Leaving the big town, driving aimlessly

The initial plan was to make it over to Rioja, but after considering the time and the cost, I just couldn't justify it. So instead we pointed our car south and just went.

First stop -Villafranca pel Penendes
Yes, the mecca of the Torres wine family. The winery was impressive, and I even got to touch one of their grapes! But being a big and snooty winery, all samplings were pay by sample (and quite a hefty price...which goes along with their bottle prices).

After waiting (im)patiently, we learned we needed to purchase our tickets at the front. Luckily I was cashing in some karma points, as we were the last to buy tickets for tasting that day (2pm on a Sunday).
Two different wines quenched my thirst:

• Vina Esmeralda, Moscatel and Gewurtz
• Gran Goronas, Cab Sav and Temptranillo

Both super yummy, we even bought the former. Bad planning on our behalf, since we forgot to bring a corkscrew! Luckily we now own with with the Torres logo on it.

Next stop - Tarragona
Nothing really impressive, as the place was especially closed on a Sunday. We did see the old Roman acqueduct and had something to eat.

The scenic route

Seeing how old Spain is, there are a lot of ruins and old buildings - everywhere. The highlight was Montblanc, where their fortress is still intact. But the only hotel we could find was closed, so we made our way through the mountains (and more Torres vines - they were EVERYWHERE) to Lleida for the night.