The Basque country runs from the mountains down to the Bay of Biscay, and the two cities that anchor it sit an hour apart. Bilbao was an industrial port in decline until a museum turned it around; San Sebastián has been a seaside resort since the Spanish royal family started summering there.
An hour inland the land opens into the Rioja, where vineyards run to the foot of the Sierra de Cantabria. The Basques have their own food, sport and festivals, and food comes first. Cooks come here from everywhere to learn.
