Driving south in October-November 2024

On the road to Spain

For the third time in two years, Dick will drive to Spain early September 2024 to pick me up in Santiago de Compostela. Driving alone that far,is quite a challenge. 1446 Miles is not close by and once again I arrive days earlier than I originally indicated.

For the second time this year I walked a pilgrimage, this time the Camino del Norte. Last year, on day five, I had to cancel my trip after an unfortunate fall in which I broke my wrist. It is wonderful to be able to hug Dick again and we both cry. We enjoy the stay in Santiago de Compostela and then drive (it almost becomes a tradition) to Fisterre. After a few days we start our journey back home where we arrive on September 25^th. In time to welcome our American friends Riley and Karen.

Looking for geocaches

They made a tour through Eastern Europe and stay with us for a few days before leaving  home. We spend a nice time together and because they are also geocachers we organize a geocaching event, of course search for some geocaches together and we also visit Rotterdam.
When Riley and Karen fly back to the USA we bring our camper to the Iveco garage in Spijkenisse.
The Frankia needs major maintenance and given the mileage of 90,000 the timing belt also needs to be replaced. Something we are never negligent in after we had to deal with a broken timing belt in Canada with a lot of damage to the engine block. It happened with our first camper.

In the meantime we discovered that there are no appointments in November that require us to stay home so I start working on a travel route because we are going out again for a few more weeks.

Thorn, the white city

October 17^th we pick up our camper at the garage and after we have loaded some stuff to be able to sleep for a night, we drive to Thorn, in the southern part of our country. We will spend the night there because tomorrow at 8 am our Frankia has to be at our dealer Raema for a moisture measurement. In Thorn all the parking spots are already taken and we can’t actually stand here so we park at the bus parking. At this time of year there are few to no tourist buses. I walk to the local supermarket. Even now that the sun is not shining brightly it is a pleasure to walk through this white town with its old cobblestones. When I return, campers have left and Dick has been able to park our camper in a regular spot.

The next morning we get up early. Because it is only a 20 minute drive to Nederweert and (of course) we leave too early, we arrive at Raema before 8 am. After the moisture measurement is done and everything is well, we drive back home where we load everything we need and park behind our house. Tomorrow morning we will leave after Dick is back from the physiotherapy where, a year after the operation, his knee has to be tested. Because we also filled up the water tank yesterday, we already on the road on Saturday October 19^th at 10 am. First to the Cito garage to drop off our car. During our stay in Spain someone drove into our parked Subaru and that damage will be repaired during our stay abroad.

The Subaru e-Boxer

While we chat for a while I look around in the Subaru garage because Dick says that I should  pick out a new car. There appears to be a recently traded-in Forester e-boxer, deep dark blue. I don’t like the color but otherwise it is a beautiful car and after a short chat, we tell the owner that we will buy this car if he offers a good trade-in price. Dick spoke prophetic words.

Talking about the dark blue Subaru, Dick didn’t even look at it thoroughly, we leave 45 minutes later. Unfortunately the sun remains hidden behind the clouds but apart from a bit of drizzle it stays dry and because there is also no wind, the temperature rises to 62 degrees. The highway near Venlo is closed so we have to drive through the narrow streets. We stand endlessly at a traffic light that only permit two cars at a time. Eventually we arrive at 2 pm in Brüggen, Germany. It is very busy at the camper parking but on the side where you have TV reception, there is still one place where we can stay. After a cup of coffee I walk with our empty cans and bottles to the shop on the other side of the street. German cans have a 25 cent deposit so we return them. Then I walk to the Lidl supermarket a little further to buy wine and finally I am back at the parking.

A toast on the new car

In the meantime we have had a phone call from Cito who offers a good trade-in price and we said yes to our new car. When we are back home we can pick up this new Subaru. Of course we uncork a bottle and raise our glasses to our new purchase: Proficiat…..Nederhand  Kraan.(our familynames).
It make sense because our new license plate is:  P 199 NK

The Chaource cheese we eat with it (Hannah and Henk gave it to us) tastes delicious. I am a bit stunned because it was absolutely not our intention to buy another car. But it might be a good thing because our old car is now 11 years old.
With all these emotions we don’t  want to walk to the city center anymore so we stay inside and around 7 pm I get Turkish food across the street. It tastes a bit less because there is too much sauce on it. At 10 pm we go to bed and dream of cars.

Sunday October 20^th we get up at 8 am. The sky is colored red by the rising sun. There is no bakery nearby and because we are in Germany every supermarket is closed on Sunday. So we eat chocolate croissants that we still have from Spain (they have a long shelf life). After breakfast we dump our grey and black water.

Parking in Mettlach

We also fill up with fresh water although that is also possible in Mettlach. While we drive south the sun disappears behind a thick cloud cover.
Halfway we change and I am going to drive again. That is good because I get varied roads, from autobahn to mountain roads and over narrow roads through villages.

Finally we arrive in Mettlach. After a cup of coffee we walk to the center. Of course we take a look at the park of the more than 250 year old Benedictine Abbey where Villeroy and Boch has its headquarters.

The old tower in Mettlach

There is a beautiful old tower, the oldest preserved medieval building in the Saarland. When we arrive in the center we see that everything is closed, the season is over. Only the porcelain outlet of Villeroy and Boch is open and that just happens to be a shop that I am not that interested in. So we walk further through the village to the river Saar. There we see that we are no longer allowed to cross the bridge with our camper. It was always prohibited for +7.5 tons but that has now been reduced to +3.5 tons. Unfortunately the road width has also been narrowed by blockades so we cannot secretly drive over either. In the future, we will have to take a detour to get to Luxembourg.

We pay for the parking at the tourist information and then walk back to the Abtei Brau at our leisure. The parking lot is extremely busy with cars of visitors to the restaurant and even when we enter the restaurant at 6 pm, we only can get a table because someone is just leaving. The food remains consistently delicious.

When we wake up on Monday October 21^st the sun is already shining in the blue sky, it is calm weather, without wind and 62 degrees. In a T-shirt I walk to the supermarket next to our parking and get fresh rolls. After a good breakfast we leave. With a detour, to Luxembourg where we refuel and then drive on to Verdun in France. Fortunately we find a free spot at a parking next to a bus station. We soon walk to the center of Verdun. It is now 72 degrees and a sweater is enough.

Cathedral in Verdun

We wander through the streets of the old city center and then arrive at the cathedral. It is open so we walk inside and admire the church and the beautiful courtyard. Of course we also take a look at the monument with its 73 steps that was built after the First World War. Finally, at the end of the afternoon we walk past trees with beautiful autumn colors back to the camper. Looking at these trees has the result that our shoes have to be cleaned of thick layers of dog poop. Fortunately there is a water tap so I can polish our shoes properly. At moments like this I don’t like dogs. We walked almost 6 miles and the spinach with burger tastes good in the evening.

Tuesday October 22 we don’t wake up until 8.30 am. After breakfast we drive to the supermarket next door where we change our French propane bottle. We arrived in the French countryside. We drive through a hilly landscape that is dotted with many small villages and don’t really make any progress. However, skulls in black robes can regularly be seen along the road. Halloween is clearly celebrated here too.

The old town Troyes

Finally we arrive in Troyes where, on the edge of the city next to sports fields, is a large parking lot where we can park our Frankia. After a coffee we walk into town, admire the narrow medieval streets, the old, sometimes crooked houses and of course also take a look at the basilica.

On the way back we put on our thin jacket because with 62 degrees it is just too cold in the shade. After walking 3.7 miles we are back. Because we haven’t seen a restaurant anywhere, I walk to the Aldi to get some food. The spaghetti with lettuce tastes delicious. It is a good thing that we stay at the end of the parking lot because there are sport competitions and in the evening the parking lot fills up with cars.

The next morning the weather is already beautiful, although you can tell from the temperature of  43 degrees that winter is approaching. We have breakfast with Spanish chocolate croissants (the long-lasting kind) that taste much better than the German survival bread I bought in Bruggen. Outside the city there is thick fog but it quickly disappears and we enjoy the rolling landscape. The river Loire flows quickly and looks brown, it has clearly rained a lot recently. Early in the afternoon we arrive in Bourges. You have to pay to get to the camper parking so we park our Frankia in the large carpark in front of it and then walk to the center.

Crossbow ceiling in the cathedral

We already walked here before but now we discover other narrow streets with beautiful medieval houses. All the streets lead to the impressive cathedrale, of course we enter. This church is so impressively large and high. We wander around for a while and Dick buys me a beautiful key ring of St. James (Saint Jacques, French; Apostol Santiago, Spanish). It’s for the keys to our new car. I am very happy with it. In the evening I buy burgers at the Quick. Ordering via the computer screen doesn’t really work because I can’t see the burgers we want, so I order at the counter, which is also possible. We have a tasty meal and watch TV.

On Thursday, October 24, the sun is already shining brightly in the blue sky when we get up at 8 am. We have breakfast with an egg. Just like yesterday morning, we drive into the fog as soon as we leave the city. We change places and I am going to drive again. After a year in which I never was behind the wheel of the camper, it is good to drive regularly again. I also just have renewed my truck driving license. We are now driving in the area of ​​the Puys, the volcanic mountains, and on the horizon we see the Puy de Dome towering high above everything. We ignore Dick’s GPS in the meantime. It gives a detour of tens of miles due to a weight restriction. Unfortunately, this GPS does not register if you can ignore a weight restriction due to destination traffic. Fortunately my GPS (yes we have two navigation devices in our Frankia) is not set to weight so we continue driving on that and arrive safely in Issoire after 135 miles. It is already busy on the parking but fortunately there is still a spot free where we fit in and we park there.

We talk to our neighbors for a while and then I collect all our laundry and walk to the supermarket to start washing.

Laundry next to the supermarket

Actually, after a previous laundry experience when the dryer didn’t work, I should have known better because now I also have to put endless euro coins in the dryer to get all our  laundry dry. Next time I’ll really take the bike to the town to the self service laundromat. It’s already late afternoon when everything is finally dry and put away. We don’t go out anymore. Campers keep driving past all evening to find a spot that isn’t there.

Friday October 25 we get up at 8 am and after breakfast we drive to the dumping site. There are two campers in front of us so we have to wait and that waiting takes a lot of time. We discovered that Frenchmen in particular do their actions one by one. We, on the other hand, empty the toilet, dump our grey water and take in clean water at the same time. So there are always two of us busy. But eventually it’s our turn and at 10 am we can leave anyway.

The Eiffel viaduct

We soon drive onto a motorway (toll-free) and we can make good progress. At the famous Eiffel viaduct we stop for a moment to take a look.
This used to be the highest bridge. It is nice to see this viaduct and we continue our way south. At 2 pm we arrive in Albi. Here too the camper parking is very busy but we find a sloping spot where we can stand well thanks to our levelers. In contrast to the previous days there are many clouds but it does not stop us from walking to the center. To the largest brick cathedral in the world. It has the allure of a fortress.

Brick cathedral in Albi

Although Dick thinks it is an ugly church, this one is special, also the inside is completely painted. No corner is left unused and you can feast your eyes.
Of course we also wander around in the old streets of the center, eat an ice cream on a terrace and take a picture in front of the shop that bears my (birth) name “Mathilde”.
After walking around for 5 miles we are back at the camper. It is still cloudy but dry. At 10 pm there is a very heavy thunderstorm and the rain is pouring down from the sky. We can’t sleep for a while because the noise is deafening. Fortunately, the storm drifts away after an hour and we can still sleep well.

Last view on Albi

Saturday October 26^th it is fortunately dry but grey. The thermometer remains at 57 degrees. We fill our clean water tank and then, with a last look at the cathedral, drive away from Albi. The plan is to drive to Carcassonne but because very bad weather is expected there, code yellow has been issued, we take the road straight to Andorra. After the storm last night we don’t want to go to bad weather. Soon we are driving on the mountain road to Foix where every now and then a ray of sunshine breaks through the clouds. Dicks Hakuna refuses to follow the road but we know for sure that we have already taken this road several times to the south so we drive on. Just before we start the climb to Andorra we see the problem. A tunnel of 9 feet high. No wonder the navigation refused to show us this road. Fortunately, the actual height turns out to be higher than indicated and we can drive through it safely with our 10.15 feet high Frankia.

We climb further into the mountains. There are many clouds but it is dry and as we climb, the temperature drops. The surrounding mountain tops are covered in snow and just before 2 pm we cross the border into Andorra. We climb higher and higher and it gets colder and colder.

Snowy slopes Pas de la Casa

We have a beautiful view of the snow-covered ski slopes. On the pass above the town of Pas de la Casa, at 8200 feet, it is only 35 degrees. As soon as we cross the pass we drive in the snow. Thick clouds cover the parking at the ski lifts near the top where we normally stay overnight. We decide not to spend the night there but to drive on to St Julia de Loria where we park behind the supermarket. We are just in time to have lunch at the supermarket restaurant before it closes at 3.45 pm and then wander around the shop where everything is focused on bargains for tourists. After all, Andorra is a tax haven.

Parking place River supermarket

On Sunday  October 27 we get up at 8 am. Winter time started last night so it is actually already 9 am. Despite a sign that it is forbidden to stay overnight in this parking lot, many campers have spent the night here. After breakfast we walk to the bus stop and a little later we are on the bus to the capital Andorra la Vella. There is a demonstration in the old city center so we get off the bus earlier and walk through the busy shopping streets. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and the temperature slowly rises to 64 degrees. It is warm in the sun. To my great joy we find a nice fleece for Dick who, after the purchase has taken place, immediately declares that he will not try anything on anymore.

Center in Andorra La Vella

We look for a cache on the edge of the city and then we walk around in the (for me) attractive shops. We do not buy anything more. On the way back I get off a few bus-stops earlier to look around in an outlet store on the edge of St Julia. Dick stays seated and gets off further away. It turns out to be a good decision because I find a nice hoodie. Happy with my purchase I walk the last 1.9 miles back.
In the parking lot we see a guard writing out tickets. Apparently only for motorhomes with an Andorra license plate because we don’t get a ticket. It’s quiet in the evening and we sleep like roses.

Monday October 28, we get up at 7.30 am. So early is caused by the start of winter time. After breakfast we dump and fill up with water and then fill up our diesel tank. Even though fuel is really cheap in Spain, it’s even cheaper here in Andorra. The border is about a mile further and we are stopped. After we have told that we don’t have any cigarettes with us and only some wine for our own use, we are allowed to continue. The road takes us through the mountains. The sun has not yet appeared so we take the road which is a bit further south along the Pyrenees. It is quiet on the narrow roads and at 1.30 pm we arrive in Jaca.

Walking to the laundry

That’s nice because we have to do our laundry again. Dick has found a lavanderia and after coffee we walk with two full bags with laundry through the winding and narrow streets of Jaca. It is more climbing than walking because the center of Jaca is on top of the mountain. I wonder if I can still find my way back.
After Dick has helped me to start the washing process, he walks back. I stay by the machines until everything is not only clean, but also dry.
Eventually everything is folded, three bags are loaded with clean clothes and I can walk back.
The latter is not really easy because after three streets I get lost. I regularly have to stop to consult my phone. However, I do come across an elevator that goes down. Next time we do not have to climb the mountain but can simply take the elevator up. After our bed is made with clean bedding, it is already the end of the afternoon.
We eat chicken with rice and do not have to go out anymore. The parking is now completely full. In the evening we watch TV and read a bit before we go to bed at 10 pm.

City center in Pamplona

Thanks to wintertime it is on Tuesday October 29 at 7.30 am already light. After breakfast, with another boiled egg, we leave the parking lot. The parking is nice so we will definitely come back. The road goes straight through the mountains and around us we see the snow-capped mountain peaks that light up in the sun. We only have to drive 73 miles so soon we arrive in Pamplona, ​​our destination for today. In Bask language it’s called Iruna and it’s the capital of Navarra. On the edge of the city there is still plenty of room in the parking lot next to the fire brigade. After we have paid for the parking we walk to the elevator behind the parking that takes us to the level of the city. That is what Spain is good at, building elevators that take you to higher parts of the city.

At the elevator we meet Heinz and Katriena from Trier, Germany. They are looking for the way to the center and would like to walk with us so they don’t get lost. While talking we walk through the park towards the city wall. Every year in July a small group of bulls are released into the streets of the city of Pamplona.

Beware of stray bulls

A crowd dressed in white with red scarves runs in front of these bulls. Of course Heinz and Dick have to take pictures with the bulls. It is fun to see how the men are taken on the horns. Walking through the narrow streets around the albergue municipal brings back my memories of the Camino Frances and I enjoy walking around here again. The sun is shining and the sky is steel blue and we wander around. Then we pass a restaurant and since it is 2 pm it seems a good idea to have dinner here. Katriena and Heinz join us  and we get a table for four. The food is tasty and we chat pleasantly. After dinner we walk back. Dick stays on the parking and with Heinz, he discusses the ins and outs of both campers.

