Route: Laguardia, Elvillar, Trespuentes, Vitoria-Gasteiz.
The peaks of the Cantabrian Range never fail to arouse the curiosity of passers-by who wonder what life is like on the other side of the mountains.
The clouds are the first to make their way over - not an easy task. But when they do, they discover gentle rolling countryside flanked by the River Ebro, a river that has marked the lives of the inhabitants from pre-history to our days.
The first sight of the Rioja Alavesa is as hard as the stones used in the dolmens and bridges and in the robust high walls found in the architecture of the historical town centres.
The arched gateways invite visitors to enter without knocking, and to enjoy the most exquisite of artistic expressions: the painted facade of Santa María de los Reyes.
But the Rioja area also has its soft side, inviting us to touch, taste and smell. It comes in the way of delightful wines known the world over.
The scarce rainfall and ideal temperatures make this the perfect place for Tempranillo grapes to grow and ripen, reaching maturity in the silent autumn landscape. This is the time for harvesting the vines, a time to celebrate and to take part in traditional festivities, a time for the senses to heighten to the fullest.
Leaving the Sierra behind, the westerly winds take us to Vitoria, once a medieval village and now the capital of the Basque Autonomous Community.
Although the layout of Vitoria is that of a modern city, there is a clear division between the medieval historical quarter, which recalls the intense activity of guilds and merchants, and the more modern buildings designed by accomplished architects from the eighteenth century to the present.
