The Guideless Traveller: España: Days 66 & 67 (Pamplona, Zaragoza & Segorbe)

Day 66:
Today we leave San Sebastián to head back to Zaragoza for a night and then home. First, we enjoy more pintxos at Casa Gandarias!

Coco knows her place at Casa Gandarias

And I know mine....drinking wine and eating pimientos at the pintxo tables outside Casa Gandarias!

We decided to stop in Pamplona again for those delicious bocadillos we had at Casa Jesus Mari before. A stop for bocadillos and a walk around town turned into our rental car getting towed and us walking 25 minutes (and paying mucho dinero) to retrive it. We saw more of the city than we expected to see, that is for sure. What happened was, the parking meter was not taking anyone's money and I read that it is free after a certain time. Well, apparently it turns into residental parking only and that is why we got towed 😣. The bocadillos were amazing though!

Bocadillos at Casa Jesus Mari

Ensalada at Casa Jesus Mari

Scott back at the Plaza de Toros where he ran into the stadium after running with the bulls 15 years ago

Plaza de Toros de Pamplona

Part of the bullrun route....much different when it is not San Fermin (running of the bulls)

We got to Zaragoza at a decent time and stayed at the same hotel as before, NH Collection Gran Hotel de Zaragoza. I love this hotel! We had a suite this time and it was much better especially with Coco. It is bigger so she can play squirrel a little.

Suites at the NH Collection Gran Hotel de Zaragoza have much more room for activities!

Suite at NH Collection Gran Hotel de Zaragoza

So much comfort that Coco thinks she can take my pillows

View from our suite at the NH Collection Gran Hotel de Zaragoza

For dinner we went to this sushi place I read a little about but I was not sure that they would allow Coco. There is a semi outdoor area (covered) at Bokoto so they allowed us to sit there with Coco! I could not tell if the waiter was fairly new or just not good. He forgot my glass of cava which I can forgive but when he brought me a glass and poured it in front of me, he only poured a little. We thought he was going to come back and pour more but no, that was all I get. Not a glass of cava but a sip of cava...

A sip of cava at Bokoto

Jalapeño yellowtail sashimi at Bokoto

Ebi roll at Bokoto

Fried rice at Bokoto

Day 67:
Before we leave Zaragoza to go back home, we wanted to walk over to the bridge to get a view of the Ebro River and the other side of the Basilica of our Lady of the Pilar. It was a Sunday morning, 11 September, actually and the streets were empty everywhere except for over by the cathedral/basilica. The crowds were overwhelming over there so we made our way back to the hotel to take off. On the drive home, I researched restaurants that might be on the way and I found one in a town called Segorbe. Super random but it is on the way back to El Campello and it looked like they have outdoor seating which is usually a must for us because we have Coco. We went to Pinchos la Gildica and ate more pintxos while people watching! We learned that we had come just after an event or festival of some sort. Of course, a festival...Claro que si, siempre un festival. Since we arrived just after the festival wrapped up, we did not see anything happen but it is called Entrada de Toros y Caballos (entry of bulls and horses). It is during the bullfighting week in Segorbe in September and is an event of the bulls being heard by horses and their riders through the city square. I believe those are the bulls that will be abused further, during a bullfight...apparently this is a huge tourist event; glad we missed it!