Looking for a new raincoat

I walk another 1.5 miles to the Decathlon. I want to buy a rain jacket. Still I don’t buy it because I don’t like the color. And the yellow jacket that I want is possibly too big. At home I hesitate and on Dick’s advice I walk back again but end up with nothing. Oh well, it increases my walking miles. I am back at 6.30 pm. The parking lot is now completely full. There really is no room for anyone else so the campers who are still arriving, really have to continue their journey. In the evening it starts to rain a bit.
The next day, Wednesday October 30, it is cloudy, 56 degrees, but it doesn’t rain. After having breakfast we have to wait a long time but  in the end it’s our turn and we can dump. Leaving the parking is not really easy because the barrier does not open. After making a phonecall and explain in Spanish that we have really paid, this barrier is opened and at 10 am we can leave.

As we get further north it clears up and the sun breaks through. We can’t stand at the first parking lot in Gernika and have to drive  through some very narrow streets before we can leave this place. Fortunately there is space on a large parking lot between apartment buildings  and we park our camper there. After a cup of coffee we walk into Gernika. Of course I want to show Dick this town where I spent a few days after my unfortunate fall last year.

Tile plateau Picasso in Gernika

We walk to the Picasso tile tableau that shows the bombing during the Spanish Civil War on Gernika in 1937. Picasso made it in black, white and grey and tried to convey the feeling during a bombing.
Of course we walk to the tourist information to thank them for their help in finding a place to sleep and my return trip home and give them stroopwafels (syrupwaffles). Then we walk to hotel Bolina where I stayed May last year and in August this year. Unfortunately it is closed. But Dick can sees how it is located, close to the station. Now we can’t eat here, we look for a nearby restaurant where, after a short wait, a table becomes available. We have a delicious meal. Of course, we also raise our glasses to aunt Ank who would have turned 100 years old today.

Trunk of the oldest Gernika Oak

After dinner, we walk around a bit. We take a look at a remnant of the trunk of the oldest preserved “Gernika oak”. Over the years, the oak has been replaced regularly by new offspring. The third one even lived 450 years and survived the bombing of Gernika. The current oak, the 4^th was planted in 2005 and is still the symbol of the freedom of the Basque Country. At 5 pm we are back. It was so much fun to show Dick these places.

The last day of October starts with a steel-blue sky and sun and early morning it is already 55 degrees. During breakfast, we see many children walking to school. Special is that almost all of them are walking with roller bags, they don’t have a backpack.
We drive straight through the mountains to Bilbao. It is a beautiful road.

Maman Spider at the Guggenheim museum

The parking lot in Getxo is really too small for our Frankia so we drive up the mountain near Bilbao where we can park. From our spot we have a beautiful view over Bilbao. After a coffee Dick gets our bikes and a little later we descend the mountain. Dick’s bike creaks, squeaks and, during our descent, makes the sound of an airplane taking off. People waiting at the bus stop look at us in bewilderment and cover their ears. Something is clearly wrong but there is nothing we can do about it now. Finally we arrive at the Guggenheim. We look around the outside, take pictures at the enormous spider and enjoy.
Then we cycle along the river to the coast, the same road I walked in August.

Vizcaya Bridge gondola

We stop at the Vizcaya bridge. This 148 feet high bridge was built in 1893 by one of Gustav Eiffel’s students. It was the first bridge in the world to transport people across the river in a gondola hanging underneath. Of course we walk with our bikes into this gondola and a little later we are in Portugalete. The crossing disappoints  me, I had expected more of it. The crossing of this river with a small taxi boat, which I did during my pilgrimage, was more fun. Along the other side of the river we cycle back to our camper. Despite the fact that it is already 4 pm, the thermometer still shows 75 degrees. We drink a glass of wine on this pleasant day and enjoy the view over the city.

In the morning when we want to leave we see a large puddle of water under the Frankia,  the drain hose appears to be open. We have no idea how that is possible because we thought we closed it. It is annoying because we leave a muddy plain behind. Soon we drive further west on the autovia. I regularly see familiar places along the coast and (again) Dick becomes crazy about all the stories about my pilgrimages, now about the Camino del Norte. Although we already arrive at 10.40 am in Santander, there is not a single spot to be found. Even along the road, as far as you can see, motorhomes are parked.
On our app we search for another parking lot and find one, 19 miles further, in Puente San Miguel. It is a unpaved piece of land next to the railway where we are allowed to spend the night. There are already some campers but there is still enough space to park. As soon as we are parked, we walk into town. Unfortunately everything is closed.
It is November 1^st, All Saints’ Day, and therefore a national holiday in Spain. One bakery  is open where we enjoy a coffee and pastry on the terrace. It is warm, 77 degrees. When we walk back to the camper we regularly see trains passing by. I was on one of these trains when I had to cross the river at Boo de Pielage. It was either one minute by train (to cross the river) or a detour of tens of  miles. We do nothing for the rest of the afternoon, read a bit, do our administration and sit outside in the sun.

The nice weather continues because when we get up on November 2, the sun is already shining in a blue sky. Yesterday evening the parking lot completely filled with campers, a few already left but there are still 28 campers. It is a long weekend in Spain and everyone is on his way.

Pico’s de Europa

After breakfast, dumping (of waste) and filling (with clean) water, we drive through the mountains of the Pico’s de Europa to the mountain village of Arenas de Cabrales. Even though it is only 11.30 am, the parking lot is almost full. Fortunately, we find a place to park at the end. The mountains  rise up around us. We walk around the village, do some shopping  (there is a supermarket open)  and then we find a table outside on a terrace. When we ask, we are allowed to sit there and a little later we order a menu and raise our glass to another beautiful day. The food is very tasty and it is nice to watch the many people walking around in the hope of also finding a place to eat something. At the end of the afternoon we walk back. Dick stays there but I walk to one of the sports shops that are open. I find a pair of hiking pants, on sale, and  I really can’t leave it behind. Even Dick says that the  pants are nice. When dusk falls, I walk with our laundry bag which is quite full, to the lavanderia along the parking lot. It is quiet there at this time and I can immediately fill the washing machines. Unfortunately, it turns out that the dryer is too hot because one of the toilet mats has shrunk so much that it cannot longer be used. We don’t eat anymore because we had dinner this afternoon. We only drink a coffee. In the evening it is again a coming and going of motorhomes but unfortunately for them there is no place empty.

The north coast of Spain

Sunday  November 3, the sun is shining again. We drive through the mountains to Ribadesella where we want to visit the “Cueva de Tito Bustillo”. Unfortunately this cave is closed during winter so we drive on. We follow a narrow road along the coast. Again nice for me because I walked here. In Aviles there is actually a place to park. Quite special because it is very busy everywhere. Then we walk into the city. The temperature is now 77 degrees. We take a look in the cathedral, which is closing soon and walk over a market in the courtyard. I see two beautiful small medallions of Maria and Apostol Santiago. I immediately fall in love with them and buy them. Hannah will certainly appreciate the Maria and I keep the Apostol. The seller emphasizes many times that it is really plata (silver).

Restaurant next to the church in Aviles

The terraces are full but fortunately we find a free table on the square in front of the church. We are still in the rhythm of having dinner in the afternoon. We start with croquettes, delicious but too rich and after we finish our main meal we realize that we have eaten too much. The rest of the day we only drink a coffee and some water. We liked it to wander around in Aviles. Every time we pass places where I walked, I experience my pilgrimage on  the Camino del Norte again.

When we get up on Monday, November 4^th, the sun is shining again, we can look forward to another beautiful day. The weather is much more stable, beautiful and certainly warmer than when I walked here in August. We drive to Ribadeo. The scary high bridge that I had to walk over does not seem nearly as scary now. The first parking lot in Ribadeo is nowhere to be found and to reach the second parking, our Frankia has to squeeze through very narrow streets. Fortunately Dick get through unscathed and eventually we end up in another parking lot.

Painting at the harbor of A Coruńa

It is not exactly the place where we want to be so we decide to drive on to A Coruna, 100 miles further to the northwest. A bad decision in terms of weather because when we arrive in A Coruña, there are thick grey clouds, it drizzles every now and then and the thermometer does not show higher than 55 degrees. A big difference with the past few days. Because we are not paying attention, we miss the exit and get lost in the narrow streets of the center, then we take the wrong way in an underground road system but eventually we arrive at the parking for campers. There is enough space and we park our Frankia. It is now 3 pm and we call it a day. Although, I do some shopping in a nearby shopping center. Tomorrow we will explore A Coruña.

There are many clouds on Tuesday  November 5^th,  but the sun is also shining and there is some blue sky to be seen. Because there is no wind, it quickly warms up and in the afternoon it is around 68 degrees.

Torre de Hercules

After breakfast we take our bikes and ride to the coast where we find the boulevard. It stretches 11 miles along the coast and you can cycle beautifully along the sea. Even though it is now November, locals still take a dip in the sea. Our destination is the “Torre de Hercules”. This Roman lighthouse, built in the 1st century AD, is the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world and a symbol of the city of A Coruña.

The lighthouse is soon visible and towers above everything. No wonder because it is built on a 190 feet high rock. It is an impressive building. After cycling all the way around it, we continue along the boulevard to the harbor where the houses are definitely worth seeing. Later we read that the windows are the reason why this place is called “crystal city”. When we pass a bar with some tables outside, we drink coffee and then continue our bike ride through narrow streets and over impressive squares in the center. Then we end up back on the impressive boulevard which we continue along.

Stone octopus

Every now and then we stop to look for a geocache such as at a beautiful stone octopus bench. We are back around 5 pm.

A Coruña is really a city to return to. I personally think it is the nicest city we have visited on this northwest coast. Of course I walk to the large Carrefour. This also has an outlet where I (finally) find a new Abus Bikelock (of course on sale). In the evening I stop reading for a while. Lidwien is currently on a pilgrimage to temples in Japan, together with Jan. Both are, like us, members of the Dutch Society of St James and their stories are now  more interesting.

Santiago and Tita, motorhome parking Fisterra

On Wednesday  November 6 we get up at 8 am. In contrast to yesterday, most of the clouds have disappeared and the sun is shining brightly again. It is soon 60 degrees. We dump and fill up water and then drive along narrow back roads to Fisterre.
The eucalyptus trees around us smell wonderful. The camper spot at the beginning of the village is busy but owner Santiago still has a place for us.
We have been here so often this year that we have an advantage. After a hug and a chat we immediately get a table and 2 chairs next to the camper and then we have  coffee outside. It is now 68 degrees.

Victor, my hairdresser and his mother

This year I have already had my hair cut twice by Victor so after coffee I walk to his shop in the center. He is there with his mother and I am greeted very warmly by both of them. Of course he immediately cuts my (long) hair. In the meantime Victor rattles on in Spanish and when he is quiet for a moment his mother fills the silence. I stutter back. Yet I apparently make myself understood  because our conversation continues. It is nice that Victor immediately corrects me when I say a word wrong. If I should stay here for a longer period of time I could speak Spanish well. Eventually my hair is cut short (too short for Dick) and I walk back. In the afternoon I visit both China shops in this town. It is special that there are so many China shops in Spain. Dick thinks that everything is the same junk but I like to wander around there. Every now and then I find something nice. Unfortunately the shop (everything 50%) has already been looted because I can’t find anything there. Actually it doesn’t matter because we don’t need anything. In the evening we walk to the harbor to look for a restaurant. The season is really over because almost everything is closed. Only one restaurant is open and we order food. My schnitzel is very dry but Dick has a good piece of meat. Walking back we see a beautiful starry sky.When we get up on Wednesday  November 7, the sun colors the sky red. We have a leisurely breakfast and then we walk with two full laundry bags to the laundry.
Both washing machines are already occupied so I have to wait. Dick walks back to the camper to clean and vacuum the carpet. After some time I can fill the empty machines and the washing and drying process can start. It is never boring, certainly not here because pilgrims regularly come in to wash their clothes and we chat pleasantly. When everything is dry and folded I walk back. The Frankia is spotlessly clean when I arrive and together we make our bed.

Walking in Fisterre

In the afternoon we wander through Fisterre together. The weather is beautiful and the thermometer shows  now 75  degrees. At the end of the village we say goodbye. I walk on to the Cabo and Dick goes back to the camper. Even though I already walked this stretch from the town to the lighthouse in Fisterre several times, it always turns out to be a wonderful walk.
On the very tip of land near the Cabo it is not really busy. I descend the rocks.

Cabo de Finisterre

Not all the way down because the last part of the rock towards the sea is very steep. Pilgrims are gathering in groups on the rocks, enjoying the sun and the view over the ocean at this “End of the World”. It is beautiful, I enjoy and am grateful for what we are allowed to experience every day. Of course I thank Apostol Santiago that I was allowed to walk a pilgrimage again. At the end of the afternoon I walk back and together we sit outside. In the evening we walk to the harbor again. Now all the restaurants are closed, only a Turkish restaurant is open. We eat there good. Actually the food is tastier than the dish I had yesterday.

After a beautiful sunrise the sky closes completely on Friday morning and when we leave after breakfast, more and more dark clouds pile up. We drive through the vast eucalyptus forests to Santiago de Compostela. It is only 55 miles so we arrive at 10.30 am. There are enough places and after parking the camper we walk to the bus stop. Bus line 1 soon arrives. We get off in the center and are just in time to attend mass. The sound system in the church is not good and it is difficult to follow the service, which is held in rattling Spanish, but it feels good to be here.

Apostol Santiago

The singing of one of the priests is impressive and beautiful. Unfortunately, the Botafumeiro, the largest incense burner in the world, remains hanging. It is still special that we saw that burner swinging back and forth after my first pilgrimage in September 2022.

Because it is quiet and there are no long lines of tourists, we pay a quick visit to the crypt of Apostol Santiago and a little later I am also allowed to touch the statue of the Apostol. It’s not allowed anymore to hug, good that I did that last January. It remains an emotional moment, even for someone who was raised protestant. During my pilgrimages I learned to talk to this apostle.

Cathedral Santiago de Compostela

When we leave the cathedral we of course hang around on the big square, just like the pilgrims who still arrive. After a while we walk to the street where you can pick up a Compostela after your pilgrimage (the church document that formally confirms that the pilgrimage has been completed).

A glass of wine is part of a meal

Unfortunately the meeting point for Dutch pilgrims is already closed and we can’t have a chat there. But we do find a nice hoodie for Dick in one of the many shops. In the meantime it is almost 3 am and we decide to look for our restaurant at the market. It has started to rain so it’s a good place to take shelter. We have to wait a while until a table becomes available but then we can order a menu. Just like the last time in May, the food tastes delicious.
After dinner we walk to our chestnut shop “Delicias de Bohemia”, to greet the owner and buy a bottle of chestnut liqueur and then we walk back to the bus stop. It is 5 pm when we are back. Saturday November 9, the rain front left us and every now and then we see rays of sunshine. We chat with other Dutch people at the dump but eventually leave Santiago at 10 am. We drive south-east through the inland and regularly see the sign “Camino de Santiago”. Every now and then I even see a place where I walked. We decide not to stay in Ourense but to drive a bit further and find a nice spot in Allariz. After a coffee we walk into the town. It means a lot of climbing because the center is considerably higher than the place where we are standing at the river. There is a market in the center, always nice to walk over. However, we don’t need anything so we leave, together with the merchants, now packing because it is almost 3pm, siesta time, and therefore the end of the market. Of course we also want to look for a cache.

Geocache on the top of the mountain in Allariz

It takes us higher and higher up the mountain to the ruins of an old castle and we find a geocache there. We slowly down again, cross the river via an old stone bridge and then walk back. The sun has broken through and the weather is nice. There is a chilly wind so it is good that we are wearing a sweater. While Dick cleans the windows I walk to the supermarket to get some food. Towards the evening the entire parking lot fills up and there are even campers on the unpaved terrain in front of the parking lot.

On Sunday November 10, we get up at 8 am, it is raining. After breakfast with a freshly boiled egg, we leave. An hour later we arrive at the border with Portugal on the A24. This is one of the three places where it is possible to link your license plate to your credit card. It makes me less nervous when I drive into Portugal. If we end up on a toll road now, the toll will be automatically debited. We immediately leave the highway again and wind our way through Portugal along narrow mountain roads. There is no end to it, we climb and descend continuously and every now and then we stop to photograph the mountain landscape around us. We regularly drive in the clouds, but as soon as we get above 1900 feet there is plenty of sun.

Church in the center of Guimaraes

Finally we arrive in Guimaraes. There is a large parking lot in the middle of  town. It seems to be full but eventually at the end of the parking is a spot to park. Although it is still drizzling a bit, we walk to the center.
Of course we visit the cathedral.
Thanks to a geocache we discover that this city has strong ties with the birth of Portugal.
The first king, Alfonso Henriques was born here. We climb a part of the old city wall from where we have a beautiful view of the city and walk through the beautiful historical center of this city. There are many people eating and the food looks so good that, when we find a free table, we sit down.

