Roadboy Cycles Northern Spain 2021

Days 5-7 Roman Bridges, Haro Wineries and The Guggenheim Bilbao

Day 5 

Day 5 rewarded us with a stunning 41 mile ramble through the Oja Valley along La Rio Oja with a lunch stop in Haro. Haro is a hilltop city that self-proclaims itself as the capital of the Rioja region.

Community River Laundry 

The River Oja, Banares

Our first stop, Banares, was especially picturesque. The Banares community maintains some beautiful public spaces including an public outdoor laundry pavilion (fed by the Oja River). The community also has a prominent stone jai alai fronton along the river, as well as public plaza's and beautiful churches.

Not far from Banares was the tiny village of Cihuri where we diverted off our main cycle route to view an elegantly arched Roman Bridge dating back to the second century.

Roman Bridge in Cihuri

Over my lifetime I keep being reminded that, while the Greeks presented civilization with its most heroic advances in ancient art, the Romans stand as the world's most accomplished ancient engineers.

The fact that we viewed one, and safely crossed another, Roman bridge in today's ride tells a story about building for the ages. 

While modern American society lately tends to opt for the least costly way to build public structures, bridges and highways (resulting in a nation filled with crumbling infrastructure) these elegant arched bridges make the case for designing beautiful structures that last.

From here we pedaled along the River Oja through rich farmland and huge aligned groves of tall poplar trees (harvested for use in making crates) on our way to Haro.

Haro

Haro turned out to be a wonderful spot to enjoy food and drink. We began with plates of its famous spicy potatoes (patatas bravas) washed down with wine or beer. After that we found a local pub known for its skewers of mushrooms. 

After lunch we set off to find Haro's famous, and indescribably soft, chocolate wine truffles. I bought some to transport home, but precious few actually made it home.

Haro is also known as the home to the annual "Battle of Wine". Every June 29, after a mass is held, throngs of participants take to the streets of Haro to throw thousands of liters of wine at each. Think of it as the boozy version of the Buñol's annual tomato throwing event.

The festival is the offshoot of a disagreement between Haro and Miranda de Ebro over the rights to some cliffs. In this part of the world many disagreements are resolved with wine.

After lunch we rode over a second Roman bridge this time spanning the River Ebro on our way to the little village of Briñas and another beautiful hotel; the Palacio Tondón.

The River Ebro from the Hotel Palacio Tondón

We gathered for a wine tasting in the Hotel's own Bodega and then dinner in a local restaurant that served the piles of the most wonderful grilled lamb chops I have ever eaten. 

After lots of wine and a mountain of lamb chops I crawled of to my room and slept like a pup. 

 

Day 6

Upon awakening we boarded a shuttle up to the hillside village of Berganzo to embark on our last major ride. Today's ride took us downhill into the rich farmlands of the Canyon of Billium. The roads through farms and vineyards were quiet; some hugging hillsides and others passing through rock hewn tunnels. On two wheels the ride was spectacular. 

 

Farms of the Conchas de Haro

Gloriously Empty Roads

Once again we ended our ride in Haro at the Bilbainas Winery. But today we enjoyed a wine tasting in the gardens of the Bodegas Bilbainas before being shuttled into the vineyards themselves for an elegant picnic lunch served in an ancient stone structure. The wine industry in the Rioja region is clearly in its ascendance.

Bodegas Bilbainas

Our Guides Itziar and Jose

As with all VBT's tours the last evening we gathered for a farewell dinner. 

After 9 European cycling adventures, this one was really special. We made friends with amazing riders from all over North America. We experienced wonderful cycling, ate amazing food and enjoyed remarkable wines. But more than that, we came to love the people, history and beauty of Spain's extraordinary Basque region.

 

Day 7 

The morning of our final day we boarded a shuttle, bid our terrific guides adieu, and set off to Bilbao.

Saying Goodbye to Jose and Itziar

For an architect today's shuttle ride was full of anticipation as our destination in Bilbao would include a visit to Frank Gehry's 1997 Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

IMHO this is the masterwork that served as the tipping point in Mr. Gehry's career (a reputation reinforced in 2003 by LA's Disney Hall).

