VITORIA! A Warm Welcome to the Middle Ages

A Warm Welcome to the Middle Ages

Day 26: Balmaseda to Vitoria-Gasteiz (55 miles / 4300 ft.)

We enjoyed a quiet morning in our hotel, a former convent that had been converted into a beautiful place to stay. We were on the road before 9:00, which felt pretty early by Spanish standards.

The route began along the Cadagua River before turning through the green, wooded hills of the Basque Country. We crossed back and forth between Bizkaia and Álava, eventually climbing through the foothills near Gorbeia Natural Park before reaching the broad plain surrounding Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Numerous cycling groups were out enjoying their Saturday morning rides. It was a delight seeing so many cyclists, and it helped us make good time toward Vitoria, where our first true rest day and a medieval festival were waiting.

Along the way, we stumbled into the San Miguel festivities in Murgia. The plaza was filled with music and groups of friends cooking for a potato competition. It was another one of those unexpected experiences we never could have planned.

Because of a little confusion, our Warmshowers hosts, Koldo and Ainhoa, were near San Sebastián when we arrived. They arranged for their friend Raúl to meet us in a plaza. He greeted us warmly and carefully guided us through the city to their flat. We were incredibly touched that Koldo and Ainhoa trusted us with their keys and entire home even though they were not there.

“Make yourselves at home and enjoy the city. Feel free to help yourselves to anything in the fridge or use anything in the house—no problem at all.
See you on Sunday—have a great trip!”

After settling in, cleaning up, and resting briefly, we walked into Vitoria-Gasteiz’s medieval quarter. The old center is known as the Medieval Almond because of its shape, and for the weekend its narrow streets were filled with more than 200 food and craft stalls representing the Christian, Jewish, and Arab cultures that once shared the city.

We watched acrobats and a giant work their way through the packed streets, browsed the artisan food, jewelry, and craft stalls, and ordered some roasted pig that turned out to be pork served in a kebab box. It wasn’t quite the medieval feast we imagined, but it still tasted good!

We had dreams of staying awake until 10:00 for the fire show, but after riding, eating, and fighting our way through the crowds, our first true rest day sounded even better. We returned to the flat feeling incredibly grateful for Raúl’s kindness and for two Warmshowers hosts who trusted us enough to say, “Make yourselves at home,” even when they weren’t home themselves.Read more