Our final day on the Mediterranean started with plans to tackle the giant blue-and-white inflatable water park we’d spotted from the jet skis. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas. A yellow flag was flying over the beach, warning of rough surf, and while adults were technically allowed on the inflatable, children were not.

Watching the entire structure heave up and down with the waves from the safety of the shoreline was enough to make my stomach turn. We decided we’d save that adventure for another trip.

Instead, we embraced a slower beach day. Thankfully we’d packed our buckets and shovels, so the kids happily settled into the sand. #1BigSister was transformed into a mermaid, #1BigBrother and Lidia spent their time jumping waves together, and Amir began what appeared to be a determined excavation to the center of the Earth.

As you’ve probably gathered by now, lunch is the main event in Spain. Today Amir took over the kitchen, making a wonderful chicken piccata. It was comfortingly familiar for us but a new experience for most of the Spaniards, and it was a big hit.

After our customary siesta, we made good on our promise to the kids and headed out for gelato to soften the disappointment of missing the inflatable park. Along the way, we stumbled upon something completely unexpected—a pizza vending machine. For €10, you choose your toppings, pay at the kiosk, and a few minutes later a piping-hot, freshly baked 10-inch pizza emerges, all without a single human involved. Amir, naturally, couldn’t resist giving it a try. I was too full to sample it myself, but the reviews—and his verdict—were surprisingly positive.

Later, #1BigSister and I wandered through town in search of souvenirs for friends back home. We also found someone to braid her hair after passing one stand with a very long wait. She chose light purple extensions inspired by Rumi from K-Pop Demon Hunters, decorated with colorful rubber bands. I told her she looked like an Egyptian version of Rumi, and she couldn’t have been happier.

When we returned to the house, everyone else had ordered Chinese takeout for dinner. Between the generous lunch and our afternoon gelato, I managed only a vegetable egg roll before beginning the less glamorous task of packing for tomorrow’s journey.

In the morning we’ll leave Peñíscola, drive back to Barcelona, fly to Geneva, Switzerland, and then make the two-hour drive into the mountains to our chalet. It will be a completely different chapter of this adventure.

The hardest part of today, though, was saying goodbye to Raquel and Jesús. They welcomed us into their home and family with such extraordinary warmth and generosity. This goodbye was especially emotional because they won’t see Lidia again until February, when she returns to Spain after completing her year and a half with us as our au pair.

As I zipped my suitcase closed tonight, I found myself reflecting on the past twelve days. The people we met, the meals we shared, the traditions we experienced, and the kindness we were shown have left an impression that will stay with us long after we’ve returned home.

There’s a reason they say, ¡Viva España!

~Steph