Th nice waitress

A nice waitress serves us quickly and we order a burger, soaked in sauce. It tastes delicious. In the sun that has broken through, it is pleasant. After the meal, we leisurely walk back through  narrow streets where orange trees grow everywhere. Around 6 pm we are back.

 The next morning at 8 am the parking lot fills up with cars. Apparently everyone who works in the citycenter parks their car here. I’m glad that we can still drive out  at 8.30 am. During the morning rushhour it takes us a long time to leave Guimaraes . Just like yesterday when we climbed like a snail over the narrow mountain roads, we now also have to deal with narrow mountain roads where our speed is around 25 miles per hour. When we get close to Porto we have had enough of this and take a section of toll road. Finally we make faster progress. When we arrive in Aveiro, there is no place to park. Even asking some people does not lead to a place becoming available and so we leave. At the edge of the city we look for another place on our app and drive 5 miles further to Ilhavo. There is no one and we park our Frankia in the warm sun. Nearby we see a large supermercado where we walk to and get food for tonight. We don’t see a restaurant in the vicinity.
We also look for a few geocaches before we return to the camper. When Dick is going to clean the camper, which is not an unnecessary luxury, I walk to the center of this town. It is an elongated town where Christmas has made its entrance. Today I do not feel like looking around extensively, so not much later I am back. In the evening I cook an extensive meal: chicken, mushrooms, salad, beans and fried potatoes. The kitchen seems to have exploded and after our meal I spend a long time cleaning.

The main square in Fatima

Tuesday morning, November 12, the sun is shining again. Yet, due to a cool wind, it is only 48 degrees. At 9 am we are driving on back roads again. We hope  that it will go faster now because we are driving right along the coast. Nothing could be further from the truth and again we crawl like a snail through the villages that are strung together. Eventually we have had enough and take the toll road that brings us close to Fatima. Unlike two years ago, it is now deathly quiet here and we can park our camper at the sanctuary next to the large basilica. Fatima is a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Mary who appeared to three shepherd children several times in 1917. It is one of the largest “Mary sanctuaries” in the world.  Thousands of pilgrims visit this place every year.

Very large church in Fatima

Although most of them come in the summer, when we walk on the enormous square in front of the basilica a little later, there are still quite a few visitors. What is striking is the number of pilgrims who, while praying, crawl around on their knees along the Chapel of the Apparitions. Outside of Tibet I have never seen this. After our visit to the basilica, we walk to the other side of the enormous square and visit a concrete building. It turns out to be a church more beautiful than the basilica. What should it look like here when more than 100,000 believers are present. We wander around for a long time and of course we buy candles.
There are special places where you can light them. We are not back at our Frankia until the end of the afternoon.

Burning candles in the square

Tuesday November 13, we get up early and I first cut Dick’s hair. That is really necessary. Then we shower and have breakfast and leave. We drive  really amid the mountains because we constantly climb steep 12% slopes and then descend again. An hour later and 20 miles further, we arrive in Tomar where we find a spot on a former campsite. After a cup of coffee we cross the river and then arrive in the historic center. The Order of the Templars was once established in Tomar. After a cup of coffee we climb the mountain where, next to the castle of the Templars, the Convento de Cristo is located, a monastery from the 12th century.

In 1314 the Order of the Templars, the largest religious order of knights ever, was dissolved as a result of the persecution by the French King. In 1319, at the request of the Portuguese King, members of this order were integrated into a new order: the Militia of the Knights of Christ. This allowed the Templars to continue their activities. The most important sign that marked this change was the cross of the order. It now had straight arms instead of the curved arms of the Templar cross.

The Templar knight

At the entrance to the castle stands a Templar knight with helmet and sword and I take pictures. Quite nice until it turns out that the pictures we take has to be paid for dearly. The amount is shown when he opens a box with a golden cup (the Holy Grail?) Very conspicuously, a 10 euro note can be seen. I grab Dick, turn around and we walk into the castle, pretending that we haven’t seen the note. Unfortunately, only a small part of the castle can be seen. The rest of the castle and the monastery have to be entered from another side. When we pass the Templar knight again, he is busy collecting money from other tourists.

At the entrance to the monastery we get a 50% discount on the entrance fee because we are over 65 and walk inside. It is a special monastery, very extensive and via countless stairs we reach the roof, see monastery cells, visit endless courtyards and take a look in the special church.

Monastery Convento de Cristo in Tomar

It is fun to wander around here. After a few hours we descend back to the town where we enter a busy restaurant. The menu looks good, there is a table available and we can still eat, even though it is now3 pm. It turns out to be a good choice because the food is tasty and at 5 pm we slowly walk back. Because I have eaten too much again I walk on to the Lidl where I end up in a crowd of people. At first I think it is a demonstration but given the participants with make-up it will probably be something else. Because of the many and tall trees in the campsite there is no satellite reception so we spend the evening reading. It is deathly quiet outside.

Thursday November 14 we get up at 7.30 am and after a breakfast with a boiled egg we drive to the dumping site. We can also fill up with water. When everything is full / empty we leave. Dick has to back and forth the camper a lot because the access to this former campsite is very narrow. The road leads directly through a beautiful mountain landscape. On narrow roads and through sometimes deserted villages.
Eventually we arrive at a wider road and we can drive faster than 20 miles. In Castelo Branco we drive to a new parking lot for campers but it is both full and small. We never fit here so we drive on to the parking lot in front of the Intermarché.
Here is enough space to park. In contrast to the past few days it is gray and drizzly and every now and then it rains. Because I have seen a China store and a Decathlon I walk there after coffee. Dick stays home, he has not the need to look around in shops everywhere. Later he will come with me to the supermercado. The parking lot is further from the shops than the other one  and I have to walk at least 2 miles. But after yesterday’s abundant meal that is not so bad. I wander around in both shops but see nothing so 4 miles later I am back without anything.

Shopping in the Supermercado

Together we look for food at the Intermarche. Finally we choose lasagna which tastes good.

Friday, November 15, it is still gray and a cold wind is blowing. It is only 50 degrees. At 8.30 am we leave, after dumping our gray and black water. Again the road leads straight through the mountains. After crossing a stone bridge in the middle of the mountains, we arrive in Spain. We are in the Extramadura, a region the size of the Netherlands, sparsely populated, unspoiled and with a centuries-old history. It is reflected in the beautiful old towns.

Flock of sheep in the Extramaduro

We have to stop every now and then to let herds of sheep, that are brought from one pasture to the other, pass. On the plains walk the Iberian pigs, the pata negra. These dark pigs provide the delicious Spanish Jamon. Especially in the autumn the pigs feast on the acorns that fall from the trees. They eat up to 22 lbs of acorns per day. The free roaming, together with this food, ensures that fat is built up in the muscle tissue and the meat gets a nutty flavor.
It is nice that Dick now also gets the opportunity to see these pigs. I myself regularly saw them walking around  on my pilgrimage on the Ruta de la Plata. In Coria we find a parking lot next to the sports hall. It is not far from the center so when we are parked we walk to the old part of town. It is deserted, no one is on the streets and after a look at the castle walls we walk back.

In the afternoon the wind increases. It howls around the sports hall and camper and there is no TV reception. In the evening the parking lot fills up with cars and buses. There are clearly competitions, but in which sport? We have no idea. At 10 pm everyone leaves and it becomes quiet outside.

Arco Romana de Caparra aan de Via de la Plata

On Saturday November 16^th the sun is fortunately shining again and the wind has died. On our way we see the sign “Caparra”. It concerns the Arco Romano de Caparra, a quadrangular arch dating from the 1st century and the symbol of the Ruta de la Plata that runs through it. Although Dick has already seen the place in my pictures, I also want to show Dick this Arco in real life. So we follow the directions on the signs. These take us close but not to the place where I want to go. Eventually I see the Arco but there is no parking space for our Frankia so, at our wits’ end, we drive onto the stone path that leads to the Arco. Just before the Arco, Dick turns the camper and then we walk the last bit. We quickly take some photos and then leave again. After all, we are in a forbidden area.

In April I was picked up here by the barman of Hotel Jarilla so we decide to have coffee there. Unfortunately it is still too early to have dinner (11 am).

Coffee in Hotel Jarilla

When we enter, the barman immediately recognizes me and we talk for a while. After a cup of coffee and a slice of home-made cake we leave again. I am happy because by driving all these places and showing them to Dick my pilgrimage comes back to life. Now the one over the Ruta de la Plata. The rest of the route takes us over the autovia. It is a beautiful road and we are constantly driving at an altitude of 3200 feet. The trees are beautiful in their autumn colors. At 12.30 pm we drive into Salamanca. We first fill up our diesel tank and then park our Frankia in the parking lot next to the Repsol. It is incredibly busy and motorhomes stay in many rows. After we have noticed that there is some fuel leaking under the car (what should we do with this now?) we decide to walk to the city center of Salamanca even though it is almost 2 miles walking.

View of the churches in Salamanca

The  weather is perfect (64 degrees) and you are not allowed to cycle anywhere in the city center. It is busy on the streets. Unfortunately on the Plaza Mayor are wooden houses, apparently a (still closed) Christmas market, so we cannot take nice pictures there. When we walk back we find a free table on a square where we can still eat. I ate at the same restaurant in April, it was good then. Now the food is also good. It is a bit cool outside but inside the restaurants is no place available. After dinner we walk back at our leisure, past the cathedral and the house with the shells. Next to our parking lot is a hyper China that I can’t resist so when we get home I walk there again. Time flies because when I come outside it is already 7 pm and dark.

Sunday, November 17, we get up at 7 am. The sky is blue again, the sun is shining but it is only 37 degrees. We are here at an altitude of 2700 feet. When we leave at 8 am it is still dark but we soon see the sun rising. We regularly drive through fog banks where the temperature drops to 34 degree.

View of Zamora

It is only 46 miles to Zamora and we arrive there at 9.30 am. We are so early that all the spots are still occupied but fortunately someone leaves and we can park our Frankia there. Later that day it turns out that more campers leave. We drink a coffee, grab our full laundry bags and then walk to the lavanderia. We enter just before a Spanish woman so I only load two of the three machines present. The third machine is for her, my third wash will come later. While the machines are running, one Spaniard after another enters and a queue forms. Because of course there are also Spaniards who only dry their laundry and therefore take up dryers, the entire washing and drying process takes a lot of time. But at 1.30 pm everything is clean and dry and I can walk back. Fortunately, Dick came earlier and took also two bags of clean clothes.

As always, Dick has cleaned and vacuumed our Frankia in the meantime, it looks shiny. After a coffee we walk to the center. The Spanish called Zamora: “la bien cercada”, (the good closed city) and we walk along the citywalls. Then we arrive in a busy shopping street. Busy with people because in Spain all shops are closed on Sundays. Just like yesterday in Salamanca I talk to Dick incessantly about my very vivid memories of the Plata and show him the places where I have been. Zamora has 24 churches, it became already a diocese in 901 and  the largest number of Romanesque churches in Europe are found here.

The street with the hostel in Zamora

Next to one we find the restaurant where I had dinner in April. There is a table free inside, which is nice because, even though the sun is shining brightly, with only 58 degrees it is too cold to sit outside. We have a good dinner  and then walk around, of course past the albergue where I slept. Finally we return to the camper. The weather remains beautiful and we enjoy ourselves.

Monday November 18, the sun is shining again and the thermometer pointing at 38 degrees is rising rapidly. When we leave at 9.30 am, after dumping and filling up, it is already 55 degrees. The deathly quiet autovia stretches north over a vast plateau, the Meseta. At 11.30 am we arrive in Palencia where we easily find a spot on a large parking lot on the edge of the center. We were here last year too but then everything was full. The weather is lovely so after coffee we walk to the center where we soon arrive at the large square where the third largest Cathedral in Spain is located. Only those in Toledo and Sevilla are larger. A visit must be very worthwhile and so we pay the entrance fee and walk inside. The cathedral reminds us of the one in Burgos. Later it turns out that Burgos was also the model for this church. We stroll around slowly and admire the many chapels.

Crypte in the cathedral in Palencia

Finally we descend to the crypt. While we are walking there the light goes out and a moment later we hear the rattling of bunches of keys. While we walk to the stairs we hear “cerrado cerrado”. The church closes and we have  to leave the church. It is 2 pm and therefore “Siesta”. Outside we walk to the Calle Mayor, the main street that runs right through the city. It is pleasantly busy with Spaniards who are on their way, going home? to a restaurant? We find a free table on a square where we eat something. The food is not really special and our drinks are charged double. After a lot of hassle with the waitress we walk back. I don’t think I have walked around enough yet so I get some juice at the Lidl. On my way back I stop by the, now closed, bar. I do not believe that a refund can be made if my credit card number is not indicated.
Eventually I get the overpaid money back. Weeks later, when I get my card overview, it turns out that the money has been refunded after all. So next year we will go to Palencia again to return this money back. We will not eat there anymore. In the evening we watch TV before we go to sleep in this quiet place.

Mini pan for 1 egg

Tuesday November 19, we both have an egg for breakfast. I get a boiled egg and Dick fries an egg. In the supermercado we found a cute little frying pan for this purpose. The dumping place is very inconvenient and since we are driving to Vitoria anyway, where we can dump and fill up with water, we leave immediately after breakfast.
Again we drive over the Meseta. It is always special to be on this vast plain. The Meseta stretches over 130.000 square miles and has an average height of 2150 feet. The Camino Frances also runs over here, 136 miles long. It is a seemingly endless path. In the meantime, my experience is that the Ruta de la Plata also has such endlessly vast paths that lead to who knows where. We drive straight through Burgos and then it is only a short distance to Vitoria.
In the meantime, the parking lot for campers has been cut off from the regular parking lot by barriers. After registering and entering a personal code, you can still spend the night here for free. We guess that soon we have to pay here.
In the afternoon we walk to the Supermercado Eroski to buy some food that we would like to take with us. It’s the last big supermarket before we are in France. Again, as almost every day, Dick cleans our  really dirty windows. In the evening we cook spaghetti that tastes good after all those meals in restaurants. It gets busy in the parking lot.

Wednesday it is gray and dull and we wake up because of the construction of market stalls in front of our camper. At 9 am we are on our way to the mountains. Even though there are dry periods now and then, it drizzles regularly. We pass Pamplona and then climb into the mountains. We are back on the Camino Frances and every now and then we pass a group of pilgrims who, deeply wrapped in their ponchos, brave the rain and wind.

Albergue in Roncevalles

After stopping briefly in Roncesvalles and taking a picture of the closed albergue, we arrive in St Jean Pied de Port.
A little later we walk to the Carrefour next door to change our French propane tank. As always, it takes some time, but eventually Dick can connect a full tank. It is now dry, so we walk into town. Even though this town is one of our favorite destinations, now, at the end of November, it is dead. Everything is closed, restaurants and (much worse) my favorite pilgrim shop Boutique du Pelerin. Next time we will have to limit a visit to St Jean Pied de Port to the tourist season.

We light a candle in St. Jean Pied de Port

After we have lit a candle in the church to thank for another wonderful trip, we walk back. We read, do administration, eat cordon bleu with fried potatoes and follow the news on TV. We are on our way home.

On Thursday, November 21, I buy a fresh baguette. It’s better than our survival bread. After we washed our dishes, we fill up with clean water and dump all our dirty water and leave. The sky is gray and it is only 55 degrees, but it is dry. We drive north on back roads. Every now and then we can catch a glimpse of the Pyrenees, the peaks are now covered in snow. After 12 pm it starts to rain, sometimes very heavy showers and the wind also picks up.
It is not weather to do anything outside, so we decide to change our destination and drive to Barbezieux. Next to a large Leclerc supermarket is a parking lot. We find our way north on highways and are regularly warned of “vente violente”, the wind is blowing hard. Then the landscape changes and we are driving through the vineyards. The grapes have been picked in the meantime but there are still many leaves on the vines.

The Santa hat is too attractive !!

After Bordeaux we arrive in Cognac and a little later we can park our Frankia. It is 3 pm and the rain has turned into drizzle, but the wind is still blowing hard. The thermometer indicates 55 degrees.

 Over a cup of coffee we plan our journey home. We hope to return next Wednesday and Dick call our garage to make an appointment for the new Subaru. We are parked next to the large supermarket and of course I cannot resist the temptation to wander around.  It is a good decision because I find a nice Santa hat and (more important) the salt from Guerande. We buy the latter for Henk who uses it in the preparation of his pizza dough. The intention was to buy it in Guerande itself but the weather is not tempting to make this detour. In the evening when we heat up our leftovers, our other propane tank is also empty so Dick can switch to the French propane.

Unsuccessful attempt at repair

When washing up after breakfast on Friday November 22 we discover that our water tank is almost empty. Water appears to be flowing from pipes under the camper, the duct tape that Dick attaches does not seem to help. We call our dealer Raema who gives suggestions about taps that may have vibrated loose. We spin it and decide to drive home even faster. We take turns behind the steeringwheel, we drive north and at 6.15 pm, in the dark, we arrive in Saint Julien le Faucon. Here is a small car park on the edge of the village.

