The tapa here has become an art form. In some regions of Spain tapas are served free with any kind of drink. In Logroño there is a street famous for its tapas known as Calle Laurel. People wander up and down the street stopping in various places to try the tapas that interest them. Prices vary between a euro or two.
When several items are piled together using a toothpick it is called a pincho. Other times they are called montaditos and this refers to some delicacy piled on a slice of baguette.
Maybe your mouth will be drooling as you view some of the tapas, pinchos or montaditos that paraded past me in Logroño.
This is a tapa of Papas Bravas....fried potato chucks smothered in a mixture of spicy tomato sauce and mayonnaise.
Here you can see a pyramid of balls of morcilla or blood sausage covered in migas or spicy bread crumbs.
This would probably be classed as a montadito....spicy sausage, some kind of fish mixture, a quail egg and a strip of roasted red pepper all mounded on top of a slice of baguette.
Now according to my above definition of packing things on a toothpick, I think this would still be considered a montadito but using the toothpick to eat the succulent garlicky grilled mushrooms or setas as they are called here.
And this would be a pincho or sometimes you see pintxo...perhaps the second spelling is in the Basque language.
Some bars are so famous for a particular tapa, pincho or montadito that all they make and serve is that particular one. But most have such a variety, it can be hard to choose.
I would highly recommend this to go with all those great tapas. It is quite common to see a list of wines that the a particular bar offers. Knowing little about wines of the Rioja I picked the one that was middle on the list and also medium priced. The young woman behind the bar was very understanding with my request to photograph the label.
Well honestly, Logroño has many other things to offer besides food and wine. There are some beautiful parks with monuments honouring local heroes.
There is always a beautiful cathedral to visit.
The above cathedral has a treasured painting by Michelangelo behind a thick glass panel and vault like doors which I assume would be closed at night. You only had to slip .50 euros into a box which turned on a light allowing you to view the masterpiece for about 30 seconds.
As I wandered the streets I couldn't help but notice how empty they were...but of course, it was siesta time and a song began to worm its way through my head... ''Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun'' .....and a few crazy tourists.
It is not that I ''detest a siesta'' but there is just so much to see that I cannot bear to be inside no matter the heat. The great River Ebro even seemed sluggish in the heat.
Further along I came upon a stork nest high on a tower of a church which by the way, is a very common sight here. I have been told that the storks are from Africa and that Spain is their nesting grounds. When I came in the fall of 2011 all the nests were empty so it is a real treat to see the birds this time.
I had been watching this nest for several moments with only the head of the stork visible. I was hoping it would stand up giving me a shot of the its entire body but what was even better....it stood up, took flight and seemed to hover over the nest flapping its wings for a few seconds. Then returned to the next and repeated the sequence of taking flight, hovering over the nest and landing several times. It seemed as if perhaps the heat was also getting to the eggs or chicks and the parent was making an attempt to make it a bit cooler.
Well the heat was getting to me too so I went in search of some ice cream and a water fountain.
The heat continues as do I.
Dos besos.
tapa of Papas Bravas looks delicious (as do all the other tapas!). Siesta time is the perfect time for you to cool off in the fountain - the place looks deserted! :)
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