 

The building merges a remarkable site which presents the structure differently from nearly any angle. Although it enjoys a waterfront location, trains and buses run through the building and a major highway runs right over it.

 

The Guggenheim

 

The 120,000 square foot building completely overwhelms most of the artwork it was built to house. The glass, limestone and titanium building itself is a sculpture meant to be walked through. 

 

Since this building speaks for itself. I will rely on images, rather than words, to describe it.

 

The Building in Model Form Demonstrates its Complex Relationship to its Site.

 

Special Software had to be Developed to Create the Building

A Composition of Sensuous Shapes

 The Largest of the Guggenheim's Nine Galleries Houses

Richard Serra's The Matter of Time

 

After our brief visit to Bilbao we boarded return flights to Madrid to overnight. In the morning I continued on to The Netherlands for a quick visit to Amsterdam and on to Rotterdam.

 

 

Roadboy's Travels © 2021

Roadboy Cycles Northern Spain 2021

Cycling the Way of St. James and a 2-Star Michelin Experience

Days 4-5

When we checked into our hotel in Ezcaray we knew we'd arrived someplace special. Guest rooms in the Echaurren Hotel Gastrónomico are beautifully designed. My room had the bed perfectly centered to the room with a closet designed to be thoughtfully accessible from both the entry and the dressing / bath area. A plush mohair bed topper turned out to be the creation of by local weavers who, coincidentally, weave specialty products for design houses like Prada and Gucci.

 

The hotel's main claim to fame is its multi-generational family ownership and well earned international reputation for fine dining. It's signature restaurant El Portal opened in 2002 and quickly garnered recognition from Michelin.

 

After sleeping like a pup I awoke the next morning and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. We then set off to collect our bikes and I, at this point, realized I had not planned well as I could see my breath in the crisp morning. 

 

 Crisp Alpine Cycling in the Morning

 

The frosty morning ride began uphill in the lovely alpine Oja Valley. A valley that, sadly, remained in complete shade the whole ascent (I'd have killed for my tights and a pair of full finger gloves).

Coming down we stopped in a little family run cafe for coffee and some free general warmth before returning to Excaray. From Excaray we then began our afternoon ride. This ride was (gloriously) in full sun 🙂 and chills from the morning melted away quickly.

Stopping for a Warm Cup of Coffee

The stretch from Excaray to Santo Domingo de la Calzada was spent on a lovely very quiet rail to trail cycle path. This route delivered one beautiful vista after another along the way.   

Glorious Rail to Trail Cycling

 Every Stop Along the Way Delivered Beautiful Vistas

Upon arrival in Santo Domingo de la Calzada we encountered lots of pilgrims on the Way of Saint James as it is part of the "French Way" routing. The symbolism for the pilgrimage is a seashell which is etched in stone pavers designating the route through the city. It was a great spot for lunch and the perfect place to try the famous Rioja wine truffles created there.

Pilgrims Frequently Sport Shells on their Backpacks

Upon arrival back to our hotel we dressed for dinner wondering what a 2-star Michelin dinner would be like. First off we were escorted to a lovely room with a fireplace to enjoy an infusion and some appetizers. We agreed the olive s were the best we'd ever eaten. When pressed our waiter confessed they were an amuse bouche. The chef created them from cheese, anchovy and red pepper to look like olives, but they weren't olives at all. 

Faux Olives, an Herb Infusion and Heart Tartare on Oyster Leaf

It is safe to say we'd have been hard pressed to consider something like heart tartare, but it turned out to be magnificent.

Second  Stop the Pintxo Bar

We started the pintxo course with El Portal's take on the classic "Gilda" (center) accompanied by sweetbreads and caviar (left) and choicero pepper with crusty corn on the right.

Each course was more colorful and creative the the one before. There was oyster and nettles, marrow and green beans, red scorpionfish, foie and speculoos. In a meal featuring 27 courses(!) I found only one item I did not really love. 

The Creative Force Behind our Dinner

 

Memories of our dinner at El Portal will always conjure up a smile. If you are lucky enough to secure a reservation here you will soon come to fully understand why! 

