Today, we embarked on the the most exciting phase of our trip. Our road trip begins ! We started off in Barcelona and were La Rioja bound. Enroute we took an overnighter in Zargosa – the city of the Pilar Basilica. The old town here which sits across the Erbo river is very impressive with a high spirituality, history and cultural quotient.

After a visit to the Cathedral, we were enroute to La Rijoa. The wind farms, tarmac and concrete gave way to valleys, farms and endless rolling hills as we approached the wine region. We passed by beautiful medieval towns set amidst a carpet of green; spectacular.

As we took a narrow winding road off the main road towards the city of Elciego, we were greeted by the arches of Marques De Riscal. Designed by Frank Gehry, the Marques De Riscal is a masterpiece of a hotel. An avant garde designed hotel that perfectly complements and is true to the legendary standards of the year 1858 winery that sits next to it named Marques Di Riscal.

The hotel is magnificent in all aspects – the rooms, the views of magical city of Elciego, the wine, the culinary offerings. Absolutely the best the region has to offer; all in a supremely enchanting setting. This place was out of a fairy tale.

The in house winery dating to 1858 sits next to the hotel. The stone facade of the main distillery and the adjacent warehouse have red coloured doors that look absolutely stunning. Went on a tour of the distillery and visited the wine storing basements. Some wines dating back to the turn of the century. Fascinating 

The descending sun over the vineyards reeled in the extra ordinary; the mountains were getting ready for the night by draping themselves in heavenly cloud clad layer; the heavens had descended – it was a quilt woven by the Gods themselves; as this magic unravelled and the cool misty breeze settled in, it just felt unreal.

We visited the nearby town of Haro and Logrono the following day. Apart from the wine, the town of Haro hosts the annual Haro Wine Festival. In the main square here wine battles are hosted and wine is splattered all over the city. Children are handed bottles of red liquid to wage their own wine battles.

Next on our list was the town of Lorogno. It is a beautiful town with baroque structures. The arched stone bridge that connects to the old city is magnificent. The tapas here was outstanding.

We then drove down to the city of Laguardia. Perched atop a hill, this walled city had jaw dropping views of the region. You enter the town through a gate where a gothic tower looms; the little town itself is a delight to visit, beautiful architecture all around. The town was being fortified with wooden barricades for a soon to be held festival of the running of the bulls here. 

As the evening drew in and the air started getting colder. A stroll through the flood lit streets with live music playing from a distant restaurant as a background score would surely cast a spell on all of its visitors. The live music, the due in the air, the shimmering streets, the aroma of the freshly cooked tapas. Surreal !

During the winter months, with the snow snow around the town’s magic accentuates. In one of the restaurants there was picture of La Guardia during the winters. Unfathomable !

After a remarkable evening in the town of La Guardia, we made our way to the exit. The vast region of Rioja below was engulfed in total darkness. The distilleries were glowing like fireflies in an abyss of darkness. Stunning !

Next stop – Bilbao