Parking in Saint Julien le Faucon

There is already a camper and we park next to it. The temperature is now around freezing point but there is still some water coming from a tap. So I walk back and forth with a watering can to fill our tank. It looks like the water stays in the tank. Hopefully it will still be there tomorrow. Then we make a bowl of soup and together with toast and French cheese we have enough. We drove 300 miles and do nothing more.

Saturday November 23 we get up at 7.30 am. The water is still in our tank so apparently turning the taps helped. There is an icy wind so we dump quickly and at 9 am we are on our way. First we drive on narrow back roads but after Rouen we often follow 4-lane roads and can make better progress. Our destination today is the town of Meer, in the north of Belgium. Again we take turns behind the wheel. Unfortunately, the Hakuna takes us right through the busy city centre of Antwerp, which means we have to drive the last part of our trip in the dark. We finally arrive in Meer at 6 pm.

Motorhome parking ’t Kakelhof

It takes a while to find a place to park, but Dick finds the spot using a few pictures. We are parked in front of large chicken sheds and you can smell it. Fortunately, it is cold and all our windows remain closed. There are also vending machines that sell food. There is a constant coming and going of cars, so the quality of what is on offer must be good. We buy meat, eggs and potatoes and a little later we enjoy fried potatoes with a burger and egg. It is stormy outside and again we have no signal so we spend the rest of the evening reading. We drove 312 miles and go to bed on time.

Sunrise in Meer.

On Sunday  November 24 we are up before 8 am, the sun rises and greets us. After a quick breakfast we leave. It is quiet on the road and the distance home is less than 43 miles so at 9.45 am we park behind our house.
We spend the rest of the day unloading and cleaning. We are lucky because it clears up, the wind dies a bit and the temperature rises to 52 degrees. Even the sun shows itself every now and then. At the end of the afternoon everything is clean, inside and outside and we park our Frankia  on the parking lot behind our house.

Parking next to our carport

We won’t bring the camper to the storage until tomorrow. First Dick wants to go to the Fiat garage to have checked what is wrong with our fuel tank. A few weeks later it appears that there is a small leak when the tank is fully refueled. It cannot be solved by the garage because the connecting hoses are too stiff and installed by the camperbuilder.

Although we usually leave as long as possible, it is nice to be home again.
We drove 3885 miles and enjoyed the beautiful and warm days.

Time flies and before we know, it’s time to hit the road again. We don’t have much time because August 16^th  I will fly to Bilbao in northern Spain to  walk the last 500 miles of the Camino del Norte. Last year, after 5 days of walking, I had to stop in Guernika because I fell and broke my wrist.
It is now July 10^th and Dick is currently picking up the motorhome from our dealer Raema in Nederweert. The Frankia was there to have an old damage repaired. Our levelers also needed to be checked and the electronic control panel broke down so it could be replaced at the same time.

While Dick travels by train and bus, I ‘m cordoning off a part of the parking behind our house so when Dick returns he can park the Frankia there. In the afternoon we load everything needed into the camper. We won’t be leaving until tomorrow morning. Our neighbours  will be happy because they return tomorrow from a holiday in Norway and will find an empty parking spot.

New and old shoes

Just before leaving, we receive a message from Antilope, the sports shop in Alblasserdam. My new walking shoes arrived, so we take a detour via Alblasserdam to Varsseveld. When I try my new Meindl mountain boots, they fit well. We had not expected anything else because this shoe is identical to two previous ones. They were worn off after two pilgrimages but are now fitted with new soles. Yet  I prefer to walk my Camino with the new shoes and it is good  that I can try them out in advance. After a cup of coffee in the shop we leave and soon we are heading  east.

We drive in the good direction, the traffic jam is on the other side of the road. Possibly caused by the returning traffic from Berlin, Germany, where the final of the European Football Championship was played yesterday. When we arrive in Varsseveld, we can park in our usual spot.
I go shopping  because there is a sale on cans of  cola. That’s good because with the current temperatures, it is now 79 degrees, we drink more and we prefer cans in the camper.

Diner at restaurant Enzovoort

In the afternoon we watch the Tour de France and end of the afternoon we walk to our favorite restaurant Enzovoort. We are warmly welcomed and as always we are served an excellent meal. I ask for some extra French fries. Later it turns out that wasn’t such a good idea because we eat too much (actually I do). Dick usually doesn’t  eat too much.

Because it is still warm and my stomach is too full, I walk to two geocaches hidden on the other side of town. The walk turns out to be in vain because I cannot find the geocaches. However, this walk did me good, the full feeling has disappeared. It remains warm and  at 10 pm it is still 72 degrees. We open all our windows when going to bed.

After a good shower and breakfast on July 12^th , we leave. In Aalten, on the border with Germany, we fill up. Even though this petrol station is on the Dutch side of the border, the price of a liter of diesel is cheaper than elsewhere in this part of  Germany. We drive further east on the autobahn and park our camper in Paderborn. There is still plenty of parking space.
This morning we had to deal with heavy rain and dark skies, but now the sun has broken through and we see blue skies. The temperature has risen to 77 degrees.

After a cup of coffee we walk to the center of town. The weather is nice and  many people walk around. On the square in front of the Town Hall there is a “webcam geocache”. You can log this one if you take a picture of yourself when you are visible on the webcam. We have to wait quite a while before we can discover ourselves on the webcam. In contrast to the Netherlands, where for  privacy  reasons webcams are prohibited,  such webcams exists in various German cities.
Fortunately, the place is not unpleasant because the old town hall is beautiful.

After finally taking the photo via the webcam, we continue walking through this city with his old and monumental buildings and of course we also visit the impressive cathedral. We clearly do not take the main entrance  because we have to go  through many narrow corridors, cross a beautiful courtyard, walk through a cellar and  some chapels, before arriving inside. Outside again we look for one of the sources of the Pader. In total 200 sources originate in Paderborn. Together they form the river Pader, the shortest river in Germany, only 2.5 miles long.

We constantly discover new surprising places so we keep wandering. It is tiring however and Dick is quite bothered by the uneven stones on the bumpy streets. Although both his knees have been replaced and are functioning properly, he now has a lot of pain in his left ankle. Nevertheless, we walk around for 3.8 miles. Then it is enough. The blue sky and sun disappeared and made way for a gray cloud cover. Regularly there are also strong gusts of wind. We buy some food at a nearby supermarket and cook ourselves. It is a simple meal of chicken, cucumber, tomato and bread. But it tastes good and it is enough. The parking is now completely full and it is good that we arrived early in the afternoon.

Duderstadt

Saturday July 13^th we don’t wake up until 7.30 am. After breakfast and dumping our gray and black water we leave. It is cloudy and the sky is gray but as we find our way on back roads the clouds disappear and more and more blue sky appears.
After passing endless hills covered with wind turbines we arrive in Duderstadt. Next to a festival site with a fair we can park our camper. Thanks to the fact that everything is still closed we can. A few hours later when the fair attractions are open you cannot find any spot available. All the places are taken by parked cars, even double parked cars. After a coffee we walk into town.
Duderstadt is a medieval town in the Harz and it is a beautiful town. Everywhere are  colorful half-timbered houses. In the 19^th century Duderstadt remained relatively isolated from the rest of Germany. Certainly in the post-war period because it was on the border of West- and East Germany and  therefore also cut off from a railway line.
Thanks to a few geocaches we learn more about the history. The roof of one of the towers is twisted. A legend tells that it was not possible to give this tower a good roof. Then the devil offered to make a roof. When the greedy mayor did not provide the required sum of money, the devil jumped off the tower, causing the roof to twist. It is indeed a special roof to see.
The old basilica is also open and of course we take a look inside. The man-sized statues of the 12 apostles are special. Of course we take pictures, in particular of the apostle Jacobus. I hope he will accompany me on my nextcpilgrimage. In time we are back at the beautiful town hall.

Anreiske, the fortune teller in Duderstadt

In the west tower, behind a blue and yellow shutter, lives the “Anreiske”, the fortune teller of Duderstadt. At certain times, when the bells are ringing, this shutter opens and the fortune teller greets the citizens and guests of the city. Fortunately, we can watch this phenomenon. When we are back we walk around the fair. Now it is busy here. Neither of us are crazy about spinning carnival rides, so we don’t go in the attractions but stick to watching.

In the evening we have a meal in the restaurant next to the parking lot. It is busy with fairground customers and members of the local shooting club, but the food is delicious and the beer tastes good. The temperature has now risen to 75 degrees and outside it remains busy and restless for a long time. Not only because of the loud music of the fairground attractions we are standing next to, but also because of the many, sometimes slightly tipsy, visitors who pass by with a lot of noise until late at night. Nevertheless, we fall asleep.

The next morning, July 14^th, the national holiday of France, I am awake at 6 am. Dick is still asleep so I quietly sneak out of the camper. Empty soda cans and beer bottles are lying everywhere outside. I also find empty beer glasses around our Frankia and along the path to the center. They are clearly left behind by party customers walking home. I grab a bag and collect the empty cans and bottles (there is a deposit on them) and I also take the glasses that are still intact. For the time being I can break some glassware because we have a new stock.

Borderland museum Eichsfeld

When I’m done, it’s already an hour later and Dick is in the shower. I woke him up from his sleep with all that glass shattering. After I’ve showered too, we have breakfast and leave. Before we really drive on, we first take a look at the former border between West and East German

The border between Oost and West

The borderland museum Eichsfeld is not open yet, but we can see the former border running through the landscape. The further east we go, the quieter it gets on the road. The parking lot in the center of Weimar is quiet and we choose a nice spot to park. After Dick has called his friend Cor and they exchanged news, we walk into town. It’s quiet in the center. This may have something to do with the weather, it’s more weather to spend time by the water than to wander around in a city center. The sun is shining in the blue sky and it’s 77 degrees.  

Ice cream in Weimar

But it’s fun to wander around even though we’ve visited this city before. We take pictures at the statue of Goethe and Schiller and of course we also enjoy a delicious ice cream.

We also take a look at the river Ilm and admire the monumental buildings that Weimar has to offer. Finally we look for some geocaches and then we return to the camper.

More motorhomes have arrived  but there is still enough space. Next to the parking lot is a small restaurant (imbiss) where I get dinner in the evening. The schnitzels taste good and I don’t have to cook. At 9 pm we suddenly hear the German national anthem blaring across the parking lot. On a field next to us a large crowd has gathered to watch the football final. Dick stays inside watching TV but I take a look outside. I am surprised by the number of people sitting together and watching the screens and take some pictures. While Dick follows the final in the camper I go to my bed and quickly fall asleep.

Despite the fact that I didn’t go to bed too late, we don’t wake up until 8.30 am on Monday July 15^th. We have a leisurely breakfast and don’t leave until 10.30 am. That’s because we chat for a long time with others. It turns out that we can’t park in Dresden because again there is a fair on the parking lot where campers can spend the night. We think that, again, standing in front of the entrance to the fair, is a bit too much for us, so we drive on to Pirna. We have to pay at the parking lot next to the river, but it’s not clear how much it costs, so we drive on to the brewery on the other side of this town. There we also can spend the night. Of course, we’re expected to eat at the brewery, but that’s no punishment.
The temperature has now risen to 84 degrees and the sun is shining, so when we’re finally parked, it’s 3.30 pm, we don’t want going out anymore. Fortunately, Dick made sun blinds for our windows last year. They’re silver-colored and as soon as they’re attached to the outside of the windows, you immediately notice a difference in temperature. The sun is reflected by it and no longer burns on our windows. Still I want to do something so I collect all our (found) cans and bottles and walk to a supermarket nearby. Yesterday morning was very lucrative because I receive a deposit of 11 euros. Not bad for an hour of collecting bottles and cans. In this respect we should have stayed in front of the fair in Dresden.

A delicious beer

At 7 pm we walk to the brewery, a table is reserved for us on the terrace. It is very busy but cozy and when we sit down with a delicious beer and a very tasty meal is served a little later, we enjoy. We stay on the terrace for a long time and enjoy the sultry evening.

On Tuesday July 16^th  we do not have to drive very far because our destination is Zittau, a town on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic.
I get fresh rolls at the supermarket and after a good breakfast we leave. The road leads over narrow back roads but there are many road works along the way so we have to make a lot of detours. At our destination we first look at the free parking lot located at a roundabout but then we drive on to the fenced, paid parking lot, about a mile further. It is a spacious place and there are only a few motorhomes. We do not want to stand on the grass so we look for a spot on the edge where we park on the bitumen.

On the road with our bikes

Then we take our bikes because (of course) we want to ride  to the Three-Country Point. We cycle past former East German flats. They are concrete blocks that are a little less grey than just after the wall fell, but some still look gloomy. Then we cycle on a back road into Poland.
There is a border, but apparently not for cyclists. Of course we look for a few geoaches in Poland and then we see the flags fluttering that mark the Three-Country Point. By crossing a narrow bridge we arrive in Czech Republic and on the other side of a slightly wider river lies Germany. But to get there you have to take a detour or cross the flowing river. Of course we take the necessary pictures and then cycle further into the Czech Republic.

Just like in Poland, we don’t understand the texts on the signs. There is no connection with the languages ​​we know. Thanks to a geocache, we soon arrive at a large lake, Lake Kristyna. It is a former mine that has flooded. The banks of this lake are full of tents and travel trailers and most of the tourists are Czech people. After cycling around further, we arrive in Hradek nad Nisou, a town where an ice cream beckons. Fortunately, I can pay with my Visa card because we don’t have any Czech money. I have no idea what I have to pay for our ice cream, but with the current temperature of at least 81 degrees, it tastes good, but it is too sweet. We are used to the good German ice cream.

Three Country Point

Near the Three-Country Point, we  cross the river again and we are back in Germany where we continue our bike ride along the river. At the end of the afternoon we are back and I walk to the large supermarket on the other side of the road to do some shopping for our evening meal. Because the cans of cola are also advertised here, I walk back to the parking lot with a shopping cart full. We eat pasta and watch TV. The weather is good until late in the evening and we enjoy a beautiful sunset.

On Wednesday, July 17^th, we wake up by a loudly honking steamtrain that passes our parking. We plan to stay another day and do laundry again, but during breakfast Dick discovers that the laundromat in Zittau has very bad reviews. So we look for other laundry facilities nearby.

Self service laundry in Bautzen

In Bautzen, 35 miles further, there appears to be a good one and there is also a place where we can spend the night with our camper. After we have dumped and filled up with water, we leave. Fortunately, there are empty spots on the large parking lot on the edge of Bautzen and after we have parked, we cycle to the street where the laundromat is located. While I supervise the washing process, Dick ride back to clean the windows and vacuum the Frankia. It is needed and clearly visible when I am back home. After our beds are covered and the clean laundry is put away, we explore the town by bike.

Historic Bautze

Bautzen is a beautiful medieval town with narrow streets and historic buildings. The town dates back to the year 1002. From the bridge we have a beautiful view over the medieval heart of the town. Below us flows the Spree. The city wall rise high and towers can be seen everywhere. We see 8 but in total the town has 24 towers. In addition to German, we see another language on the signs. It turns out to be a Slavic language because this Bautzen or Budysin, is also the capital of the Slavic-speaking Sorbs, a minority. Between 10.000 and 40.000 people still speak Sorbian. Later I discover that during the DDR era the infamous Stasi prison was also located here. I like to take a look there so we will definitely come back.

At the end of the afternoon I walk into the town again to visit the Cathedral. It is the oldest simultaneous church in Germany and has been used by both Catholics and Protestants since 1524. At the end of the day it’s still nice warm about 77 degrees.
Back home I see that the parking lot is full with campers, we will not be the only ones spending the night here. After enjoying another beautiful sunset we go to bed.

Motorhome parking in Gorlitz

We do not have to drive far on Thursday July 18^th  because our destination Gorlitz is only 31 miles away. It is a good thing that we arrive already at 10 am because the camper spot is on private  property  and there is only one spot available for our Frankia. We have to stand so close to the wall that we cannot open our garage door so after drinking a coffee, talking to the owner and paying for the spot, we walk into town.

We pass rows of monumental houses. Every now and then there is an old dilapidated building. After finding some geocaches in the center of the city we arrive at the river Neisse. Of course we cross this river and arrive in Poland. Around us  are only cigarette shops. One of them also sells ice cream and we love to have one. We cannot pay by credit card but euros are also accepted and we even get a discount if it turns out that we do not have enough change. The ice cream is better than in the Czech Republic and tastes good. With renewed strength we walk further along the river on the Polish side.

Nice ice cream in Gorlitz

Geocaches take us further into the town, we see monumental buildings but also seek coolness between the trees along the river. Eventually we are back at the  border, cross the 15^th longitude Meridian that crosses the town of Gorlitz and walk back into Germany. We already walked quite a bit but still take a look at the beautiful center of Gorlitz where we cannot resist an Eisbecher with fruit on a terrace.

