From Logroño to Torrecilla, Day 27

Sunday, 13.8.3023, Day 27

To start off, today's stage was by no means as exhausting as we feared. We expected steep climbs and scorching heat, but we were spared from both. We started early again, shortly after 8:00 am, and left Logroño towards the mountains through back roads. The route led us through beautiful landscapes, and for a long time, we cycled through orchards. It seems to be a fertile area with vineyards, fig trees, walnut trees, apple trees, and long stretches of pear tree plantations. We climbed an elevation of almost 500 m and are now at an altitude of 770 m. Over the Rioja mountains, it was heavily cloudy in the morning, and we were a bit disappointed, but it turned out to be high fog that dissipated with the increasing midday heat. We steadily ascended through a valley, almost imperceptibly, and cycled between colossal sandstone rock formations that are impressively magnificent. Additionally, we saw an incredible number of eagles (maybe 50 or more) circling above these rock formations. They probably have ideal conditions for their nests in the steep rock walls. By midday, before it got too hot, we had already reached our destination, Torrecilla. Since we were not allowed to check into our accommodation (Hospederia Sagasta) before 4:00 pm, we decided to take a long siesta on the village square, together with what felt like the entire village population. We were glad to sit down, as there was a real fight for the remaining chairs. The adjacent tavern was in high demand for refreshing drinks and small delicacies, even for us. The most popular delicacy was "Morros," fried pig snouts, really delicious and very crispy. We managed to snag 4 pieces. However, it was no longer recognizable whether the pig had at least cleaned its nose beforehand. In the evening, we get chorizo from the butcher on a piece of bread for a good cause, and the whole village is lining up.