San Sebastian, the pearl of the Cantabrian sea with its shell shaped bay, wide, tree lined boulevards and protected fishing harbour is the ideal spot to begin our Basque adventure.

We meet in the morning at the Historic Maria Cristina Hotel on the banks of the Urumea river to begin a walking tour of the city which takes us through the historic old part and center of town with special attention to the Art Nouveau architecture, a visit to the Naval Museum and the recently restored San Vicente church.

In the afternoon we visit the 13th century fortified village of Hondarribia on the banks of the Bidasoa River, where the Sun King Louis XIV was married to the Spanish Princess Maria Teresa.

Evening gives us the chance to learn the cider-making process and dine as the locals do in an authentic ciderhouse where the traditional menu includes codfish omelette and beefsteak.

• Day Two

We start the morning in the fishing village of Getaria, home of Magellan's navigator Elcano and the designer Balenciaga.

In the surrounding hills we will visit a wine cellar where they produce the sightly tart white wine Txakoli and will prepare a light lunch for us.

Later, the celebrated painter Ignacio Zuloaga's daughter will open his studio/museum to us. Filled with the painter's work as well as remarkable early Goyas and Rodins it is a unique monument to a life devoted to art.

In the evening we will meet in San Sebastian's old part and dine as the locals do on the surprising and delicious miniature cuisine known as pintxos. A dining experience like no other. Some of our favorites include spicy chorizo sausage, grilled wild mushrooms and tuna stuffed peppers.

• Day Three

Frank Gehry's acclaimed Guggenheim Museum is the focus of our morning. The titanium-clad structure remarkable in itself has been the catalyst for Bilbao's economic revival along with Sir Norman Foster's unique metro system.		Afternoon brings the option of exploring Bilbao and it's shops and fascinating architecture or visiting the Basque council house and the legendary Tree of Gernika made famous throughout the world by Picasso's remarkable painting.

• Day Four

The Rioja area, where we visit a 17th century bodega whose chapel is currently being frescoed by a well known local artist who will be happy to guide us through his work in progress.
	A private wine tasting will be conducted before lunch in the wine cellar's stone dining room.
The afternoon is dedicated to the Wine Museum in Haro and the village of Santo Domingo, an important stop on the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago.
The cathedral in Santo Domingo is home to a pair of live chickens in homage to a local legend which suggests that the judge's dinner stood up and crowed to save a pilgrim wrongly accused of theft.

• Day Five

The morning will be spent at the monasteries of Suso and Yuso in San Millan de la Cogolla, the birthplace of the Spanish and Basque languages.

You will have the afternoon to explore the charming walled village of Laguardia or join us on a walking tour to some of the areas prehistoric monuments

Award winning chef, Francis Paniego will prepare dinner for us in his family's restaurant. Specialties this season include marinated anchovies on a bed of root vegetables with a black olive vinegrette and olive oil ice cream.

Francis works side by side with his mother who prepares more traditional dishes such as lamb chops grilled over grape vine coals. The wine list is also superb.

• Day Six

We return to San Sebastian by way of Pamplona, home of the running of the bulls during the Festival of San Fermin and the setting for Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises. A tour of the old city is followed by lunch in one of Papa's favorite haunts.

Late afternoon at your leisure in San Sebastian for last minute shopping or a stroll along the promenade before our celebratory farewell dinner in a private Gastronomic Society only open to members and their guests. The chef will happily welcome those who wish into the kitchen to learn how to prepare some of the regional specialties.

Morning transfers provided to plane or train connections and a wealth of suggestions for those staying on in the area.