Our last stop in France was in the French Pyrenees which was absolutely beautiful and one of my favorite places on this trip. The mountains were not massively majestic, but incredibly lush. We passed signs for downhill and cross country skiing along the way On our way out of a quaint mountain town, we pulled over in a parking lot to check out cheeses being sold out of a camper. The local Frenchman was so pleasant and let us try all the different cheeses and we found 2 favorites. The added bonus were the jams that we made by his sister. We bought a jar of the best raspberry jam I have ever had and just finished it up in Estoril, Portugal…I am already missing the amazing flavors of France.

After going through an endless, 8 kilometer tunnel through the Pyrenees, we arrived back in Spain to very windy and chilly weather. We stopped and had a quick picnic lunch and then made our way to Rioja country. We drove through the plains of Spain where the temperatures got warmer and hills occasionally gave way to a small town on top. We stopped at another town along the Camino, Puente la Reina, which is where the two camino trails from France converge. The town is famous for its namesake, the Bridge of the Queen, built in the 11th century, where pilgrims will often stop.

We then headed into the city of Logronos, the city in the heart of Rioja wine country. Logronos is a typical Spanish city with nice tree-lined streets and Spaniards enjoying their afternoon paseo. We enjoyed a glass of Rioja at a café in a park with a playground; the perfect end to a day of driving, kids playing happily and Nick and I enjoying my favorite wineJ while enjoying pleasant mild temperatures and a quintessential Spanish neighborhood park.