| I
have long been a fan of Spanish wines and more or less concluded
that red Rioja was definitely my thing, Marques de Riscal being
about the nearest to perfection I was ever likely to attain on my
modest budget. And then I was introduced to the wines of
Navarra. Now it probably helps that the Bodega of the
Monasterio de Irache actually gives the stuff away, but I now
include some of their wines in my top ten. Admittedly the wine
fountain provides only a fairly basic vino de mesa, but it is
unbelievably, absolutely free. If you don't believe me, they
have a
web cam monitoring the fountain so you can witness for yourself,
the many pilgrims (and others) who stop for a vino break along the
Camino.
On my first visit I was highly amused to see
two pilgrims enjoying a well-earned rest and sampling the wine,
incredulous Norwegian pilgrims...how were they going to explain that
when they got back home? The Church not only condoning the
consumption of alcohol, but making it freely available...much like
the very first miracle! Rather belies the slanderous
accusations (by the Northern Basques) that Navarrese are a bunch of
cheapskates, an accusation about as valid as that made by some
English against their Northern neighbours!
Still to come on this site...the famous
running of the bulls during the Fiesta de San Fermin in
Pamplona...that's if I manage to visit at the right time of year and
before the European killjoys manage to end bullfighting altogether.
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