This is part 2 of a two-part series about our tour of the Rioja region with Tenedor Tours. Part 1 can be found here.
Lunch where the Locals Eat
For lunch Gabriella took us to a restaurant that specializes in grilled meat, namely lamb ribs!
Just as we arrived, we spotted this man delivering freshly picked tomatoes . . . in a wheelbarrow!
Aren't these just gorgeous?
Lamb ribs are grilled over a wood-fired grill. The wood is actually old grape vines!
Old grape vines.
Of course we enjoyed the meal with a lovely bottle of rioja.
The heirloom tomatoes were outstanding, especially simply paired with some local tuna, onions, and olive oil. When the ingredients are inherently good, not much else is needed.
We enjoyed a whole plate of ribs, and they were excellent.
Here's a video that tells you more about the restaurant!
Scenes of Rioja
We explored a few more scenic spots where we could get some amazing panorama views of the whole region.
We stopped by several small villages and explored them on foot.
Looking at scenes like this is truly good for the soul.
Climbing up to a high view point!
Frank Gehry - HOTEL MARQUES DE RISCAL
Our final stop was to visit the other Frank Gehry designed building in the region: Hotel Marques de Riscal. This unique looking hotel is fun to visit. We ended up sitting at their outdoor courtyard area enjoying a few glasses of wine and the beautiful scenery.
It was amazing just to sit at their outdoor dining area, stare at the ridiculously stunning scenery all around us, and (of course), sip on some wine.
The views are almost unreal in how beautiful they are.
And that was it! We enjoyed an immensely full day getting our first "taste" of the rioja region. There's still so much to explore. One day is certainly not enough. As the sun started to set, Gabriella drove us to our very special dinner at Azurmendi. What a day!
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