts everynight in some of the bigger plazas in the city, and there was also a fireworks contest with different countries and Spanish cities competing. I don't know who won. Several of them were very good.

Well, more coming later, amigos. Hasta luego!

Family in Spain!

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