In Pictures: Potes and Monastery of Saint Toribio in Cantabria (Day 6)

Onwards through the north of Spain we go, from a low-impact trekking at Los Picos de Europa (the Peaks of Europe) to swimming in the coast of Cantabria, on our second summer camping road trip to Poland and back (this was before the coronavirus/covid-19 pandemic of course). But first, an unplanned stop at a historic mountain monastery and pilgrimage site that holds a piece of the cross of Christ (Monasterio de Santo Toribio de Liebana) and a strategic ancient Roman town (Potes) where two rivers and four valleys meet that is also known for its deliciously potent grape brandy, Orujo. Here it is, in pictures.

*First half of the onward trip to Poland of our second family camping road trip. . . from* home and the mand of sherry wine, flamenco and dancing horses through Extremadura, Leon, Los Picos de Europa, Cantabria, Bilbao, Dune of Pilat, Bordeaux and Camping Future.

About Our Family camping road trip 2 . . . from Spain to Poland and Back

Last year, we came up with this crazy idea to take our then two-year-old and six-year-old kids for a 7000-kilometer road trip from southern Spain to Poland, and back, staying mostly in tents or cheaper places that we could find on the road, covering 11 countries and 26 cities! None of us really knew then how to pitch a tent or what equipment to bring!

Yes, I will never forget how I tried obsessively to plug in the cable of our laptop directly to the outlet at our pitch spot in France! Hmm… Only then did my husband and I learn that you DO NEED a special adapter to be able to do that (big DUH!?!). At least I made our pitch neighbors laugh! Nice to make people happy, isn’t it?

But hey, it’s all good. After many, many… yes, many similar awkward situations, now we are indeed much better prepared to do this again. This time it is going to be even more fun!

This time, our little gypsy caravan has been on the road for a week on our second family camping road trip from Spain to Poland and back headed north of Spain in Cantabria and aiming to sandsurf the highest sand dunes of Europe before hitting Paris (as requested by our older son).

39 days of family fun camping. 39 days on the road. 3 weeks up to Poland from Spain and almost 3 weeks down with a break in Poland in between.