Finally we are back at the end of the afternoon after walking 7.5 miles. Dick is exhausted and does not move a step but I walk to the other side to do some shopping for dinner. We have not seen any restaurants in the area so we prepare our own food, turkey steak with potato salad. We no longer follow our travel schedule. In the evening we look where we are going tomorrow. Around  10.30 pm we go to bed.

Friday July 19^th it is already 68 degrees early in the morning. After filling up some clean water and also dumping our gray- and black water, we leave. It is not yet 9 am which is good because we have to drive a bit further today. Fortunately a large part of the road  is autobahn and before 12.30 pm we are in Annaberg-Buchholz in the Ore Mountains. In the 15th century large silver discoveries brought prosperity to this city. Close to the center is a large dusty plain where we see two campers and we park our camper next to them.
The temperature has now risen to 79 degrees, perfect weather to explore this town.

Annaberg-Buchholz

Today we take our bikes. That turns out to be a good choice because we immediately have to climb and descend a lot. In the center we cycle past the 243 ft high tower of the St. Anna Kirche, built in 1499 and inhabited by a family for 500 years. There appears to be a geocache at the top of the tower and since the tower is open for viewing I sacrifice myself to climb the many steps. Dick prefers to stay downstairs and wait in the shade. At the top I am welcomed by the tower resident Marit. She lives here with her husband at a height of 138 ft. for already 25 years. And without an elevator. It is no wonder that she is so fit. We chat and I enjoy the view over the city.

When looking for the geocache I do need a hint but eventually I find the code and discover the geocache a little later. It is a large box where I want to leave some travel bugs (small objects that you want to travel from geocache to geocache). It does mean that I have to walk down and then up again, because I don’t have them with me. But eventually Dick and I can continue our bike ride.
When we cycle past a terrace a little further on, we stop to enjoy a late lunch consisting of potato salad and schnitzel, but in the end we cycle down and up again to explore the corners of this nice town. Fortunately, the camper is in the shade at the beginning of the evening, so it is no longer so warm inside. We don’t have airconditioning but we open all our windows. We raise our glasses on a wonderful day.

Saturday, July 20, we get up at 7.30 am. After breakfast we leave and continue our trip through this eastern part of Germany on narrow back roads. Many village centers are closed because of festivals. We regularly cannot drive any further and often have to follow long road diversions to get back on our original route. Finally we drive into the Czech Republic. That is not our intention because when we get on motorways we have to pay tolls and we are not registered. But we can’t avoid this one. Here the Czech Republic is tucked into Germany and a detour means at least 100 km more driving. Now that we are here we might as well fill up, the fuel is considerably cheaper than in Germany. When I inquire it turns out that we can continue on this road, it’s not a toll road. That is reassuring.

Porcelain city Selb

Just before our destination Selb we drive back into Germany. The  parking is still very quiet so we look for a nice spot near the entrance and Dick gets the bikes out of the garage. Selb is known for its porcelain and when we look for geocaches we find them in porcelain vases and pots. Very appropriate.

Geocache in teapot

After cycling around we arrive at the large square in front of the church. On a terrace people are sitting behind large ice cream sundaes and it is irresistible. When a table becomes available we sit there and a little later we enjoy an ice cream with fruit.

With a full belly we finally cycle back. Dick is going to log  the geocaches on the computer and I walk to the supermarket. There is only one that is open, all other shops are closed on Saturday afternoon in Germany. Unfortunately.
I discover a Turkish restaurant. Tonight we will buy our dinner here. We enjoy the kebab but get so much meat that there is enough to have another meal.

When we get up on Sunday morning, July 21, at 8 am, the sun is already burning on the Frankia and  the thermometer shows 75 degrees. We pay 50 cents to fill up with clean water and then leave. We drive through a beautiful hilly landscape and pass through small villages. When we see the sign for Bayreuth, we change our travel plan and turn off to this city. It is a nice city to walk around and there is a fantastic Thai restaurant.

Although there are quite a few campers on the parking lot, there is still enough space. Most campers are under the trees. We do not fit in those spots because we are taller than most of them and we park in the full sun. After the Frankia is leveled, we take the bikes. The last time we were here we took a ride to the Ermitage (an old palace with fountains and historical parks from the 18^th century) outside the city. Now it is time to explore the city of Bayreuth.

Cheerful african clothing

It is very busy because in the center is an African market with music and colorful fabrics and clothing.
A local tells us that the best ice cream can be found opposite the opera (an Unesco world heritage site) so we cycle there. Not a word has been said too much and we enjoy the delicious ice cream. At the end of the afternoon we are back at the parking. It is very busy now. There are not many places left to park a motorhome. We discovered a book stall and as we have a pile of German books we want to leave them so I walk again  to the center. I take back one book, it weighs like lead and is really big, it contains all the works of Da Vinci and is too interesting and too beautiful to leave behind.

When I am on my way back home it starts to rain. And not really softly either so I hide for a while. Luckily the rain lessens after 5 minutes and I can get home relatively dry.

In the evening, we walk back to town together to our Thai restaurant Hua Hin. Because of the rain, we can’t eat on the terrace but have to sit inside. A little less fun, especially now it stopped raining, but the food tastes delicious. Through the streets lit by the red sunset, we walk back to the Frankia. We watch TV for a while before going to bed.

Monday July 22, the weather is different. The blue sky and sun are hidden behind a thick cloud cover and when we leave at 9.30 am it starts to rain, first heavy rain, later more drizzle. The temperature is good because it is still 72 degrees. It is quiet on the road, it is indeed holiday time. After an hour and a half we arrive in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz where campers can be parked on the Volksfestplatz. Because there is hardly anyone there we decide to drive back to Fritz Berger, a camping with a shop. Here you can fill up and dump water. It is good that we can dump because yesterday we did not have that option. When our grey- and black water tanks are empty and the clean water tank is filled again, we drive back to the parking lot near the city and walk around the area.

Geocaches in trees

There are some geocaches in the trees nearby and we angling them out. While Dick stays in the camper, he still has a lot of trouble with his ankle, I walk back to town. The center consists of a long square surrounded by beautiful colored houses and small shops everywhere. And more important, now, after the weekend, all of them are open. It is quite busy and there are many people walking around. At the end of the afternoon I am back. We eat leftovers so I don’t have to go out to get food. We do some administration, that has to be done too, read and watch TV.

At 7 am the next morning, Tuesday, July 23, we are wide awake. The sun is already shining. After breakfast we leave. Clouds gaining the upper hand and again it starts to rain, soon it‘s raining heavily. It is a good thing that we did not wash our camper yet. The rain splashes high up against the side. Near our destination we take the wrong way due to road closures but quickly we find the right way via a back road. At 11.30 am we arrive at a large parking lot next to the river in Neuhaus am Inn.

View of Schärding in Oostenrijk

The water in the Inn is very high, caused by the many rains that all of Europe had to endure in the spring. We have a beautiful view of the Austrian city of  Schärding on the other side of the river. After our coffee we take the bikes to explore that town. Unnoticed we cross the border halfway along the river and  cycle through narrow picturesque streets with beautifully colored houses. Schärding is a small historic town that used to be on an important trade route. Salt from Hallein was transported to the city over the river and then traded there for spices, glass or wine from Italy.

Colored facades in Schärding

Due to this lively trade this town had many medieval organizations that united people with the same profession. The facades of the houses on the streets and squares go back to these organisations and different colors  indicate which craft was located in which building. Blue for bakers, red for butchers, brown for tanners and dyers and yellow and green for beer and wine houses.
In 2016, Schärding celebrated 700 years city rights and all these colored buildings have been restored. Of course, we look for some geocaches and drive along the river. It is clearly visible how the water of the Inn regularly floods large parts of this town. Unfortunately, most of Schloss Scharding is no longer there. It was built at the end of the 12^th  century to control shipping traffic on the river Inn and collect tolls, but was destroyed by a fire in 1724. Now only a few towers are still visible. After a wonderful bike ride, some geocaches found and an ice cream on the market square, we cycle back to the camper on the other side of the river.

Diner at Brauhaus sur Bum’s

In the evening we walk to Brauhaus zur Bums’n. The name dates back to the time when barrels of beer were delivered by horse and cart and rolled in via a sloping corridor until they hit the bar (Bums’n) and came to a standstill. The food is delicious and with a glass of beer we are in a good place. Definitely this place is worth to return to.

When we get up at 7:30 on Wednesday July 24^th, the sun has disappeared and we only see dark grey clouds, but after some rain they disappear  and again there is blue sky and sun.

After a long traffic jam near Munich we arrive in Dachau where we find a place behind the parking lot in front of the station to park our camper. We left early morning and now it is 11:30 am so we grab our bikes and ride to the former concentration camp Dachau. When we arrive it is very busy, buses full of tourists are unloaded and many groups walk through the camp. The sun is shining in a steel blue sky and it is warm so it is difficult to imagine what it was like here during the war years. After walking around for a while I have had enough of this place and want to leave.
We find Buchenwald, a former concentration camp near Weimar, more impressive. Even though we visited that camp several times, it was always in the winter with cold, snow and fog and we often walked around there alone. Both camps show what happens in a war and make you think about the cruelty a person is capable of. You will never be able to understand.
To recover from the horrors shown, we take a look at the Churches that have been built at the back of the site. The Jewish Monument is impressive but also the “Versoehnungs kirche”, a church built like a road that slowly enters the dept, it is a symbol of suffering and death but also resistance .
Then we walk on past the watchtower to the cross-shaped monastery  on the other side of the barbed wire. With the involvement of some former prisoners of Dachau it was built in 1964 and became the Monastery  “Karmel Heilig Blut”. The intention was to create, next to this place of horrors, a place of prayer and a living sign of Hope.

Apostol Santiago in the shop window

At the shop of the monastery we find a small statue of Jacobus. I was raised protestant and don’t have much to do with Saints, but on my pilgrimages, Jacobus, Apostol Santiago, has become dear to me.  Dick buys this beautiful handmade copper statue. It is the last one.

We cycle back to the camper and slowly return to the present. Because I have to make miles, I walk into town. The contrast with what we experienced earlier this day could not be greater in the busy shopping street. In the evening we get food in town, kebab again, but it tastes good.

 On Thursday, July 25, we are up again at 7.30 am and after having breakfast with our last survival bread, we leave for Augsburg. We only have to drive 38 miles and arrive at the parking along the river on the edge of Augsburg at 10.30 am. Good that we are early because there are not many spots for longer campers. We find a spot next to the fast-flowing river. The sound of the rapids is clearly audible. While Dick gets the bikes, I gather all our laundry. It is laundry day again and Dick has found a laundromat not far from this parking. When we arrive, there is no one and it is clean. While I load all our laundry into the machines, Dick cycles back to the camper to vacuum and clean the window. He reappears when the drying process is almost finished. I am always amazed how Dick always manages to time this so well. At 2.30 pm everything is put away, the beds are covered with clean sheets and we can explore the city.

St. Jacobs church in Augsburg

The town square is very lively because jets of water spray out of the ground, which attracts many children and their parents. A geocache brings us to the Stadtbucherei, a huge library. After some inquiries we manage to find the book that hides a geocache. In front of the building, a terrace beckons and we eat something. Tonight we only have to eat a sandwich. After one last look at the Jacobs church where  statues of pilgrims can be seen, we cycle back to our house on wheels. There is no wind and the sun is burning, the temperature has risen to 86 degrees and we do nothing.

Friday July 26 we get out of bed at 7.30 am, it is only 66 degrees so still nice and cool. Before leaving we dump our grey and black water. Yesterday we filled our fresh water tank by walking back and forth with our watering can. We drive to Kempten on quiet roads where we arrive at 10.30 am. There is only one spot where we can park  but then two campers leave and  there is enough space. We are now in the mountains because the parking lot is at an altitude of 2132 ft.

Kempten city center

Of course we go out for a walk and after we have climbed up to old Roman ruins and enjoyed a beautiful view of the town, we descend  and end up in the cozy city center. It is busy and all the terraces are occupied. No wonder because the weather is good, the sun is shining in a steel blue sky and it is 83 degrees. We also sit down on a terrace to have a drink. After we have visited the old basilica of St. Lorenz, where a cannonball is still high in the church wall, Dick walks back to the camper while I look around in the shops.

To buy or not to buy ??

We are in the Allgau Alps and so there are a few sport shops, my favorite shops. In the sales I actually find a nice pair of shorts in the color turquoise. I try them on and they fit like a glove. Still I doubt whether I should buy them, should I wear them? But after going outside twice, calling Dick and consulting my sister Hannah, I buy the shorts anyway. Nice, I can take them with me on my Camino. Overwhelmed by my purchase I walk back and leave again to buy some juice. We are almost out of juice. No wonder because it has been warm for days. Even now the temperature does not drop below 83 degrees. In the evening we watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris. I do not see everything because, due to the large amount of fresh air, I fall asleep at 10.30pm

Saturday July  27, we get up early, before 7 am. Our plan is to drive to Konstanz on Lake Konstance. It takes some time to find a good route because our Hakuna sends us through Switzerland and we don’t want to drive through there. With our heavy camper we have to buy a toll card there and we don’t feel like doing that. We are on our way at 8 am and are now really driving through the mountains. We pass the watershed between the Rhine and the Danube and see beautiful snow-capped mountains looming to the side of us. Due to road works we have to make many detours. When we are on a detour again around 11.30 am we pass the town of Schluchsee. It looks very cozy and is situated on the lake in a sunny spot. We take a look at the parking right on the lake and when it turns out that there is a spot we park our camper there. When I want to pay I see a receipt stuck on the pole. Possibly from people who left earlier. In any case, the proof of payment is still valid for a full day, so we can park for free and don’t have to pay 12 euros. Thanks to the other motorhome.

Cycling around the Schluchsee

On the other side of the lake is a geocache that I would like to find, so we grab our bikes and set off. I take my swimming gear with me because the cache is on an island in the lake. Unfortunately, when we get there, the road to the lake turns out to be blocked by the local fishing association. They tell me that the cache is no longer on the island, the area is also protected because of breeding birds. I may swim but there is nothing. So we decide to go on, we will inform the owner of the geocache. We continue our bike ride, look for a few more geocaches and arrive back at our parking lot at the end of the afternoon. It is now completely filled with campers and cars and you really can’t find a spot anymore. When we buy the ingredients for a spaghetti meal in the village, it starts to rain. It was too warm today. Fortunately, it remains a short, heavy rain shower and it stays dry for the rest of the evening. We do have trouble with our English neighbor who is barbecuing just below our window. The stench is great and it takes until late in the evening before we get rid of the food smells in our Frankia. Fortunately, this does not happen often when we are parked.

 Sunday, July 28, 2024, it is heavily clouded and cold. For a long time we are unusual with temperatures of 60 degrees. I am awake before seven and because Dick is still asleep, I grab my exciting book “der Schrei des Löwen”. There are only a few pages left, but last night I was too tired to finish it. We get up at 7.30 am, Dick also awaked. After breakfast and dumping, we leave. We drive through the mountains of southern Germany. Unfortunately, the clouds are hanging low and it is gloomy. But it stays dry. There are many ski resorts around us and everywhere we see ski lifts and slopes, all still green. Parallel to the border with Switzerland we drive to Weil am Rhein.

This place is located on a three country point with France and Switzerland and we can park our camper at the Laguna swimming pool. It is 10.15 am and still early, the crowds at the swimming pool have yet to come. When I go inside to pay for our spot there is already a line of French people.

River between Germany and Switzerland

We drink a cup of coffee and then Dick takes the bikes and we ride through a forest area to the border river. When we cross this river we are in Switzerland, without border control. Later it turns out that there is also no border controls on the normal road. It is Sunday and then the border posts are closed and you can drive into Switzerland without any checks.

Unfortunately it is still very cloudy and we see threatening clouds hanging but it stays dry. In the city center of Basel we try to find a place on a terrace to have a drink. All the terraces are full. Everyone is eating because it is lunchtime. When it turns out that a cup of coffee costs € 7.50 we go on. We  stop in the middle of the bridge to watch the people who let themselves drift with the strong current. How they get to the side is not visible from here, but later, when we cycle into France, no one is drifting anymore.

We are in France

We continue riding along the Rhine and without any problems we cross another border at the end of the afternoon. We are in France. There it is busier along the river because there are deck chairs everywhere where people are sitting, enjoying the view over the river. The ice cream beckons and so we cycle on, cross the Rhine again and are back in Germany where we sit down on the busy terrace of an ice cream parlour. We cannot order anything at the counter, we have to wait, but  after 15 minutes still no one arrives so we leave and cycle back. We do cross Switzerland again. That is the best way because of the enormous railway complex that we have to pass. But eventually we are back home at the end of the afternoon. The sun has started to shine nicely and it is not so cold anymore with 72 degrees. While Dick puts the bikes away I walk to the restaurant next to the Laguna and make a reservation for tonight. Even though there is a strong wind blowing we can still sit on the terrace in the evening. The food is tasty, not very special but we do not have to cook ourselves. In the evening we watch TV. All the spots are now occupied at this parking lot but that is logical because it is next to the highway from Germany to Switzerland. At 10.30 pm we are in bed.

