The Route and the Paradores

We started the driving portion of the trip in Logrono on the right-hand side of the map below.  Arriving by train from Barcelona in the early evening.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1znHUI7zjuY.kOdlBUcMmCgQ

After picking up the rental car and exploring the tapas scene in Logrono, the heart of La Rioja, we drove to our first Parador in Santa Domingo de la Calzada (two nights).

http://www.parador.es/en/paradores/parador-de-santo-domingo-de-la-calzada

Next day we explored La Rioja, visiting Haro, Briones, and La Guardia.

Next day we chose to take a scenic route with many twists and turns and arrived in Santa Domingo de Silos in time to hear the pre-lunch chant.  Then on to Lerma to the Parador for two nights.

http://www.parador.es/en/paradores/parador-de-lerma

The following day was spent in Burgos visiting the Cathedral, enjoying a long Sunday lunch and a visit to the monastery nearby in Miraflores.

Next day was our spectacular drive through the Cantabrian mountains to the Altantic coast where we stopped for lunch before arriving to our third Parador in Cangis de Onis at the fringe of the Picos de Europa (three nights).

http://www.parador.es/en/paradores/parador-de-cangas-de-onis

Cangas de Onis was our base to visit Oviedo and the Picos and enjoy the comfortable Parador.  After three nights we drove to Leon for the final Parador, one of the jewels of the Paradores system dating from the 16th century.

http://www.parador.es/en/paradores/parador-de-leon

After two nights our Parador Fiesta came to an end and we took the train to Madrid.