travel journal: San Sebastian to Miranda de Ebro (Haro) to Zaragoza to Barcelona

After San Sebastian, it was a great several days of road tripping (featuring some cringeworthy singalongs and reading David Foster Wallace essays to each other), plenty more pintxos, delicious wine in the heart of la Rioja while playing cards (with our sneaky waiter standing behind me and signing my cards to Leif) in a lazy plaza, enjoying the peculiar Roman-themed street market festival of Zaragoza while taking in some absurdly impressive architecture, getting thoroughly and unquestionably lost with imprecise directions applied to haphazardly marked roads (ending up in some maze-like industrial complex at 1:30 am coming back from Haro in La Rioja was certainly interesting). Then an early morning haul to the (and I'm comfortable saying this) stupidest airport in the world (Barcelona) to trade one travelling companion for two. Off to Valencia tomorrow for some supposedly outstanding oranges and whatever else one does in Valencia (Cindhu planned this portion for us).

The cathedral tower in the lovely, windy-street full town of Haro, chock full of bodegas and cafes with pintxo lined counters and dirt cheap young Rioja wine

Young Rioja wine - cheap, fruity, delicious.

Hard to beat a good flan

We all had a collective "Holy insert-non-pg-expletive-here" moment when we first came within sight of the Our Lady of the Pillar Basilica in Zaragoza

Roman market stalls + more beautiful Jesus-related structures

Inside the Basilica

We were sad to send Leif off after just a few days, but it's such a treat to have Cindhu's dad and sister join us for most of our last two weeks (insane to think we're almost back state-side). Since the Barcelona airport almost-fiasco, we've had an unquestionably lovely few days in and around the city. Day one and two were full of long wandering walks to admire the much present genius of Gaudi's architecture, a visit to the Picasso museum (while a lot of his most famous works are elsewhere, but it is wonderfully curated and incredibly illuminating for someone who knows nothing more than the pure basics of his work), a lazy afternoon sipping local wine by the city beach, and one fantastically rich late Father's Day dinner. Today sent us outside of Barcelona to a stunning mountain settlement called Montserrat. After the recent string of cities since London, it was nice to get out into some sort of wilderness to celebrate the near constant sun and general fantastic weather of northern Spain (especially after the dreary eternal miserableness that is London's local climate). A long steep windy mountain drive, a stuffy, crammed ride up the most impressive of the now three funicular railways we've been on in Europe, and a few hours hiking and exploring the old hermitage of Montserrat. Then back down to Barcelona for a quick exploration of their famous market and a relaxing early dinner (very early by local standards) of some mostly delicious tapas and, of course, more wine.

Gaudi

Wonderful tiny tapas bar, not sure if we were lured in by the smell of the lilies or the enticing hand written menus scattered around the wall

La Sagrada Familia-- Absolutely nothing like it

We keep running into unexpected architecture and public sculpture around Spain

Foie gras cannelloni

Mackeral/Octopus tartare, ginger/citrus emulsion

Duck with more foie gras, currants and puff pastry

Suckling pig with incredibly crispy skin, apple sauce, new/purple potatoes and kumquats. Not pictured are the 12hr braised lamb with sweatbreads and the scallops with pork "double chin"