After dinner it was off to bed knowing we would be cycling to Haro in the morning.

Roadboy's Travels © 2021

Roadboy Cycles Northern Spain 2021

Cycling Northern Spain: Basque, Navarre & Rioja Wine Regions

Hemingway's Pamplona, Cycling the River Arga and a Vineyard Ride

Days 1-3

When it comes to travel I count myself as very, very lucky. Circumstances have allowed me to circumnavigate our beuatiful planet And, with every journey I discover new insights into our world. 

When I was young travel was a rush. We had to move fast to "see" everything. Now, well into my AARP years, my pace is unhurried and I actually "see" the nuances of places I travel with a point of reference that has been enriched by life and decades by the little strands of history now magically knitting together rich stories all reinforced with every new image I encounter along the way. 

And these days, the pace of travel spent straddling an "e" bike is perfect.

So, for my second cycling adventure this year (first was Martha's Vineyard / Cape Cod) we chose Northern Spain. This is the trip we missed out on last year when it was cancelled due to covid. 

 

This year we confirmed the trip as soon as Spain reopened to vaccinated US tourists.

 

Travel in 2021, however required flexibility. We got a call informing us that the particular dates we'd booked were short of guests (so many Americans still timid about international travel) so Vermont Bike Tours (VBT) was only able to run two groups for this itinerary in 2021. And this is an itinerary that in a normal year would sell out. We were offered, and jumped on spots with an earlier group.

And rolling the dice paid off handsomely.  We joined some wonderful cyclists from Colorado and Minnesota. The trip began on a shuttle from San Sebaastián into the cloudy nearby mountains to a small village where we met our guides, received our orientation and become acquainted with our bikes. 

 

Then, we set off on a lovely 22 mile downhill "warm-up" ride through the tranquil Laurran and Araquil River Valleys. 

 

Bliss.

 

A Snack Stop on the Warm-Up Ride

After the warm-up ride we shuttled to Pamplona and the same wonderful hotel Earnest Hemingway called home wirting his two famous in two novels set in Pamplona. 

 

The evening was capped by a wonderful welcome dinner at Ábaco. The dinner included veal nigiri, tomato smoked sardine / garlic soup, squid ramen (so good!), pepitoria style chicken and a desert of pistache baklava and petit fours. I found everything both beautiful and delicious.

 

 

Hemingway & Pamplona; Inseparable

 

The very name Pamplona triggers imagery of crazed runners in white pants and red scarves chased through narrow streets by six bulls. The "running" still takes place every July during Pamplona's 9 day festival in tribute to Saint Fermin. 

I really tried to discern the legend surrounding Saint Fermin and simply came to realilze the legend really doesn't matter. There are just too many intertwined stories to sort out.  People  just come to be of the moment; many reckless enough to run with bulls.

 

There are only three rules to run with the bulls, You Must:

1. Be 18 years old

2. Run in the same direction as the bulls and 

3. Be sober

 

There is no requirement about sanity and every year between 50 and 100 people sustain serious injuries in the 2-1/2 minute run. In fact, 15 runners have died since 1910. One suffocated, the rest were gored to death. 13 fatalities were Spainish nationals, 1 was Mexican, 1 was American.

Gran Hotel La Perla Pamplona

 

Day two's ride had us cycling loops along the mirror smooth Arga River. This was a liesurely ride on trails with lots of locals. Very nice.

 

Upon return to Pamplona we had light a light pIntxo lunch and used a little free time to explore Pamplona. 

 

In the evening the hotel offered us a tour of Hemingway's lovingly preserved hotel suite.

 

 The Hemingway Room in the Gran Hotel La Perl

 

Afterwards we were pared with local college students to go sample local wine and beer while "pintxo hopping". Our two students were from Costa Rica. They had a great sense of humor and offered a very honest personal appraisal of thier time living and studying in Spain. They were adorable.

Pintxo Hopping with Local College Students

Pamplona Nightlife Was Relaxed and Fun

 

Assembling for the Rioja Vineyards Ride

 

Day three was an exceptional ride. A sunny, cloudless day, calm winds and a 30+ mile mostly downhill ride through the exquisite Temperanillo Vineyards of Rioja. Along the was proud growers encouraged us to stop and sample grapes fresh from harvest. We happily obliged.

