Our first destination on our trip to Spain was Elciego in Basque country in Northern Spain. We visited the Guggenheim in Bilbao and then stayed at a Frank Gehry designed hotel:
We visited a small picturesque town in the area named LaGuardia
Narrow medieval streets
Can you see Barb at the bottom of the photo?
Naturally we had to partake of the local Rioja wine at a pub
and the pinchos
A pincho (Spanish: [ˈpintʃo], literally "thorn" or "spike") or pintxo (Basque: [ˈpintʃo]) is a snack, typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country. They are usually eaten in bars or taverns as a small snack while hanging out with friends or relatives; thus, they have a strong socializing component, and in the Basque country they are usually regarded as a cornerstone of local culture and society. They are related to tapas, the main difference being that pinchos are usually 'spiked' with a skewer or toothpick, often to a piece of bread. They are served in individual portions and always ordered and paid for independently from the drinks.
Lastly we stumbled into a small town, Santo Domingo de la Calzada with a truly magnificent cathedral. Everywhere we went in this town there were chickens displayed in fabric, in chocolate and Ron even got into the "spirit" of Santo Domingo himself.
The story goes that a young male pilgrim was falsely accused of stealing a silver cup and hanged. When his parents inquired of the constable about him, the man replied that the son was as dead as the chicken on his dinner plate before him. Whereupon the chicken jumped up and grew a beak and feathers, and the son was found alive still hanging from the noose. For over 500 years a hen and rooster have been installed in an altar area for 2 week stints, which is why we heard cockadoodles while we toured the magnificent cathedral
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