Pleasure Team, Pleasure Time

During the middle of August the Pleasure Team were given a bit of a reprieve, when the Master and Co took themselves of on holiday for what could only be described as a Pleasure Time. Their destination was the heart of the Basque country – Bilbao, Laguardia and Victoria-Gateiz. If you enjoy good food, superb wine and a little cycling, then this is as close to paradise as you can get.

Whether in the cities or countryside you will find that cycling is not considered the sole preserve of the lycra clad fitness freak, nor the slightly eccentric; but is in fact seen as a perfectly natural everyday mode of transport. Whether you are the businessman in a suit; a mother and baby out shopping or an old man coming from his vegetable plot, all look and are treated as perfectly sane and sensible on bicycles. In Victoria-Gateiz cycling is taken to a new level with superbly laid out cycling paths well removed from traffic, and to top it off, anyone can borrow a city – owned bicycle for up to 4 hours for FREE. Okay, these are not 20 speed lightweight racing bikes; but for getting around the city and seeing the sights they are ideal.

Enough about the cycling: the real gems of the Basque country are the food and wine. This country is undoubtedly the Food and Rioja capital of the world. Their food specialities are called ‘Pintxos’ (pronounced ‘pin-chose’). Pintxos really have to be experienced to be understood; suffice to say that these are small portions of food which blend flavours and colours in what can only be described as works of art; and they are dead cheap. You enter a Pintxos bar/cafe and the counter is covered in trays of various Pintxos: you select a variety of these, giving you the opportunity to experience a range of food types which you then wash down with a copa ( small glass) or two of Rioja wine. After that you then move on to another Pintxos bar, and do it all over again.

The Rioja region where Rioja wine is produced is in the heart of Basque country, and Laguardia is in the heart of the Rioja region. Hence the area around Laguardia is dotted with bodegas (wineries). There is no more pleasant way to spend the hottest part of the day than in the cool cellars of a bodega sampling the Jovens (new wine), the Crianzas (aged a year in oak casks), the Reservas (aged 2 years) and the Grande Reservas. Then when you re-emerge into the daylight, it is nice to find a Pintxos bar where you can try and use the experience to match different Pintxos with different Riojas.

Alas, even the most hardened of Pleasure Cyclists can only endure so much of the good life. So, the Master and Co have returned to base and are looking forward to the Pleasure Team regrouping and recruiting for the Autumn and Winter. During these months our cycling motto will continue to be “Pleasure Team, Pleasure Time.”