Monday morning, July 29, we get up at 7:30 am and leave after breakfast. It’s good that we’re early because now we can drive off the parking lot a bit easier. The entrance (and exit) to this parking lot is very narrow. We drive onto the German Autobahn and  turn off at Baden-Baden. There are threatening signs everywhere that trucks are not allowed to cross the mountain passes.

On the road to the Col de Bonhomme

However, once we have the Autobahn behind us and drive through the French Vosges, it turns out that the Col du Bonhomme is no problem to drive. We climb steadily and drive through beautiful surroundings. From the pass height at 3114 ft. we descend until we arrive in Gerardmer. It is deathly quiet in the parking lot in town and we find a nice spot in the corner. Although we are standing in the full sun and the temperature is still rising, the side of the camper where the refrigerator is located remains in the shade all day. We walk through the cozy town and do some shopping for our evening meal. We don’t want to eat out every night. Early in the evening the parking lot fills up. Many people have put out their awnings and  sit outside because inside it’s too hot. The temperature has risen to 88 degrees. Still, it is not too bad inside our Frankia.

Apply sun protection

Dick has applied the reflective sun blinds to the outside of the windows and that certainly provides cooling. We may also be a bit more used to the heat by now. In the evening we eat steaks with fried potatoes and salad and it tastes good. We read  and watch TV. Fortunately it cools down a bit later in the evening.

On Tuesday July 30 we have breakfast with some currant buns, we still had and leave at 9 am. It is already 68 degrees. We drive alternately through France and Germany. Not really convenient because every bordercrossing to Germany has police checks so traffic jams form everywhere. At 12.30 pm we arrive in Wissembourg, a picturesque town in the far north-east of France, it is right on the German border. We dump at one of the parking lots on the edge of the town. Unfortunately we can’t fill up with water. You need a separate “Pas d’ étappe” card for that and we don’t have that. But we still have 30% water so we can still manage without water.

The parking lot isn’t really inviting so when our waste watertanks are empty we drive on to the parking lot at the swimming pool. There we actually manage to get a spot that is partly under the trees. Which is nice because the temperature keep rising. This spot is available because the swimming pool isn’t open yet. An hour later you can forget about being here because it’s full of parked cars. We do need drinking water so I cycle to the nearest supermarket to get bottles of water. When I get back we walk into Wissembourg. It’s now 90 degrees but it feels like 97 degrees. We regularly stay overnight in this town but it never gets boring to walk here.

Historic Wissembourg

It’s a picturesque fortress town with historic buildings and has charm. When you walk through the narrow streets you are regularly surprised by beautiful old buildings and views. As always, geocaches bring us to beautiful places. We enjoy walking around. Because our restaurant is not yet open at the end of the afternoon, we drink a beer on a terrace and finally at 6 pm we walk to the terrace of restaurant La Rose.

Delicious, a glass of cold beer

Here we find a table, quickly raise our glass and enjoy a delicious meal. After dinner we walk back. The swimming pool is now closed and a few campers parked in the place where cars were standing. It remains very warm and we go to bed early. All windows stay wide open.

Wednesday is already the last day of the month and after breakfast with survival bread, we leave. It is 9 am but in the bright sun it is already 83 degrees. We cross the border near a monument. In a circle there are pillars commemorating the founding in 1952 of the first European Community. France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands were involved in this.
Then we drive on to Pirmasens. At the parking lot for campers we can fill up with water and empty our grey- and black water tanks. We love it when we find  parkings like this because every now and then we go to places where that is not possible. At 10.30 am we continue our trip  and an hour later we arrive in Saarlouis. We are back in Germany. There is plenty of space in Saarlouis. Unfortunately, the world is grey and dull and it is drizzling. We  found many (empty) German cans again, so we walk to a supermarket to hand them in and then we take the bikes to explore the city. Saarlouis was founded in 1680 by the French King Louis XIV and expanded into a Bastion of the Kingdom of France. The king found the city so beautiful that he personally gave it his name.
The fortifications are still clearly visible and are also used. For example, our favorite Greek restaurant Delphi is housed in one of the fortifications (Bastion VI). The rain stopped  and it is nice to cycle around.

Mini library in the tree

Of course, our route is determined by geocaches and we discover beautiful spots along the river Saar. Finally, we are back home at 5.30 pm. The motorhome is now in the bright sun and it is hot inside, so we move and park more in the shade of the trees. It immediately feels cooler. Then we leisurely walk to the city, cross the Saar and walk along the various bastions.

Diner at the Greek restaurant

Unfortunately, we cannot eat outside on the terrace at our Greek restaurant, all tables are reserved, but we get a table inside the bastion. Once again, we eat good and the wine tastes delicious. The water at this Greek restaurant remains expensive, because we pay €7.50 for a bottle. In the warm summer evening we leisurely walk back  and  watch TV for a while before going into bed.

Thursday  August 1,  it rains and we also hear thunder regularly. We only have to drive 35 miles but in pouring rain. Fortunately it is dry when we arrive in Mettlach. Again we are in a porcelain town, this time because of the presence of Villeroy and Boch who have established themselves in the old abbey. So you see shops with porcelain everywhere in this town. There are already a few campers on the parking lot at the Abtei Brau and we park our camper next to it. While Dick does all kinds of odd jobs around the camper I walk to the tourist information to pay for our parking and then I walk to the WMF outlet shop.

WMF coffee machine

The last time we bought a coffee machine here. We are happy with this machine but unfortunately the milk jug broke. We pressed the iron rod too hard against the bottom, which created a hole. Because it is broken glass, they cannot show goodwill.
So I buy a new milk jug at full price. Well, it is an outlet shop and we have seen that it is really cheaper here than in a regular WMF shop. When I walk outside it is pouring rain and I wait under the canopy for a while.
Fortunately the rain stops quickly and I can walk on.

Closed path through the par

The path through the park of the former Abbey is closed, they are still affected by the high water and landslides of May this year but I walk further on. I have no idea how to get to the shops either. Immediately after the floods it looked much worse so it is not clear to me why the path is still barricaded.

I wander through various shops, look around, buy drinks and then I walk back. We read a bit and watch the Olympic  games. Neither of us want to go out anymore. The rain clouds have now dissipated, there is blue sky and the sun is shining again. So when we walk to the Abtei Brau at 6.30 pm we look for a table on the terrace. Inside is no place.

Diner in the Abtei Brau in Mettlach

The Abtei Brau in Mettlach is almost our regular pub and  again we eat good. The glass of beer tastes very good with the current temperature of 72 degrees. We look at the guests around us. They eat from the “all you can eat” buffet, consisting of chicken wings. Not something for us but people really enjoy themselves. We look in amazement at someone who, while we are sitting here, helps himself at least 7 times at the buffet and return with plates overflowing. After our, also copious, meal we walk back (only 200 ft) and watch TV.

On Friday  August 2, we already showering before seven. The Netto supermarket next to the car park opens at 7am so I can buy some fresh rolls. After breakfast we leave. We are early because we want a spot in Redange in Luxembourg and that is popular with motorhomes. After we have filled up in Remich, the diesel is still cheaper in Luxembourg, we drive on back roads through the hilly landscape of Luxembourg. At 10.15 am we arrive in Redange. Unfortunately all spots are already (or still) occupied. Normally there is a possibility to park next to it but there are road works so we can’t park anywhere. We look at the map and put Arlon in our GPS. This Belgian place, at the backside of the local fire station, is 11 miles away and at 10.40 am we arrive there. Now we are lucky because only 4 of the 5 available spots are occupied and we can park here. It is a good thing that we left early this morning. We drink a cup of coffee, we deserve it and then take the bikes to ride around a bit. There is a nice geocaching route in the forest nearby.

Geocache route Arlon

Once we arrive at the edge of the forest in the hilly landscape, the heavy rain of the past few weeks seems to be playing tricks on us. The forest path is very narrow and steep and Dick pedals his way up without making any progress. His wheels spin in the mud. So we have to return empty-handed. We will save this mountainous route for drier times. After 9 miles we are back and then I walk to the center of Arlon. It is now 77 degrees and it is warm and that is noticeable when I walk around. The center is deserted, there are few people on the street and many shops are closed. So I quickly walk back to our parking lot behind the fire station. We do not go to bed too late, tomorrow is an early day.

Geocache event with “Speurzus” in Enscherange

We get up on Saturday August 3 at 6.30 am and after a quick shower, a quick  breakfast and dumping our black water, we leave. It is quiet on the road but we have to drive 45 miles to Enscherange, a small town in Luxembourg. There is a geocache event at 9.30 am and we want to attend it.
The event is organised by one of the geocachers from our neighbourhood who is on holiday here. So it is nice to attend this one. Despite a few diversions due to closed roads, we are neatly on time and soon chat with each other. After an hour we say goodbye again and drive on to Prüm in Germany. The landscape in this part of Luxembourg is beautiful and very rocky. It is called the “Switzerland of Luxembourg”.

Parking place for motorhomes in Prüm

Fortunately, there is enough space in Prüm and we park at the edge of town. Even though there are still many clouds, the sun is shining and the thermometer shows  72 degrees. There are many shops near the parking lot. Unfortunately, only supermarkets are open. All other shops are closed, like everywhere in Germany. After all, it is Saturday afternoon and then, around 1 pm, its closing time. But there are enough supermarkets to do some last-minute shopping and I spend the rest of the afternoon walking around town. I also look for a geocache. I already bought ingredients for our evening meal when I discover a Greek restaurant on the large square. Eating there will have to wait until next time because tonight we are cooking ourselves, meatballs with mushrooms, rice and salad with tzatziki. A lot of fat splashes around because of the frying of the meatballs and afterwards I have to scrub vigorously to get everything around our gas stove grease-free again. In the evening it suddenly cools down. For the first time, we close the outside door early. The temperature is now more pleasant to sleep.

On Sunday  August 4 we get up at 8 am and leave after breakfast. We soon drive over a drizzly motorway. It’s a good thing the motorhome is already dirty because the water splashes high against the side of the Frankia. At 12.30 pm the rain finally stops and sun and blue skies appear, the weather we became accustomed to the past few days. Although, there are still quite a few clouds to be seen. This morning our toilet cassette broke down. The top slide won’t close anymore. We don’t know whether it is reparable or not but to be on the safe side we drive to Obelink, a camping shop in Winterswijk. There we can look for a new one. It is incredibly busy at Obelink and we manage to get a last spot to park. It seems like every camper and travel trailer owner is walking around here. In the shop too you have to make your way through the people. The toilet cassette turn out to be just as expensive when you order them as when you buy them here, so we will first see what’s going on. We also look at protective sun mats but we don’t immediately see the right size. We also don’t succeed with a hoodie for Dick so an hour later we are outside empty-handed, unfortunately. We drive to Varsseveld where we park next to the sports hall at 3 pm.

Diner in restaurant Enzovoort – Varsseveld

While Dick enjoys watching the Olympic games, I walk into town. Not only to reserve a table for tonight at our favorite restaurant Enzovoort, but also to take away empty bottles and buy coffee. When I get home, I also enjoy watching sports. At 6.30 pm we walk to Enzovoort  and enjoy another good meal with a glass of wine. A good end to a nice holiday trip through Germany. Because there is a paper on our parking lot that this spot may no longer be occupied from now on, due to the preparations for the folk festivals, we park our camper in a different spot on the square in the evening.
That turns out to be wise, because when we get out of bed at 7.30 on Monday morning, August 5^th , there are already workers around us setting up party tents. Because I cannot  get a haircut here early this morning, we drive away after breakfast. The roads are quiet, it’s holiday time in the Netherlands. At 10.30 am we are home and we have plenty of time to unload everything. At 6 p.m. the entire camper is clean again, even the roof has been cleaned and both Dick and I feel exhausted.

Back to the storage

This may also have something to do with the high temperatures. The motorhome is burning in the full sun, it’s 84 degrees outside, it feels like 97 degrees inside. Fortunately, the camper will stay next to the house tonight so that I can make our beds after dinner and load some last bits of stuff. Dick will have to bring the rest when he leave again at the end of August.
When Dick brings the motorhome back to the storage tuesdaymorning I start washing. When everything is dry and ironed, I store everything that needs to come with Dick in bags. 
We drove 2278 miles, cycled 137 miles and walked only 56 miles.
We had a great time, enjoyed the many sun and blue skies. The temperatures were high for Dutch people.
We discovered beautiful places, moved  every day and eventually visited 9 countries.

Finally, we go out again

January 3 till February 22 – 2024

It’s almost time to hit the road again with our RV.
Dick’s knee is much better and his physiotherapy ended so I am going to think about an itinerary. We still have some time because it is December 23, 2023 and our friend Hugo would like to see us working in the fireworks, so at this moment our departure day is set for January 3, 2024.

Our destination will be Spain. Not because it is so nice and warm there at this time of year, I have let go of that illusion, but because in 2024 I will walk another pilgrimage, the “Via de la Plata” and the “Camino Sanabres’” that runs from Seville to Santiago de Compostela and is 621 miles long.

Sevilla Alberque Triana

I will walk this Camino together with Netta, a women I met at the Dutch Society of St. James. We already booked the flight to Seville and also reserved a place to sleep in albergue Triana in Seville.
Now our itinerary will passes some places along this Camino. In this way Dick, but I also, will get an idea what this route has to offer. It’s quite a puzzle.
I completely forgotten how to make an itinerary.  In 2023 we only left home to travel twice a week with the RV. Finally I have an idea about the route to drive and just before we work at the fireworks our route is ready in such a way that I don’t have to do much about it anymore.

After greeting the new year it is soon January 3, 2024. Dick feels bad. While working with many people who were sniffling and coughing, he picked up too many bacteria. That’s why he doesn’t take the city bus to the storage but we drive there in our car. This is actually better because it is raining heavily.

Waiting for a new battery

Fortunately, there is not much traffic on the road on these first days of the new year, so we arrive at the storage at 9 am and have a chat with the employees. Unfortunately, our motorhome does not start, so after using an electronic starting aid we drive to our Fiat garage, two km away. After almost 5 years and a long standstill in the past year, the car battery has failed. The old battery may still last this holiday because we drive every day, but we prefer to be on the safe side. It will be much worse if we end up somewhere in a remote spot and cannot go any further. After waiting for an hour and a half we drive home with a new battery.

At home I load everything that needs to be taken into the RV, while Dick fills up with drinking water. Unfortunately, this does not work very well because this water leaves the watertank at the same speed through the bottom. No matter which buttons we turn, the water continues to flow away. Even a telephone call for help to our RV dealer offers no relief. Without water it is annoying to travel around, so when everything is loaded we decide to drive to Raema, our RV-dealer, and get help there.
Initially the plan is to drive there early tomorrow morning, but because it is dead quiet on the roads we may manage it today and yes, at 5 pm we drive onto the dealer premisses. Then it becomes apparent that during the annual camper service, buttons were opened that we did not even know, let alone that we ever used them. Half an hour later we can leave. We have a running engine and a full tank of drinking water.

It is dark now, but we only have to drive half an hour and then we arrive in Thorn. It’s 6 pm. It is pouring rain and water flows past the RV. So it is not surprising that no one else is parked here.

Ready to eat.

We stay close to the river Maas but assume that the dike will keep the water away. If a critical water level is reached (which is not unthinkable given the heavy rain that has fallen in recent months) we will undoubtedly be informed in time.

Thursday January 4 it is cloudy, but fortunately storm Henk, which has prevailed in recent days, has weakened. Following our itinerary makes no sense now because we are too far east and after consulting the map we leave. Our destination today will be Beauvais in France. A good choice because as soon as we cross the border, some blue sky appears and we bask in the sun’s rays. Normally we drive about  90 till 150 miles per day, but the chosen destination is a bit further away so we don’t arrive at the parking in Beauvais until 4.30 pm. We don’t feel like walking to the nice cathedral anymore, so when the RV is parked I walk to the large supermarket on the other side of the road. I love strolling around those big supermarkets. Dick on the other hand doesn’t like this so he stays in the RV. When I finally return it is already dark outside. Time to relax. When I try to open the bottle of wine with the lightweight corkscrew I just bought, it doesn’t work at all. The cork is pulverized. I can forget taking this opener with me on the Camino. But… we have another opener so we can raise our glass to a good journey.

The next day we don’t get up until 8 am. The sun is shining so it is wonderful to go out and buy a fresh baguette. We leave after breakfast. We soon notice that farmers are also protesting against agricultural policy here. The place name signs of every village and town we pass, have been turned upside down. A better protest than in our country where the farmers hang our national flag upside down. As we drive further south, the sky continues to close and becomes dark gray and soon we can admire beautiful rainbows. The vast farmlands around us are completely under water. Western Europe has been ravaged by rain for months.