 

Rioja's Tempranillo Harvest was in Full Swing

Perfection

Spain's Scenic Rioja, Navarre Wine Producing Area

The Temperanillo

My ride was made even better when we encountered the Ysios Bodega designed by Spain's master architect (and a very personal hero) Santiago Calatrava.

 

Calatrava's Ysios Bodega (Winery)

 

Ysios

We also encountered a number of Dolman sites along our route. We stopped at the most distinctive one known as the "Witches Hut". These are neolithic burial sites date back 3300 and 5000 years. This dolman was discovered in 1935 and houses human remains of 39 along with beads, pendants and arrowheads.

The Witches Hut Dolman (Burial Site)

Our ride ended at the walled hilltop town of Laguardia. Here we had lunch and visited the Bodegas Carlos San Pedro Pérez de Viñaspre (wine cave). This family has been producing exceptional Rioja wines for 300 years.

Lunch and WIne in Laguardia

Wine tasting at Bodegas Carlos San Pedro Pérez de Viñaspre (Wine Cave)

From Laguardia we shuttled to the village of Ezcaray to enjoy a stay at the exquisite Echuarren Gastronomic Hotel.

Roadboy's Travels © 2021 

 

San Sebastián - Food, Surfing and Inhaling the Breath of Life

 “You could make the argument that there is no better place to eat in Europe than the city of San Sebastián. There are more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita here than anywhere on Earth, but even the everyday joints are superb. The love of food, the insistence on the very best ingredients, is fundamental to the culture and to life here.”

Anthony Bourdain

San Sebastián's Santa Clara Island and La Concha Bay

I've been dreaming of vacationing in this Basque coastal city in Northern Spain for a decade. But when I finally made plans to visit in 2020 covid changed everything.

So this year, as soon as it was possible to return to Spain, my cycling buddy Ms. W and I made the trip.

My desire to visit here puts me in good company. Celebrities and Spanish royalty have always made San Sebastián a holiday destination. Isabella II and later Queen Regent Maria Cristina returned for 9 summers living in the Miramar Palace she built for this purpose.

So let me begin with a spoiler alert, after a lifetime of travel, San Sebastián is hands down one of the most beautiful cities I've visited on our planet. It has everything all packaged in a stunning setting. It's architecture is a cool mash-up between the glamorous belle epoque architecture of French Rivera and regal Spain. It's Basque cuisine is worth the trip alone. Crystal clear water fills the bay and is served by a lovely beach that is free of litter. In fact, the whole city is immaculate and mostly graffiti free. 

Oh, and the people are wonderful. 

So, with only two days to visit San Sebastián, we wasted no time. Our visit to San Sebastián bookended a vacation cycling through Rioja Vineyards during harvest, dinner in Excaray's El Portal (Michelin® 2-star) restaurant, a stay in Hemingway's favorite hotel in Pamplona and a visit to Frank Gehry's tour-de-force Gugenheim Museum in Bilbao. 

So good.

We stayed in a lovely beachfront AirBNB and booked a foodie experience to get fully immersed in Basque cooking. We'd learn about eating Pintxo's (vs. Tapas) and visit one of the City's renowned private Gastronomincal Societies.  

What my plans hadn't anticipated was becoming so engaged by the resiliency and incredibly rich history of the Basque people as they continue to emerge from the deep emotional scars inflicted during Franco's nightmarish 39 year "Make Spain Great Again!" dictatorship. 

But that is a much bigger subject than I can cover in this post.

Terminal 4 Madrid's Adolfo Suárez-Barajas International Airport

Our visit, began with an arrival into Madrid's wonderful airport. For those that travel to Europe a lot, Madrid's International Airport is a treasure. Even when my plans do not call for travel in Spain I frequently begin my European vacations here. I take a day or two to kill jetlag, eat well, enjoy art at the Prado and then fly off to wherever I need to be. It all works because fares from Madrid to (almost?) anywhere in Europe are frequently less than a hundred dollars on Air Europa, Iberia or Vueling.

