What a wonderful welcome to Logroño, Rioja, when I drove into town last evening. Our RS Travel Forum mate Dave Lindstrom, a longtime local here in Logroño, came by my hotel to offer a warm welcome, and better, a walking history, culture and food tour, my first exposure to the Pincho (the Riojan spelling) Culture. Wow, stops for many of the best pinchos — carrillera confitada a la plancha, embuchados, champinones, and sepia — accompanied by different Rioja crianza wines, then topped off by a wonderful award-winning local gelato, the roasted pineapple gelato was extraordinary. Logroño is an active but low-key, mid-sized city, with a concentrated downtown area, full of restaurants, coffee and pastry houses, and especially pincho bars, each with its own specialties, and various wineries and other smaller and interesting Rioja wine towns nearby. With Dave here offering local knowledge, Logroño and Rioja should become a popular stop for RS travellers. And best yet, while wandering around Logroño this evening, I bumped into Dave and his dog Romeo again, met his family, and did the pincho culture all over again, this time with beers instead of wines! Always nice to happen upon a local friend on the street, especially when traveling solo. Thanks, brother Dave!
Please sign in to post.