ANTIGONISH TO CARINENA

CARINENA, ARAGON::  We decided to start our holidays (when you no longer work, do you still have holidays?) in the Town/Village of Carinena.  We came here because of the wine (see below).  However, from Antigonish to Carinena took us 28 hours and included the airports of Halifax, Montreal, Frankfurt and Barcelona.

Betty's mobility issues have increased in the past couple of months so navigating through airports presents a challenge.  German efficiency, however, made Frankfurt extremely easy.  As soon as Betty had hobbled off the plane she was stopped by a woman in some sort of uniform who directed her to the special care station.  Here arrangements were made for us to be picked up in a golf cart and driven to passport control.  Once there we were assured that there would be another cart waiting on the other side.  Sure enough a cart reserved for Mrs. Johnson awaited to whisk us to security.  Once that was cleared a third cart took us on the long drive to our gate.   My advice to anyone planning on flying is to buy a cane and practice your limping.

At Barcelona we eventually found the Avis counter.  There we were told that we were being upgraded to an Audi 4, which the clerk asssured us would get us to Carinena in less than four hours.  I didn't start the clock until we had found our way out of Barcelona (which only took a couple of heated exchanges between the driver and the navigator).  However, even driving at 130-140 the trip took longer than four hours.  I expect, nonetheless, that all the other cars on the road took considerably less time.

Upon arrival we checked in to our modest hotel, which for 45 Euros gave us a balcony with a great view of the parking lot.  As we were exhausted, starving, and very thirsty we couldn't wait for 8:30 opening time of the restaurant, so we decided to hang out in the bar.  The bar was packed and most of the customers appeared to have best before dates, as our mine and Betty's, of well past three score and ten.
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After considerable hand gestures, our young barmaid heated us plates of pork belly, sausages and ham croquets.  It took two glasses each of local wine to wash down the tasty food.  When we left for the restaurant I had rung up a tab of 8.5 Euros (about $ 13. Canadian)

As we had forgotten our Spanish dictionary ordering in the restaurant was somewhat of a random affair.  We ended up starting with potato salad and more croquets, then Betty had a steak and I had trout.  Spanish flans made a great dessert.  We washed all this down with two bottles of water, two double espressos and, of course, a bottle of local wine.  The total came to 28 Euros (equivalent to a bottle of one of Gabrieau's cheaper wines).  Fortunately, I didn't have to drive to get back to our room, but I did manage to operate the elevator.

In the morning we went back to the bar for breakfast.  It was again packed, largely with tractor drivers in from the olive groves eating bacon and eggs and washing their meals down with red wine.

WINES OF CARINENA:  Carinena is a wine varietal and that was first grown a couple of thousand years ago in the town that now bears the name of the grape.  This grape is now grown in other places (France, California and Chile-where it is called Carnigan).  Unfortunately, it is not sold in Nova Scotia so we were keen to come here and taste.  The wine is medium bodied, fruity,  high in acidity, and low in tannins.   To me it tastes much like Zinfandel.