Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: Northern Spain 2015
A day in the country
It was clear from outset that there had been a massive overnight change in the weather: a substantial increase in cloud cover had, rather unusually, been accompanied by a very noticeable drop in temperatures. The good news was that, contrary to the previous night's forecast, it was not raining. We had breakfast in the hotel, there being no sensible alternative in this location. The original plan for today had featured a six-stop circular tour of the local area. In the end we cut this back to four stops, as the places visited needed longer than anticipated and we didn't want to risk missing our complimentary Marqués de Riscal winery tour at 4pm.
Laguardia
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| View of Laguardia, on the road from Elciego |
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This familiar-sounding near-neighbour was only a ten-minute drive away and was also situated in the Basque Country. It proved to be a lovely little village with an outstanding hilltop location overlooking large expanses of lower-lying countryside, yet also in close proximity to the Basque Mountains to the north. It was fun wandering its narrow lanes and streets, and trying to work out the meaning of two tables in the main square, one adorned with metallic images of footwear, and the other with similar representations of assorted means of carrying things! Unfortunately, however, our visit took place in particularly cold and drizzly conditions, no doubt exacerbated by the village's exposed location.
San Vicente de la Sonsierra
This
attractive little village was our next stop and, like all the
remaining destinations on our day tour, it was situated in the
autonomous community of La Rioja. In some ways, San Vicente was
remarkably similar to Laguardia, with its commanding location and
impossibly narrow streets. Climbing up the steep path from the
village centre, we saw the old castle, Holy Cross chapel and St
Mary's church. The highlight of the visit, however, was being able
to enjoy the wonderful views across the Ebro river and far beyond.
The old medieval bridge across the Ebro, superseded by a modern
version in 1997, forms part of the famous Camino de Santiago
("Way of St James") pilgrimage route from the French border to
Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia.
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Briones and the Vivanco Museum
Another short (8-minute) hop brought us to Briones, where our entire stay was given over to visiting the Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture, which turned out to be an absolutely first-rate attraction. Opened by King Juan Carlos in 2004, the museum aims to explore man's relationship with wine across eight millennia. The facility features five large permanent exhibition halls, a space for temporary exhibits and an outdoor 'Garden of Bacchus'. It managed to keep us interested for two hours, including a short lunch break. In fact, we felt obliged to speed up once we realised how quickly time was passing!
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Santo Domingo de la Calzada
We only had time for a fairly brisk look around this small town which, despite its size, was nevertheless home to a cathedral. The town is named after its founder, who built a bridge, hospital and hostel for pilgrims making their long-distance walk on the Camino de Santiago. Indeed, we managed to spot examples of the scallop-shell markers defining the official route. The cathedral dates originally from the 12th century, although substantial alterations took place in the 14th and 16th centuries.
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Marqués de Riscal
A final, 35-minute drive brought us back to base in good time for
our 4pm winery tour. The group met in the shop and presently our
hostess guided us through the various stages in the production
process, starting right at the beginning with cultivation of the
grapes. The tour proved to be an enjoyable experience, ending with
the opportunity to taste a white wine from central Spain and a local
Rioja Reserva.
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To mark the last night of one of the most
remarkable hotel stays ever, we had made a reservation for dinner in
the hotel's Michelin-starred 'gastronomic' restaurant.
In a nod to Spanish traditions, a 9pm start seemed appropriate. In the event, we decided against
the full tasting menu, opting instead for a more conventional
structure. Nevertheless, the ordered courses were presented with
multiple extras and the meal as a whole fully lived up to our high
expectations.