The Beautiful 1905 Maria Christina Bridge Connects the Rail Station to The City

Arrival into San Sebastián (or "Donastia" in Basque) provided immediate clues to the soul of the city. Spacious Boulevards are filled with well tended flowers. There are monuments and tributes to its history and seaside heritage everywhere.

Major Boulevards Separate Pedestrian and Bike Lanes

San Sebastián's regal personna is punctuated by occasional surfers...on bikes. Similar to the Netherlands and Denmark, the proliferation of bicycles (and separate bike lanes) reassured me I was in a good place.

Off to the Surfer's Paradise of Zurriola Beach

After a good nights sleep in a lovely AirBNB Day One was spent strolling La Concha Beach from end to end. 

The View From our AirBNB

Along the lovely promenade locals and tourists enjoy cycling, sunbathing and swimming in the clear waters of La Concha Bay. Walking here is a joy. 

But, also along the way are plaques and memorials commemorating the history of the City good and bad. I was stunned that the infamous Ondarreta Prison had once occupied a beachfront site just below Monte Igueldo within view of Miramar Palace until its demolition in 1948.  

Upon arriving at the base of Monte Igueldo we caught the 1912 era funicular to the top of the mountain.  

The Monte Igueldo Funicular

The top of Monte Igueldo delivers breathaking views in all directions set amidst a 109 year old mountaintop amusement park complete with a lighthouse that looks like a castle tower.

After 13,000 official I-watch steps evening came and we continued on to Old Town to peruse its specialty shops and famous fish markets. 

Evening dinner was Pintxo's and beer. Pintxo's are Basque tapas. Here the "little bites" are bigger and elevated to high art. 

Even in the era of covid, you cannot be lonely when you hop from one bar to another enjoying beer and pintxos!   

Old Town is Home to San Sebastián's Colorful Fresh Fish Markets

Along the way we also found Constitution Plaza with its oddly numbered balconies. The story of the numbers was kind of amazing. The plaza was designed as the location for City Hall and its square was a place for staging special events (like bull fights). And whenever events took place those numbered balconies were sold as boxed seats to spectators. And ticket holders had the right to walk right through your apartment to gain access those balconies!

Constitution Plaza

Incidentally when gambling was made illegal in the 1920's the City purchased and relocated City Hall into the 1887 Belle Epoque grand casino where it remains today. 

Day Two was highlighted by a Basque wine tasting and pintxo AirBNB "Experience" hosted by Luis. 

This was a highlight of our time in San Sebastián. Our experience included a lovely couple from Ireland and newlyweds honeymooning from California. 

Together Luis introduced us to local Rioja wines, hard cider, an amazing 2" thick, melt-in-your-mouth, T-bone steak and a variety of pintxo's beginning with the ubiquitous "gilda". Our time with Luis confirmed once again that the true way to learn about a place is through interaction with locals.

Getting Ready to Enjoy an Amazing Steak

The Steak Came Sizzling to the Table to be Shared

We learned the hallmark of Basque cooking is a reliance on the freshest of seasonal ingrediants, the use of every part of the animal, all cooked precisely with minimal spices. 

Nothing is fussy.

A Delicious Oxtail Pintxo

At the end of our tour Luis escorted us into the private Gastronomical Society he has belonged for most of his adult life. There he proceeded to cook for us. His choice was a thick tuna steak with sauted peppers. All washed down with local cider. 

As these clubs are restricted to invited members and their guests, this special opportunity was not lost on me.

A Local Gastronimical Society in the Era of Covid

After Luis' tour I went back to watch Anthony Bourdain's original episode from San Sebastián. And only then did I realize Bourdain had visited, and cooked in, a club almost exactly like Luis' club. That episode may be found Here. 

 

When I awoke the next morning I realized I had gained a couple of pounds and grown as a human.

 

Now it was time to repack. In the morning meet the fellow cycle tourists from all over the US who would join us for an even deeper dive into this amazing part of the world.

 

Stay tuned postings of the rest of the trip to follow.

 

Roadboy's Travels © 2021