The old olive groves of the Somontano are the quiet backdrop to the shelter called Gallinero III B, which lies five kilometres from Alquézar among the terraces and scrub on the margin of the Sierra de Guara. The B in its name suggests a neighbour, A, which turns up in another list, and these letters and numbers are the archaeologist's way of dividing a large area of broken rock into manageable pieces. The paintings in this area belong to the Levantine tradition recognised by UNESCO in 1998 and are small, red and often faded.
Olive oil is the better story at ground level. Aragon produces oil in its dry foothills, and in the Somontano the old mills still press the fruit between November and January. Some of the trees you pass are many centuries old, with trunks twisted into shapes that look like rope, and the local variety, the empeltre, gives a mild, fruity oil. Stop at any cooperative shop in the villages around Barbastro and you can buy a bottle straight from the press, a better souvenir than most.
Riding in this area has a gentle, undulating character. After Barbastro the road threads through low hills lined with almond trees, which flower pale pink in February, then climbs gradually toward the Vero. There is little traffic on weekdays, though tractors sometimes appear, and the road surface varies from fresh asphalt to rough patches where the frost has lifted it. The safest speed is the one that lets you stop within your own sight line, because blind corners are common and gravel collects on the inside.
Barbastro, twenty-two kilometres away, is the place for petrol and supplies. It has a covered market, a cathedral and a long main street that fills with locals every evening for the paseo. In Alquézar you can eat well, though prices climb in July and August. Take a bottle of water for the shelter walk and, in autumn, a layer for the evening, because the temperature drops quickly after sunset.