Northern Spain for food and wine lovers 8 days / 7 nights
Spain is one of the most diverse and visually spectacular countries in Europe - overwhelming it s visitors with fascinating sights, charming towns and incredible landscapes. Although it is a small country, it is rich in contrasts and widely known for its several customs including flamenco, bullfights, festivals, crowded beaches and emerald green mountains. With an innate flair for style and design, Spain s architecture shapes the country with a unique mixture of historical and modern buildings. Whether discovering beautiful avantgarde designs from architects such as Gaudí, Rafael Moneo and Santiago Calatrava or traveling back in time with Velazquez, Goya and Picasso in one of the marvelous museums there is something for everyone in the form of Spanish art.
Day one: Arrival into Madrid Tapas hopping through the historical quarter of San Sebastian will be the best introduction to the local gastronomy and wines of Spain Day two: Guided tasting with wines The best of the Spanish pantry: A Guided Tasting with Wines in the morning (this will be lunch for you today!). You will get an expert s take on the products as well as an insider s view of their role in the culture. In Spain, food and culture are so closely linked that to talk about one is to talk about the other.
Day three: Enjoy a cooking lesson in a private home with a Spanish chef. Chef Natalia Arizmendi, a Cordon Bleu "Grand Diplome", has taught both cooking and pastry for more than 10 years. A gifted and humorous teacher, she shares the refinements of her skills in English, French and Spanish. Natalia was honored with the Grand Diplome at Cordon Bleu where she graduated as the top student in her class. You will learn about Basque gastronomy and enjoy a cooking lesson at Natalia s beautiful, private home located just outside of San Sebastian. Lunch will follow.
Day four: La Rioja Guided tour to La Rioja with an art historian. This area is famous for being a land of exceptional wine. Its towns and villages, set amid vineyards and wineries, are all almost exclusively involved in wine production. It is also a region with a long history, and home to a stretch of the Way of Saint James, the ancient pilgrims route through Europe. Various castles still standing are proof of its heroic past, marked by various battles and wars between nobles. Day five: Gastronomical experience with the Echapresto brothers Enjoy a gastronomical experience with the Echapresto brothers at the Michelin starred restaurant La Venta de Moncalvilo. The locals of La Rioja have always known how to make the most of the produce that nature has given them. They are experts in giving it that "special touch" which makes their dishes that little bit different: trout, crab, snails and wild mushrooms are carefully combined with other ingredients resulting in many dishes which have come to be considered delicacies. You will enjoy a cooking demonstration followed by dinner in this restaurant considered by many the best in the region.
Day six: Wine tasting and lunch at the palace of a Spanish aristocrat Wine tasting and lunch at the palace of a Spanish aristocrat and deputy manager of his family winery... this is a truly unique experience as you will be a welcomed guest at a private historical palace of Rioja while the owner will be your host in his winery. Day seven: Enjoy visiting the Guggenheim museum Enjoy the day visiting the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao en enjoying its outstanding gastronomy. Since its opening the museum receives an average one million visitors annually and has had an extraordinary impact in economy and in the Basque society, boosting tourism in the region and promoting the revitalization of many public and private spaces in Bilbao.
Day eight: Departure End of services