Honfleur harbor

Upon arrival in Honfleur, the sky partly opens again and we are welcomed with some blue sky and sun. Unfortunately, after an hour and a half the sky closes again and it starts to rain. Fortunately, I put on a rain coat over my down jacket so when I climb the hills above Honfleur, I don’t immediately get soaked.
Dick stayed at home (read: RV-Frankia) because he did not want to attempt the steep climb over the bumpy cobblestones yet. However, I want to find the two geocaches that have been hidden here since our last visit. Fortunately, the rain stops quickly and I enjoy the view over Honfleur and the river Seine. I find the two caches quickly.
After I descend into the town and buy some groceries, I walk back to our Frankia and a little later I walk back again. “Our” kebab restaurant is open and we can’t resist getting food here. A good choice because the meal tastes delicious.

It rains on Saturday morning and because I don’t feel like walking into town, we eat custard and yoghurt and then we leave. Of course, after first dumping our gray and black water. We also fill up with clean water. The latter is particularly important because at this time of year the water is turned off at many parking for RV’s. Despite the fact that we drive 125 miles, we arrive already in Pontorson at 1 pm. After parking our camper behind the Carrefour supermarket, we walk to the “laverie” and soon the washing machine is running. Our bedding is not in the wash yet because we used it for only a few days, although, with all our sniffling and coughing, it would be better to wash that bedding too. Once everything is clean, dry and put away, I walk to the supermarket to get some baguette. Now we can eat that tonight with a cup of soup and the leftover meat. That’s nice because I am not really feeling well right now either I don’t want to cook extensively. Because it is freezing outside, we turn the heater on extra high. We won’t make it very late. Although Dick has improved a lot, he has not yet fully recovered.

We wake up on Sunday morning, January 7, when it gets light. At this time of year that means sleeping until half past eight. Unlike the previous days, there are no longer clouds to be seen. The sky is steel blue and the sun is shining brightly. Unfortunately, the thermometer gets stuck at 36 degrees fahrenheit.

Salt winning lakes Guerande

After a breakfast with fresh baguette we leave. Finally Dick managed to make me sick too and I cough and splutter like crazy. To those around me I am a walking bacteria bomb.
But the sun has a cathartic effect and as we get further south I improve considerably. At half past two we arrive in Guerande, the French region where seasalt is extracted.

Salt shop “Terre de Sel”

We stop at “Terre de Sel” to buy salt. Not regular salt but salt enriched with herbs. We buy three packs so, for the time being, Henk has enough for his pizza dough. Then we drive further between the water basins, in the full sun. We have to pay for the parking in Guerande and since we don’t like doing that, we decide to drive another 11 miles to Pornichet. There is a free parking near the horse race course. The parking is not really special and there are already many RV’s parked, but we still manage to find a spot. Because there are some caches around the racecourse and I also have to walk miles, I’m going to walk around a bit. Unfortunately, most horse races have already taken place. When I’m almost back home I see people walking to the stands. So there will probably be another horse race tonight. Since I am now thoroughly cold, I don’t want to wait for that and I return to our nice warm camper. Dick spoils me with a glass of red wine.

The cold remains. An icy wind is blowing on Monday, January 8.
We eat survival bread (long lasting bread) and then we leave. Unfortunately, the blue sky quickly disappears behind a thick cloud cover, so the view from the high bridge at St. Nazaire is somewhat gloomy. We stop in La Roche sur Yon to dump and then drive on quiet roads to Marans. Here we spend the night behind the supermarket and, more importantly, we clean our Frankia. And that is not superfluous with the heavy rain of the past few days. The outside is extremely dirty.
So soon Dick takes the high-pressure spray and I pick up a brush and together we tackle the outside of our Frankia. You see the dirt disappear and eventually we can drive a reasonably clean RV into its parking spot.

Parking in Marans

As soon as we have finished our well-deserved coffee, we put the insulation mat in front of the windshield. Not an unnecessary luxury because the temperature has now dropped to 36 degrees fahrenheit. Then I walk to the center of this town to buy cough syrup. In the meantime I am also looking for a geocache that I can just reach. On my way back it doesn’t work anymore. The water level in the river has now risen so much that the deck next to the quay is flooded and you really have to cross it to get the cache hidden in the quay wall. The high water level is not only here in France.
From Hannah and Henk, who cycle in the Netherlands, we receive pictures that clearly show how entire forest paths are flooded. Dick turned up the heating in the RV and the warmth is good for my numb body. The food in a Thai takeaway next to the parking doesn’t look very appealing, so we cook ourselves. The burger with lettuce and baguette tastes great.

After showering on Tuesday, we remove the insulation mat from the windshield. Again it was not an unnecessary luxury to have this in front of the window because last night it was only 33 degrees fahrenheit. Now we attached the isolationmat a few times, it works in no time and we leave. Soon we drive through the still barren vineyards of Bordeaux. At first the sky is gray, but soon the sun breaks through the clouds and blue sky can be seen everywhere.
We arrive early afternoon in Artigues pres Bordeaux and decide to continue driving. Not much later we drive through Les Landes, the vast plains south of Bordeaux.

Walking in Pissos

It is clearly the southernmost part of France and around us you can see many Spanish and Portuguese trucks, all returning to their homeland. We look for a new place to spend the night and after another stretch of narrow back roads, driving through endless forests, we arrive in Pissos.
It’s a small village where you can park behind the church. When we wander through town a little later, the only restaurant turns out to be closed, but luckily there is a small shop where we can buy food. So we don’t have to use our emergency food supply.

We light a candle in the church

After also lightning a candle in the church, to say thank you for life, we walk back to the Frankia.

Dick want to clean the windows and I want to look for a geocache, further on in the forest. Just before 5 pm I am back and we put the insulation mat on. Tonight it will not be warmer than 33 degrees Fahrenheit  and the exuberant sun this afternoon has now disappeared behind the trees.

 On Wednesday morning, January 10, I walk into church with my fresh baguette to lit our candle but it is already lit. Very sympathetic because yesterday it could only burn for a short time until the church doors closed.
After breakfast we leave this quiet place. Yesterday we drove a lot further south than planned so today we will drive shorter. The weather changed and it is foggy with little sun and every now and then some snowflakes. We drive for a long time on small tree-lined roads.
When we arrive in Irun, Spain we first look for a gas station. We are surprised by the low price of diesel. This is at least $ 1,35 a gallon below the price in France. Later this gas station turns out to be an exception because we only find such low prices every now and then. Given the low clouds and the drizzle, we are not considering driving over narrow mountain passes to park in a parking lot high in the mountains. Although I would love to spend the night in that spot, I discovered it while walking the Camino del Norte in May. Now we drive to San Sebastian where we look for the parking lot near the university.

Colourful fruits and vegetables

Although this is a paid parking lot, the location is more favorable than the parking lot at the arena on the mountain above town. After finding a spot among many other parked campers, we walk into San Sebastian. It is drizzling a bit, a cold wind is blowing and it is 37 degrees fahrenheit, but despite this people are sitting outside on the terraces in front of the bars that are everywhere. Wearing thick coats. That goes a bit too far for us, so we just look and continue walking. It’s surpising how many fruitshops we see. After 2 miles we call it a day and walk back.
Looking at my phone I see that the boulevard is not really far away, so I walk outside again. Now without Dick because he knows this boulevard and the sea from previous visits to San Sebastian.

Rough sea with big waves

Maybe he is right because when I arrive at the coast, the sky is grey and waves crash on the coast. Not really attractive. After founding my geocache (was also hidden here) I walk back.

“The Good Burger”

An hour later we go out again. We want to eat at the “The Good Burger”. Although we are alone, the food tastes good and the soft drinks with the menu can be replaced by a glass of wine so we can raise our glass of wine.

The next day it is still grey weather, it’s cold and drizzling.
We now have breakfast with Oroweat, multigrain bread that we have often bought in the USA, it tastes good. Then we dump, fill up with clean water and leave San Sebastian. Soon we are driving through the fog on a highway. Is this a toll road or not? Dick’s Hakuna wants to leave this road, my Hakuna wants to keep driving on it. And we both have set: “avoid toll roads”. Sometimes we see signs indicating that a toll must be paid, but this can also apply to trucks. We keep driving and climb higher into the mountains. At an altitude of 2132 ft the drizzle turns into snow. Now we understand the presence of so many snow plows everywhere along the road. They wait until they can take action. Before that happens, we have left this altitude and the highway and arrive in Vitoria Gasteiz.

RV-parking Vitoria-Gazteiz

One of our favorite places. Not only because of the parking, there is also a good supermarket and a “lavanderia”. However, today I will not wash our clothes. I feel miserable. Spent the whole night throwing up. Could the milk and custard, which were both expired, be the culprits after all? In any case, it wasn’t due to dinner because Dick has no problems, but Dick refuses to eat or drink anything that is out of date. Once we are parked, I go to bed and don’t show up again for the rest of the afternoon. Towards the evening I feel a bit better and together we walk to Eroski (the supermarket) to buy something easy to digest. It will be lettuce and baguette. Poor Dick, he will have to do with this meal.

We get up at half past eight on Friday January 12.
What I already thought turned out to be correct. I have a bladder infection. All symptoms point to it. Fortunately, I still have medication that I was given in case this happened to me during the Camino, so I can start with antibiotics. It brings immediately relief.We leave Vitoria at 10 am and arrive in Burgos 2.5 hours later. First we park at the large La Plata shopping center, but tomorrow morning there is a market so this parking lot must be cleared before six am. That’s why we park elsewhere and walk back to the shopping center. It is still cold, only 41 degrees fahrenheit, but the sky is steel blue and the sun is shining brightly. End of the afternoon we are back and enjoy the sun and strolling Spaniards. When the sun has set behind the surrounding apartment buildings, we apply the insulation mat and enjoy a home-cooked meal from burgers and bread.

To the “Lavanderia” in Zamora

We wake up on Saturday January 13^th, the sun shines but it’s already half past eight. What a difference a little sunshine makes, it feels warmer. Unfortunately, we cannot enjoy the sun for long because when we are on our way to our next destination, the clouds take over and we are occasionally surprised with a rain shower. At 1 pm we arrive in Zamora. Here is plenty of choice for parking. Close by is a lavanderia, so after having a coffee, I collect all our clothes and bedding and we walk there with two laundry bags. Unfortunately, only one washing machine is available so I have to wait until the other machine is done but that is inherent to the washing process in the small lavanderias. Finally, thanks to the help of Dick who walks back and forth three times and folds everything, we are finished at half past four. Our bed is made and everything is neatly stored in the cupboards.

Castle in Zamora

Because it is still daylight we decide to explore town. After all, I will also pass this town during my pilgrimage. At the same time it offers the opportunity to try out my “Camino app”. We only see a small part of the old town, but it is enough to fall in love with it. At the supermarket we buy a pizza that ends up in the oven and offers us a nice meal. At night it rains for a long time, the temperature does not drop below 43 degrees fahrenheit.

Dumpstation Zamora

It is still raining on Sunday morning, January 14, so we really need our rain jacket when we dump and fill up with water. Fortunately, the rain stops when we leave Zamora and climb higher into the mountains. I soon see on my “Buen Camino app” that we cross the Via de la Plata. I manage to take some pictures of the paths that Netta and I will walk in April. Now Dick can see the landscape we will walk through. It is quite hilly. Dick is admirable because he keeps smiling despite the fact I keep pointing over and over again the paths where I will walk. At 1 pm we arrive in Ciudad Rodrigo, a beautiful old town not far from the Portuguese border. There is only one camper in the parking lot and again we have every choice to find a nice spot. While I make coffee, Dick helps the Spaniard of the other camper who is unable to get satellite reception. After Dick’s explanation that he really has to get away from the bare tree, he moves his camper and we get a happy face and thumbs up.

Narrow street in Ciudad Rodrigo

Because it is dry, we walk into the old fortified town. We have to climb a lot but all these old towns are built on top of the mountain and of course our parking lot is located all the way down. But we succeed and we arrive at the fortress around 2 pm. Unfortunately the church is just closing so we cannot visit it. Then it turns out that everything here is closed and therefore extinct. It is Sunday and only 55 degrees fahrenheit. After a long walk around the fortress wall and through the narrow medieval streets, we arrive at the Plaza Mayor where we have lunch in a restaurant. The menu is not bad but the fried eggs float in the oil and that bothers us for the rest of the afternoon. Back in our Frankia, our French propane tank appears to be empty. Considering the cold, this tank has lasted quite a long time.

When we get up on Monday, January 15, it is raining again. Not only the Netherlands has rain day in, day out, this region is also ravaged by it. But after the long hot summer, people are probably happy with it. Finally, the water reservoirs can be brought up to standard.
Once again we drive through dense fog and clouds. It is mountainous and the narrow countryside road climbs to an altitude of 3215 feet. Fortunately it clears up a bit when we drive past the large waterreservoirs. Thanks to my app I can discover the Camino paths I will walk. We are now driving in the Extremadura, climbing and descending constantly and only after endless descents we leave the mountains behind us and arrive in Merida.

There we quickly find the guarded parking lot in the center. We want to look around this old Roman town. Every street goes either steeply up or down. Dick’s knees take a beating. But there are nice streets and everywhere you see a history of the Romans.

Diana’s temple in Merida

The temple of Diana is impressive, the old Roman bridge is beautiful, but the old fortress wall of Al Razi brings you back in history. It is also noticeable that orange trees are scattered throughout the city, full of these delicious orange fruits. Of course my app picks up the Camino route again. Confusing is that the signs show the name “Camino Mozarabe de Santiago”. Finally, at the end of the afternoon, after a 4 miles walk, we return to the Frankia. There we chat with English neighbors who also have a Frankia camper. Just like us, they are very satisfied with it. For the first time it is pleasantly warm outside, the thermometer shows 64 degrees fahrenheit.

Tuesday January 16, it is already 57 degrees Fahrenheit even though there is a breeze. Unfortunately it is cloudy, but as we get further south the sky clears and the sun still breaks through. It is very hilly here so we climb and descend a lot.

Jambon Iberico – Monesterio

We turn off at the town of Monesterio. The town is famous for its Jamon Iberico and I would like to take a look at the Museo de Jamon. But no matter how we look, we don’t find this museum. There are buses everywhere, they probably block our view. So we drive on. I might take a look while I’m walking through here. After a final slope at 2200 feet altitude we start a steady descent to Seville. Dick, who always has a good sense of direction, drives flawlessly to the port area. I only recognize where we are when we take the exit to the parking of a car company. It’s busy, but luckily we find a spot. It is still dry when we make our way to the center, but then it starts to rain. At first it is drizzly, but soon serious rain falls. Luckily we put on a rain jacket.

Torre del Oro – Sevilla

We walk through picturesque streets towards the river and pass albergue Triana. When the door opens I can’t resist walking in and of course Dick has to enter too. We talk for a while and then continue. The airport busstop is across the river at the Torre del Oro. We just see it just leaving. It’s good to know that there is a bus stop here because when we arrive at the airport we can take this bus and walk to the albergue. Because the rain is pouring down now, we decide to walk back and after a 5.5 miles walk we arrive soaking wet.  Since we left it became increasingly difficult to open the side door from the outside, now it is no longer possible and we have to enter through the driver’s side door. Dick immediately turns on the heater and while drinking hot chocolate we warm and dry up. It has rained so hard that my rain jacket also shows wet spots on the inside. We slowly turn rosy and at half past nine we are already in bed.

When we get up on Wednesday, January 17, the rain stopped, the sun is shining and you can even see some blue sky. Still we’re leaving today. But first we want to dump. It is busy so we have to wait a while, but that doesn’t matter because it gives us the opportunity to talk to other people. There is a line of RV’s waiting to leave the site but also a line of trucks waiting to unload their cargo of passenger cars (which are parked here). The mystery of how the car company knows in this complete chaos whether all those departing RV’s have paid is solved when we see a van parked across the road at the end of the access road. He only clears the road after checking its papers.

Through the mountains to Ronda

The wind is blowing quite hard and there are still a lot of clouds, but it is 64 degrees Fahrenheit so we don’t complain. We drive straight through the mountains to Ronda. We leave civilization behind us and enjoy the high rocks that loom in the distance. Every now and then a bright rainbow shows that there is still rain in the sky. But through the heavy clouds the sun also shines. In Ronda it is very busy at the parking, but we manage to find a spot opposite the washing machines. Great, because now I can keep an eye on our washing process from the camper. The weather is nice and at least 66 degrees Fahrenheit, so in my T-shirt I walk back and forth between our Frankia and the washing machine.

