Rioja in August
 

In early stages on planing itinerary for 10/11 nights , family of 4 ( 2 teenage sons 16,19). Fly madrid( pick up car at airport and go) rioja,san sebastian, pamplona barcelona-fly home from barcleona.
Read Maribel's Guide to Rioja but before I get too far along- is there a way to find out which if any vinyards stay open in August?
This is when i can get my whole family together , sample a taste of Spain and stay out of the heat!- I have been to Madrid before and willing to pass it by this trip.

There's no easy way other than to email each bodega directly to request a visit, which one should do anyway. I've included contact numbers and/or emails in my guide.

Or...
have your hotel handle the setting up of winery visits for you.

Between the Rioja Alta (*Haro, Abalos, Logroño, Briones, Briñas, Fuenmayor, Cenicero) and the Rioja Alavesa (*Laguardia, Labastida, Samaniego, Páganos, Elciego, Villabuena) you should find some that remain open in Aug.

thanks-- thinkning I will follow your suggestion for Lerma .
so thinkning 1 night Lerma
2 somewhere in Rioja
3 San Sebastian
1 pamplona
3-4 Barcelona
At least I now know I will find enough to fill 2 days.
Was the retaurant you metioned, Casa Avelillino in Lerma

No, Casa Avellino is in Burgos. We love Casa Brigante in Lerma.

typo alert! Casa Avelino on Calle Emperador 58 in Burgos

I may have to reverse order since it seems the airfare will be substantially cheaper the other way around- not sure why.
suggestions for food and lodging in Pamplona?- know you know it well-
Using Starwoods points in Barcelona and in San Sebastian.
initially had wanted to put Pyrennes/Parador in the mix but think that will make it too hectic with just 11 nights- thanks in advance
E.

Yes, I do know Pamplona well! We just returned from there, had a previous trip in Nov. and are in residence there every year from July 4-15.

For lodging for just one night, if you want to be in the Old Quarter with everything easily walkable, I'd suggest the Maisonnave (but not during the San Fermín festival the 24/7 noise doesn't allow you to sleep!), but it certainly can't measure up to a Starwood.

The 5 star Gran Hotel La Perla, directly on the Plaza del Castillo is just way over-priced (I've stayed there) unless you could snag a really great internet rate.

If you don't mind a bus ride (1 euro) to reach the Old Quarter, Pamplona's best for the money (as in well-run, stylish, comfortable), by far, is the AC Ciudad de Pamplona, which is our headquarters.
It has great a/c for the hot month of August, a brand new, stylish lobby-lounge with free Wi-Fi, a really dependable/helpful front desk staff, compact but nice, immaculate rooms with modern baths, extremely comfortable beds, free mini bar (juices, sodas, water, San Miguel beer), flat screen TVs with multiple English-language channels. And the general manager is the nephew of the creator of the AC chain, Antonio Catalán, so this hotel really has to measure up to his exacting standards.

And across the street you have a terrific pintxos (tapas) bar, "Chelsy", which wins awards in the annual pintxos competitions, a great bakery/cafe/ice cream shop, "El Obrador" with free Wi-Fi, and another down the street from the hotel, La Tahona.
Bus 12 bus stops in front of the hotel and will drop you off near the Plaza del Castillo if you don't want to walk.

In the Old Quarter our favorite spots for a pintxos (tapas) crawl are the "Bar Gaucho" (unbeatable!!!) right off the Plaza del Castillo and these, all on the Calle San Nicolás:

"Baserri"
"La Mandarra"
"San Nicolás"
"Iru" (for great foie a la plancha and cheap wines)

for a more typical Spanish tavern atmosphere of hanging hams and bare wood tables, on Calle Estafeta there's "Bodegas Sarría".

For gourmet dining, Pamplona boasts some of Northern Spain's best, such as
Rodero, Alhambra, Europa, Enekorri, Josetxo.
(We're not big fans of Don Pablo)

For mid-range, there's the really terrific "Asador Anttonnenea" on Calle San Antón 48, but reservations are just as essential here as they are for the all of the above. Their open grill produces some great fish and chuletón (big steak).

For an upscale environment and *fantastic value*, menú del día (20 euros with Príncipe de Viana wine, basically choose most anything on the menu), we never miss a weekday lunch at Casa Amparo on Calle Esquiroz 22, just around the corner from the AC Ciudad de Pamplona. Just the best price to quality ratio in town.

Hope this helps.

Thansk very much ...So as with all travel planing things have changed a bit. Had to move up the dates Husband needs to be back in NY for conference. So starting July 22
3 nights BCN
1 night Pamplona
5 nights San Sebastian( arrive late/ leave early)
2 nights somewhere in Rioja
1 night Segovia
2pm retun flight from Madrid
We will rent a car that we will pick up when we leave Barcelona . One long travel day and think we will take the longer route to Pamplona and lunch at La cocina Aragonesa and in Pamplona stay at Maisonnave since we just have the one night. Think my sons(who love a good hotel)will appreciate being in the old city . I was worrying that 5 nights in San Sebastian seemed long but seems an easy base to visit some fishing villages or even spend a day and go back to Bilbao. Starwoods gets me the 5th night free. Also after reading pros and cons it seemed ok to me to head back to Madrid airport the day of our flight since we depart around 2pm flight and stay in Segovia our last night and not at an airport Hotel.

