During my most recent visit to Spain, I had the pleasure of driving a very nice car. Thanks to various points and promotions from Hertz, I was able to secure this BMW 3 series:

3 Series BMW rented from Hertz, Barcelona, Spain.
What a pleasure to drive this car. It was equipped with a GPS navigation system that worked very well. It’s diesel engine was quite efficient, especially given it was paired with a six-speed manual transmission. Here’s a photo of the instrument cluster just before I began the drive:

Instrument cluster in 3 Series BMW rented from Hertz, Spain.
Take note of the trip odometer which shows all zeros. Then, at the end of the drive, when I arrived in Madrid, I snapped the next photo:

Instrument cluster at end of driving across northern Spain.
Again, note the trip odometer and see that I drove a total of 2,517.3 kilometers. That’s a fair distance. So many wonderful stops along the way, many of which you’ll find here on The Bent Page. Plus, the scenery was outstanding. And this machine performed like a champ. Thanks, Hertz!
La Rioja, Spain, panorama photos
While visiting the La Rioja region of Spain, I managed to test the panorama function on my little Nikon 1 AW camera. These photos were taken with the 6.7-13mm zoom lens, set on 6.7 side. Everything else, was done automatically by the camera. Here’s one taken from a rural road showing the vineyards:
Panorama of the vineyards in La Rioja, Spain.
Considering the camera did all the exposure work, it came out fairly well. Here’s another taken from a road that skirted the valley below:
Another panorama looking over a valley in La Rioja, Spain.
It seems to be a total of about 180 degrees of view. I like this function and the way the camera performs. You can get a wider view and therefore a different perspective on the scene. And the Nikon 1 AW makes it rather easy. Take as many photos as you can!
Tags: La Rioja, Nikon, Nikon 1 AW, Nikon lens, panorama, panorama photo, photo, photography, photos, road trip, scenic drive, Spain, travel, vacation, vineyard, wide angle