A day of mixed emotions

Today was a mixed day on our journey and by mixed I mean a day of mixed feelings towards the people and organisations responsible for the information and planning of the route. Forgive my rant but if you are planning a route then it should be organised, like Camino Frances or Camino Portuguese , where accommodation is located at the end of each stage. Yesterday the walk took us to Logrono so you would expect today's walk to start there but no it started in Agoncilla and finished at Alcanadre where you then had to find transport to Calahorra for accommodation. The same was to happen tomorrow and at the end of the days walking you were to travel to Zarazoga. As is often said about these walks you do it your own way,so today, we took personal control, and after our walk we travelled to Zaragosa and have planned tomorrow to go to a village where we could get accommodation, . Having said all that, the journey out of Logrono, after you had escaped the residential and then industrial areas, was similar to yesterday with flat dusty paths winding their way through endless rows of vines. I honestly didn't know that Rioja was such a large supplier of wine. The route passes through several small towns on its way to Alcanadre but Agoncilla with its fully restored and majestic Castillo de las Aguas and wide plaza deserves special mention. We did look out for the famous, hugh vultures that nest in the Penas de Aradon cliffs but unfortunately at over thirty degrees maybe it was too warm even for them.
We used public transport to finish the day in Zaragosa which was indeed the next place on our journey where we could find accommodation. Staying in Zaragosa was a good move because as soon as we arrived the beauty and culture of the city lifted our spirits. The old historical city has a Basilica that must have been modelled on St. Peter's in Rome. The plaza has to be at least a hundred meters wide with a large church at each end. At one end we have preserved Roman ruins whilst at the other a large museum and works celebrating the life of Goya. As you walk around, going from plaza to plaza, you are drawn to the sculptures, works of art, ornate architecture and of course fountains that are abundant in this rich setting.