day 16 :

monday, 26 september

This was another easy-going day. We were fortunate to "discover" a newly-opened restaurant in Laguardia called Amelibia; none of our trusty foodie sources had mentioned this place, and for good reason, since it's only been open for three months. Hands-down, this place served the best food that we were able to find in the area (other restaurants we tried were Marixa, Castillo El Collado, and Posada Mayor de Migueloa). They took classic Basque dishes and updated them, such that the end result wasn't as heavy as the typical meat-and-potatoes or seafood dishes we'd had in the Rioja. For example, we really enjoyed the flan-shaped revuelto (scrambled eggs) dish with mushrooms, a chickpea sauce, and a balsamic reduction; and the pistachio-encrusted merluza (hake) served with a simple sauce.

We took a couple side excursions today. First, we drove up to the Balcon de Rioja, just north of Laguardia, which provided a panoramic view of the area. We also visited the remains of an ancient Roman bridge. Just two formidable arches were left, slowly being overtaken by the scrub brush and moss.

We did some more reading for the rest of the afternoon, this time on a park bench in Laguardia's promenade overlooking the vineyards, and later stopped for a strawberry milk shake at a local café in town. If only every afternoon were like this…

Some things we'd like to do in the Rioja region the next time we're there:

• Stop in for a wine tasting at some of the bodegas. Most of them are open to the public, some requiring a reservation. Valsacro is one of Eric's favorite Rioja wine makers, but we didn't make it there this time.
• Visit the Iglesia de Santa Maria del Naranco, a 9th-century church (and a UNESCO World Heritage site) that's has a barrel-vaulted crypt underneath.