I was wondering about Vitoria?? My husband is hugh fan of the Ken Follet books, World without End and Pillars of the Earth and I know the cathedral in Vitoria was the inspriation for the church in the second book-- do you know if it is worth a side trip?
thanks

the only part of this itinerary I still have unresolved (other than dinner reservations and side trip to Vitoria) is where to stay for 2 nights in the Rioja region. We will have roughly 2 1/2 days and a car. Probably as, if not more, intersted in the archictecture as the wine. Any suggestions .

Vitoria is a worthwhile side trip but would require a drive northwest from your Rioja base, since it doesn't lie on the San Sebastián to the Rioja route. If you do decide to squeez it in, make sure to buy tickets for the fascinating guide tour of the restoration of the cathedral.

I think you'll find enough interesting architecture, as in amazing wineries built by "starchitects" (Ysios, Baigorri, Viña Real, Riscal's City of Wine, Darién, to name a few), in the Rioja to keep you busy for 2 1/2 days.

A perfect, central base for your Rioja excursions would be the charming, medieval walled bastide town of Laguardia.

Laguardia offers several nice wineries both under the walled town and outside of it, good dining (especially Amelibia, outside the walls and Héctor Oribe in tiny Páganos) and accommodations in all price ranges, including a 4 star hotel with new Wine & Oil spa.

so final itinerary less Rioja than intitally thought. All comments welcome and apprecaited
3 nights Barcelona- torturing myself about where to eat and whether to see Flamenco ( know its not from there but looked like a couple of not too touristy options)
drive to pamplona w lunch stop at La Cocina Aragonesa
1 night Pamplona at La Maisonnave
5 nights San Sebastian- side trips to Hondaririba, Geiteria for lunch at Kaia, and Bilbao- have reservation at Arzak. toying with loidi, zuberoa,mugartz, or Akelarre for another big deal meal if can get reservation.
Also one of my favorite Summer wines is Txakoli which I discovered by happenstance about 10 years ago and would love to tour but how to pick which one?
2 nights Lagaurdia at Castillo el Collado- can they help with my wine itinerary? is lunch at the wine museum worthwhile ?
2 nights Segovia but will arrive late night one as we will go to see the restoration at the catherdral in Vitoria though I am having a hard time making a reservation on their web site
dinner reservation in Segovia at Meson de Candido
1 full day to tour Segovia
leave for airport from Segovia as 3:40 deprature- we will have a car and GPS that we will pick up when we depart Barcelona.

The very best spot for flamenco in Barcelona-the Tablao de Carmen (named after Carmen Amaya).

www.tablaodecarmen.com

I see you're going to take the "high road" from Barcelona to Pamplona through Jaca-lovely scenery!

When in Pamplona at the Maisonnave, make sure to have pintxos at Bar Gaucho-just amazing little haute cuisine creations.

For another big meal, of all your toying choices, I'd choose Mugaritz hands down-will be a sharp contrast from Arzak. The lovely farmhouse setting up in the hills will be as memorable as the cuisine. But DO download the driving instructions (pdf) since finding the place, day or night, constitutes a major challenge!

http://www.mugaritz.com/images/secci...o_mugaritz.pdf

If you love txakolí, visit a bodega in Getaria before your lunch at Kaia-Kalpe. And make it this one-
www.txominetxaniz.com/en/

Yes, Javier Acillona, the owner/manager of the charming Castillo del Collado can help you with your wine itinerary. Just give him some advance notice.
Lunch at the Dinastía Vivanco I do consider worthwile. In fact, I just made a reservation for some folks there yesterday. But....I would either order a la carte or chose set menu 3 (40 euros, including wine, mineral water, coffee).

And remember to allot plenty of time (2 1/2 hrs. is a bare minimum) to this fabulous museum. Rent the audio guide.

thanks so much-- any favorite restaurants in barcelona?
was there so many years ago in college and remember having wonderful paella near the water and teching my friends to eat oysters. trying to mix big meals, tapas ,and some not break the bank since have my 2 teenage boys in tow. they are fine diners but 4 can get pretty pricy pretty quickly.really appreciate all your help

For tapas,

Cerveseria Catalana
Ciutat Comtal (sisters)

Tapac24


For a superb "small plates" (raciones) meal that won't break the bank,

Alta Taberna Paco Meralgo


For snacking inside the Boquería market

Kiosko Pinotxo
Bar Quim

rice dishes on the waterfront

Suquet de l'Almirall

By the way, my friend who owns a Rioja wine tourism company tells me that Bodegas Ysios in Laguardia, Marqués de Riscal in Elciego and Bodegas Lan in Fuenmayor will be open in Aug. (probably Darién in Logroño as well).

thanks-- final flourishes- do you happen to have a contact or know how to make arrangemnts to see the old wine cellars under logrono? really appreciate all your insights