We were in Duisburg for about three and a half weeks. Finja had doctor appointments because of her heart and her ears. We also went to the doctors, got prescriptions again and had checks done. Basti has done a lot on the bus; the ventilation of the dry composting toilet had to be relocated. Family and friends were visited. So it's been a full couple of days but we enjoyed seeing everyone again. The path now leads us to Spain and Portugal and we hope to get some sun and warmth. After the cold northern summer, a warm southern winter would do us good. Wait and see what awaits us.
Roses – Overnight at military base
We didn't leave that early and only drove to Trier. But those who know us also know that we are not the early risers. Since we have several borders ahead of us and Spain estimates 48 hours for a corona test, we only wanted to go to Trier anyway, so that we only use one test to Spain and then drive through Luxembourg to the middle of France the next day.
It's funny to be on the road again, to eat alone for ourselves and also in the evenings. But also nice, with the thought of what awaits us. On the way to Trier we really enjoyed the view. The forests with their autumn leaves were illuminated by the sun and everything was glowing in red. And the sunset was gorgeous too. We then arrived late in Trier, a large parking lot that we had already approached a year earlier. There was only dinner and then the last round with Finja before we went to bed.
The next day we left late again because we had been waiting for the test results for a very long time. In the meantime we had rearranged a bit, worked on the homepage and done the sewage. When the result was there, we went to Luxembourg and then to France. We could have saved ourselves the test, since there was no one to check at a single border. Not on the other side either. At first we wanted to drive past Lyon, but since we didn't start that early, we only made it to Macon, about 80 km before Lyon.
When we got there it was pitch dark and we didn't see much of the area. We both had headaches and neck pain and then only ate something and went for a run with Finja. We slept well that night and when we got up we were really surprised by the surroundings. The parking lot was located at a boat inlet and was surrounded by rivers, hiking trails and cow meadows. Just great!! In the morning it was slightly foggy, which stayed behind Lyon. The sun came out there and with the sun it got a bit warmer. We definitely wanted to cross the Spanish border that day, but not to Barcelona.
The driving was exhausting, even though we drove on the Autobahn. On the way back we will think about it again, since the toll costs were not small. Spain has been reached and here, too, no one was at the border to check. We were then unable to drive to the pitch in Roses that we had chosen. The way there first went up a serpentine road, which made us happy (we like to drive serpentines), but also took time.
Once at the top we realized that it would go through a nature reserve and the road didn't look very inviting either. In addition, it was dark again, since it is winter time and it gets dark earlier and it was later. It was light longer in the north, now we have to get used to it and start looking for places to stay overnight. We couldn't take the other road that still existed either, as it went into a military area.
So we turned and stopped a little further down in a parking lot. As the day was long we are just tired and don't want to look for another place. Hungry and tired are also 2 components that strongly influence mood. So eat something and go to sleep. Now we can take it easy as we have arrived in Spain and have the next few months. The night was super quiet, not that many cars passed by and we slept well. When we got up, we had a super great view on both sides, where we could see the sea.
After coffee we drove to Roses to do some shopping and then moved on towards Barcelona.
You can find more information about Roses here here.
Bellcaire d'Emporda - small pitch to rest
The roads in Spain take some getting used to and one gets the feeling that having a 4*4 would be better. We had thought about where we were going and then decided to drive to a parking space in Bellcaire d'Emporda. The drive of the last 3 days has done us quite a bit and we also wanted to take a shower. The parking space was not very big and was also really nicely done. Everything was there, only the bar was closed in winter. We slacked off for the rest of the day and didn't do anything with Finja apart from running. Had also booked directly for 2 days so that we could relax. The next day didn't look any different either; how tired we were.
Since the weather forecast predicted rain for the next 2 days and we were still exhausted from driving, we booked another 2 days later. When it rains, you can then write reports for the homepage, edit pictures and rest. We enjoyed it and Finja slept a lot too. Driving was just as stressful for her as it was for us and she enjoyed the freedom to sleep through the day. One afternoon we walked into town. Here in Spain many places are on hills or small mountains and then you have to climb a lot.
The place was really nice, small and narrow streets, but it was Sunday and everything was closed and you didn't see anyone. But we saw beautiful autumn colors of the leaves and flowers as well as our first olive trees.
On the square we talked to a German vanlifer who advised us not to drive to Barcelona. On the one hand, there is no secure parking lot where we could have parked the bus and, on the other hand, the robbery rate is very high there, like in other big cities. It's a pity for us, since Barcelona was on our list.
After research, we also found that a place outside of the city was out of the question, since on the one hand we didn't have any bicycles with us and on the other hand we didn't want to travel long distances with Finja in a basket on public transport. Our stomachs hurt at the thought and for us it's a sure sign to let it go. So the big cities have to be tackled once we have bikes with us. So we continue along the coast.
You can find more pictures in the Photo gallery Spain.
