I'm in the Rioja (pronounced: ri-OH-ha), which is serious wine country in Spain. It's akin to walking through the Napa Valley in California. The region comes complete with thousands of vines and a good number of wineries.
Instead of seeing cows and sheep grazing, one sees vines taking form. There are no grapes yet, but come the early fall there will be plenty. Of course, the grapes closest to the Camino will be snatched by the pilgrims.
I don't pretend to know much about wine. True story: a number of years ago I was in a gourmet market that sold wine. A friend of mine and I had pained looks on our faces in searching for a bottle of wine for a friend. A clerk came by and gave us great advice. He said, "Gentlemen, all you need to know about wine is the following: if you like the wine, it's good wine; if you don't, it's bad wine!" How comforting!
Each region in Spain is different, like the States. I am just learning about the regions, and have a lot to learn.
The region of the Rioja is much dryer (almost like desert). I think that's necessary to produce a good vintage.
Look closely at the following photo. What do you see? That's right, an entire chain link fence with wood crosses stuffed into it. The fence ran about a quarter-mile long, bordering the highway.
There are a lot more flat areas on the Camino in Spain that in France. You can walk without ascents or descents for miles. It's very unlike the Camino in France.
One thing about passing through town-after-town, is forgetting where you stayed last night. This is compounded by knowing that you can only stay at an albergue one night. When pilgrims ask each other, "Where did you come from today?", often you get just a blank look! It's not that the towns look the same -- it's just that pilgrims often don't have time to get to know the town.
