We’ve successfully made it to Rioja without a scratch. Having left around midday on Sunday, we meandored through the vast open landscapes of western Cataluña, Aragon and Navarra, finally arriving to the 120 million year old dinosaur tracks emerging from the muddy soils just outside of Arnedo in Rioja Baja around 5:30pm. Mind you, it took us three tries until we finally found the tracks, because every time we saw signpost with a large green dinosaur on it, we logically assumed we had reached the endpoint of our journey, but no. Like many of our experiences in Spain, one can’t expect signs that forewarn or share extensive detail. What you will find, however, are many signs that allude to what you want, but won’t give your end destination until the very last moment when you find yourself swerving off the road to a screeching halt. Yet, I have to admit, despite the Disney like display of the 40 foot high Brontosaurus or Brachiosaurus dinosaurs sitting fiercely in the Igea track site, the tracks themselves were absolutely incredible. Albeit a little smaller than I imagined, they were very well worth our efforts and a journey I would highly suggest for you as well.

Finally, pulling into Logroño around 8:00pm, we parked our car in the very back corner of the basement of the Hotel Murrieta behind a cement pillar and next to a SUV. This, my friends, was truly an act of patience and persistence, because if you turned your car slightly in any one direction, you were at risk of plowing into a large, very damaging, object. Our advice, in addition to getting fantastic gas mileage and saving the environment, a tiny little Opal will give you much more leeway in European carparks than a large Chrysler will ever …