Puente la Reina - Viana

Here we are! We've made good progress today and went a bit further than expected. Our goal was Los Arcos, but we found ourselves there at 4pm and with strength, so we kept going a bit. It may have been a stretch, because we encountered a couple significant hills/climbs, but we were able to manage them (switched to the road for that section) and made it to Viana.

    I just want to quickly mention the steep, REALLY STEEP hill right after leaving Puente la Reina, before Mañeru. A b**ch on the bike, with panniers!! Excuse me.  We conquered, but... Phew!

    Another challenging spot was the Roman via and Roman bridge right after Cirauqui: basically impossible to remain on the bike - too eroded and too big steps to manage. Hard even to just push the bike up that with the weight of the panniers.

     Viana is a great medium town. They are in festivities here. They do a typical "release" of young bulls around the central streets of the town. Unfortunately we missed it. I'm sad about that. But we got to taste the excitement and energy of the town.
   We also happened to choose to stay at a geeat place run by great, generous people! Apartmento Turistico Ana. Ana is the owner/manager. She was very helpful, generous, nice... She and her parents welcomed us into their hang out place (a "peña") and treated us to eat of their own grown or picked food and drink!: picked mushrooms sauteed with egg, tomatoes and wine grown, harvested and made by Ana's father. I mean, a real treat. Thank you!!

   Now we must depart for our next goal, Santo Domingo de la Calzada. See you next post!

Fuente saliendo de Puente la Reina

Right after the STEEP, hard hill / justo al pasar la cuesta empinadisima, justo antes de Mañeru

Wine fountain at Irache / fuente del vino de Irache

Monasterio de Irache

Unas cerezas que nos dio una señora, recién cogidas del árbol, en un bar en que hicimos parada técnica en Azqueta

Villamayor de Monjardin

Iglesia de los Arcos

Alice having a taste of Zurragapote, typical drink in Viana, done for their festivities (by Ana's father too) / Alice probando el zurragapote, bebida típica para las fiestas de Viana, hecha por el padre de Ana