Washing machine’s in Ronda

Because there is only 1 washing machine and 1 dryer and a Norwegian man spends a long time drying clothes, the process takes a lot of time. Finally, at 5 pm everything is clean and dry. In between Dick has vacuumed the Frankia. He does that much more carefully than I do, so I’d like to leave it to him. RV’s come and go all afternoon, but at 6 pm, the sign “completo” is brought out and the barrier no longer opens.
Threatening clouds have gained the upper hand and it start to rain. We have sauerkraut so we don’t have to go out to do any shopping.

After we get up on Thursday, January 18, I first cut Dick’s hair. This is urgently needed because he has now grown a lot of hair. Because we stay another day we have plenty of time. When Dick looks handsome again, we shower and during breakfast we overlook the bathroom opposite us. We are amazed of the large number of people who walk in, dressed in bathrobes. Strange because in a camper you have a bathroom and shower.

The famous gorge in Ronda

Once we have done the dishes (in the camper and not at the sink outside) we walk to the center of Ronda. The sun is shining and it is pleasant to be outside. The town of Ronda is divided by a deep gorge, which is beautiful to see. This time we arrive at a different place and walk along the gorge. Despite the drizzling rain we enjoy the deep and wild gorge. With all that walking around we have an appetite for coffee and at a bakery we also find a delicious pastry. We sit inside because the temperature does not exceed 54 degres Fahrenheit and we do not have the Spanish genes. After our 6.5 miles walk we are back and Dick says this distant is not enough for me. I have not yet reached the required number of walking miles, so I leave again. This time I walk to the Lidl. I saw this supermarket in the distance and want to take a closer look. It takes some effort to get there because I don’t take the normal road but walk over undeveloped terrain, which means I bump into a fence, but eventually I find the right way. The result is that we eat potato salad, lettuce and bratwurst in the evening and I end up walking 9 miles.

Friday, January 19, a strong wind is blowing and after dumping and filling up drinking water we leave. We drive through the beautiful mountain landscape of the Sierra de los Neves. Unfortunately it’s very cloudy and it is drizzling a bit. Then we arrive at the coast in Marbella. It’s a tourist town and as far as you can see, all the slopes are completely built up. There is not even a patch of green to be seen. Every now and then we see a glimpse of the sea, but the apartment buildings conceal everything.  But eventually we see the Rock of Gibraltar looming in front of us. Behind several RV’s, including one of American size, we drive to the access road of the parking lot in La Linea de Conception, the Spanish town on the border with Gibraltar.

The RV’s in front of us are apparently not known here. They hesitate and stop at an intersection, we pass them and manage to get a nice spot at the harbor. We have been here several times but we have never seen it this busy. Fortunately an additional parking area has been opened up. The oversized RV is not happy with us because it now has to park on the site behind us. By the way, I wonder if this colossus could have park at the harbor without blocking the entire road.

Walking on the runway Gibraltar airport

Fortunately, the black clouds clear in the afternoon so we can walk to Gibraltar in the sun.
The traffic situation in Gibraltar has changed drastically, car traffic is being diverted and no longer drives over the runway. Only pedestrians and cyclists still traverse Gibraltar’s runway. It is not that busy in Gibraltar and we wander through the center. Before walking back to Spain we sit down at a bakery and eat a croissant. In the distance we see the rain coming down but luckily we keep it dry during our 4 miles walk. Because we are not allowed to take milk or meat from Gibraltar to Spain, I still walk to the Mercadona at the end of the afternoon.
It is now 5 pm and pleasantly busy. How different the street scene in Spain looks at the end of the afternoon, after the siesta. Towards the evening it starts raining and the wind blows so hard that our roof hatches cannot remain in the ventilation position.

Africa in the background

When we get up January 20, the sun shines in a clear blue sky. There is little wind and it is already 54 degrees fahrenheit. What a beautiful weather. After breakfast we grab our bikes to ride around Gibraltar. We soon cross the border, waving our passports. Today we are cyclist 314 and 315 who arrive in Gibraltar. We cross through the busy traffic and drive up and down steep streets to the south side of town. The coast of Africa looks dark against the blue sky and we enjoy a high waterfall. Finally, after cycling through a long tunnel, we arrive at the southernmost tip of Gibraltar.

Waterfall on the rock of Gibraltar

What beautiful weather it is and how nice is it to look at another continent. On the way back we stop at a bay where a geocache is hidden. Unfortunately the water in this bay is too deep to walk through. I also don’t have water shoes or waders with me, so we’ll try to get this cache next time. Because of the nice weather there are several terraces in the shopping street and since the “fish and chips” are tempting, we lock our bicycles together and have lunch among the many Spaniards. They apparently also see Gibraltar as a weekend destination. Finally, at the end of the afternoon we cycle back to the border, wave our passports again, no one takes a second look at it, and arrive back at our Frankia. Dick puts the bikes back in the garage and together we enjoy a beautiful sunset at the harbor at the end of the afternoon. It was wonderful to cycle again.

The weather picture is significantly different on Sunday and some rain falls from the gray cloudy sky every now and then. We have to be patient to fill up with water and dump because we are 3 in line. Fortunately we are early because when it is finally our turn after 20 minutes, 8 other RV’s are waiting behind us. At 10 am our tanks are full/empty and we leave in the drizzle. To our surprise, the clouds soon disappear and when we arrive in Cadiz the sky is steel blue again and we park in the full sun in the parking lot in the port area. Soon afterwards we walk through Cadiz and admire the old buildings and narrow streets.

Square in front of the Cathedral in Cadiz

It’s busy everywhere. Benches are full of people and on terraces it is difficult to get a seat. It seems like all the residents of Cadiz are outside on the streets. On the square in front of the Cathedral we manage to get a table where we have a drink and eat a sandwich. There is little wind here and the sun shines brightly, so the temperature even reaches 68 degrees fahrenheit. Ultimately we walk further, look for some geocaches and at 4 pm, after an 5 miles walk, we are back.

Because of the nice weather I take a look at the pier that extends into the sea. It is busy here with hikers. Everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather on this Sunday afternoon. After the sun sets we admire the beautifully colored sky, we eat rice with chicken and watch TV. We won’t make it very late.

The sun also shines in a clear blue sky on Monday. How we have missed this weather in recent months, when it rained a lot. After we have paid for the parking, we leave. We soon drive past Seville. From a high bridge we have a beautiful view of our parking at the harbor and at half past one we arrive in Ayamonte. Here is a gas company located where we can fill up our tanks with propane. That’s good because at this point in the trip our propane tanks can use some filling. After all three tanks have been filled and we have paid, we go to the supermarket to do some shopping and then we drive to the parking lot in Ayamonte.

RV parking in Ayamonte

It is a bit difficult to get onto the site because one barrier has to close before the next barrier opens, but with some maneuvering we succeed and we can get a beautiful spot next to the river, in the full sun. It’s 71 degrees fahrenheit. After having a cup of coffee we walk through the small border town of Ayamonte.

It remains fairly flat along the river, but if we want to return to the end of the harbor we have to climb enormously. There is half a mountain between us and the river.

Boulevard Ayamonte

Poor Dick, climbing isn’t going so smoothly with his new knee. Finally we are back at half past five where we enjoy the boat traffic on the river. The ferry to Portugal on the other side runs quite often. After another beautiful sunset, the temperature drops quickly. We raise our glass to a wonderful holiday.

Unfortunately, it is a lot colder on Tuesday, January 23, despite the fact that the sun is shining brightly. A chilly breeze means that the temperature does not exceed 50 degrees fahrenheit. When I want to pay after breakfast, that turns out not to be possible. According to the computer, our RV is not present on the parking lot and without a license plate I cannot pay. No matter which button I press, nothing works, so at my wits’ end I try to reach the telephone number on the computer. I can’t get hold of anyone there either and again I press a few buttons. And then suddenly there is movement in the barriers and again after some maneuvering and pressing buttons, Dick manages to get past the barriers outside the camper site. Finally we leave the site and without paying. I won’t be standing here again anytime soon.

Portugal is on the other side of the river, so as soon as we cross the border we leave the highway. In the parking lot we can link my Visa card to our license plate in a machine. If we accidentally end up on a toll road, the toll will simply be deducted. Immediately afterwards we leave the toll road and drive north on narrow back roads past endless cork forests. The large number of storks is striking. Every 100 feet you can find a pole where a stork couple has built a nest.

It is not possible to park in the town of Evora. All places are occupied and there is no visible movement that could lead to departure. Unfortunately. We look at the other parking lot in this town, but the uneven sandy plain full of potholes is not really attractive, so we drive on.

Entrance gate in Estremoz

In the fortified town of Estremoz we manage to drive through the small entrance gate, but then we have to find our own way. Our Hakuna takes us to increasingly narrow streets, so we have to go backwards every time. Eventually we manage to get to the large town square in the center of town and we park the RV. The temperature has now risen to 63 degrees Fahrenheit and we enjoy our walk through this Portuguese town. Once again there are orange trees everywhere and I wonder if the fruits are edible. According to Dick not because otherwise the fruits would be removed from the trees. While we walk around we look for a restaurant, but they are either closed or the dishes are not to our taste, so tonight we prepare our own food.

Estremoz parking place

In the evening the many parked cars have left the square and we are almost alone. It is simply magical with the illuminated churches and on the mountain behind us the beautifully illuminated 13th century castle of Estremoz. From this castle, King Manuel ordered the explorer Vasco da Gama to discover India.
Despite the fact that we had an extra hour today (it is an hour earlier in Portugal) we did not have time to walk to this castle so we will definitely come back.

The next morning at 9 am we drive through Elvas where the sun is already shining on the beautifully restored aqueduct. At 9.30 am we cross the border with Spain and it is 10.30 am again. We drive north on a narrow, quiet road, again through forests of cork trees. What is striking is the amount of water along the road.

Steep streets in Caceres

We arrive in Caceres at 12 pm. It’s a good thing we’re so early because there are still a few spots available. After a cup of coffee we walk into this old town, I will also walk through on my camino. To get to the center we have to climb up through narrow steep streets. Often a flat stone is placed next to the lump stones so that we do not have to walk over these uneven stones. Finally we arrive at the Centro Historico where the terraces on Plaza Mayor are too tempting to ignore. So a little later we sit in the sun and have the “Menu del Dia”. It’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit, we can even sit in our T-shirts. The food tastes great and we enjoy it!

Full of energy, after this excellent lunch we climb further up to explore the other narrow streets. The geocaches hidden here take us through the most beautiful streets to the most beautiful buildings and of course, while wandering around, we regularly encounter the yellow Camino arrow. Finally, at the end of the afternoon we are back at the camper, the sun quickly disappears behind the mountains. It cools down immediately, but it is wonderful to listen to the birds tweeting everywhere. Because we had such an extensive meal at 2 pm, we don’t have to cook anymore.

On Thursday, January 25, the sun shines early in the blue sky. There is no wind and the thermometer already shows 52 degrees fahrenheit. It is a relief to see blue skies  every day. After having breakfast, washing dishes, filling and dumping water, we leave. At 10 am we dive into the fog that hangs over the fields. So it’s a good thing we didn’t take the shortcut along the reservoir. We wouldn’t have any visibility there now. It is very hilly here and that is why we climb out of this thick fog after some time. Along the road we regularly see herds of sheep accompanied by a shepherd who, leaning on his stick, keeps an eye on his flock.

At half past one we drive into Salamanca in the bright sun. First we look at the parking lot on the river close to the center, but we leave there quickly. The water level in the river is very high and traces of recent flooding are visible everywhere in this bumpy spot. So a little later we park our camper in the parking lot next to the Repsol gas station. We stayed here also in 2016.

Old Roman bridge in Salamanca

The distance to the center is about 3 miles, so Dick takes out the bicycles and soon we cycle along separate bicycle lanes to the old center. It’s 62 degrees Fahrenheit. We cycle to the center over the “Puente Mayor”, the old Roman bridge which the Via de la Plata also passes.

Salamanca has a high “woooow” factor with its many churches and monumental buildings. Wandering through the narrow streets you feel like you are in the Middle Ages. It is really enjoyable and we are amazed. When we arrive at the impressive facade of the oldest University of Espana (from the year 1218), we look for the “Rana de la Suerte”, the tiny lucky frog that is somewhere on a skull. Unfortunately we cannot discover it. Unfortunately because it is said that discovering the frog brings happiness and a long life.

De Rana de la Suerte

When I arrive in Salamanca again, during my Camino, I have to look for it. But… it is also said that if you get any help in finding the frog, “luck” or “longevity” does not apply. So do I qualify for this after looking at postcards and pictures to see what the frog looks like?
A more logical explanation is that the frog warned young male students against the temptations of life, drinking too much beer but also venereal diseases that the former prostitutes carried with them.

Elsewhere in the city, on the richly decorated portal of the Catedral Nueva you will find an astronaut. It raises questions because this building is centuries old. But during the restoration in 1992, the church wanted to show that it is moving with the times and the contemporary symbol of the astronaut was added. We were also unable to discover this symbol despite searching.

Cafe con Leche with cake

Salamanca is a real student town, it is lively everywhere and all the terraces are full, so when a table becomes available in the sun we sit down. At the end of the afternoon we cycle back to the gas station. While Dick puts the bikes away, I walk to the Lucky shop. It is wonderful to wander around these Chinese bazars and I forget the time because when I come outside again after 1.5 hours it is already dark. Fortunately, we are not very hungry after lunch and our dinner consists of just toast and cheese. There is a lot of traffic in this parking lot at a roundabout, but the fresh air still makes us fall asleep quickly.

On Friday, January 26, despite the traffic noise, we didn’t wake up until 8:30 am. It is foggy and cold outside, the temperature is not higher than 4 degrees. It is a happy day because today, after 5 years, I can take my last pill against breast cancer. Unfortunately, after breaking my wrist in May, a new pill was introduced to prevent osteoporosis, but luckily I only have to take this once a week.

We dump our gray and black water, fill up with clean water and then leave in thick fog. You cannot even see the Cathedral, which is normally visible from a distance.

With full laundry bags to the Lavanderia

Accompanied by this fog, we arrive in Zamora an hour later. It’s nice that we arrive here at 11 am because it gives us the opportunity to wash again. Again we have two laundry bags full. So after the Frankia is parked and we have had coffee, we walk to the lavanderia. The two washing machines I need are available so I can load all our laundry. Because the locals dry their laundry here, there is only 1 dryer available when our laundry is done. So it takes up to 2 hours before everything is dry and put away.
In the meantime, Dick has vacuumed the entire RV, hung up my sports tops and Camino socks (not allowed in the dryer) and walked to the lavanderia several times to see if he could help with folding and carrying it back.

In this street is the Alberque in Zamora

Despite the cold and fog (it is now 46 degrees fahrenheit) I walk into town in the afternoon. Dick prefers to stay inside. It gives me again the opportunity to try out my “Buen Camino” app. I walk to and from the route and take a look at the nice “albergue de peregrino” in town.

Everywhere storks in Zamora

The storks also enjoy it here because from every church tower you can hear their clapping and see these iconic birds. Finally I walk back and look for the warmth inside. Together we raise a glass and eat spaghetti. Zamora stole my heart. What a wonderful place this is.

Early on Saturday morning, January 27, we see the first rays of sunshine breaking through the fog. It froze last night and it is 36 degrees fahrenheit. The frozen mist droplets on our insulation mat glisten towards us. After a delicious breakfast with an egg cooked by Dick we leave and soon drive through a deserted hilly landscape. Only the stone walls stacked everywhere give evidence of habitation. We climb and descend in this mountainous landscape and see clouds hanging in deep valleys. There is a steel blue sky and sun around us. We soon cross the border into Portugal and park our camper at the foot of the hill on top of which stands the Castelo de Braganca. It’s dead quiet and I don’t really feel like staying here. Dick doesn’t understand it and I can’t explain why I want to continue, but after some discussion we leave anyway and continue through the mountains. Sometimes we drive in the sun, sometimes we dive into the fog.

Finally we arrive in Chaves, Portugal at 1.30 pm. There we find a spot in the parking lot of a clearly closed museum. This parking lot is not far from the center and we soon walk in the sun along the river to the center. Here is the Agua Termal Quente, the hot springs that provides water at 163 degrees fahrenheit. At the outside tap I drink the hot water, it tastes salty. Unfortunately we cannot take a bath in the nearby thermal baths.

Walking along the river in Chaves

The doors will not open again until February 1. So we walk around the town, along the river and through the parks and look for geocaches. When we are almost home our paths split. Dick goes back while I take a look at the Decathlon on the edge of the town. It is a bit of a walk and ultimately disappointing because this Decathlon (sporting goods store) is very small. Fortunately, there is also a large Leclerc supermarket nearby where I find an offer for Cola Cola Zero, so I can surprise Dick with his favorite soft drink. After I have delivered my purchases at home, I walk back to the town where Dick discovered a Kebab restaurant. A little later we have a good meal and enjoy a beautiful sunset. At night it turns out that the area is used for car-racing because it is very noisy, but nevertheless we have a good night’s sleep.

When we get up on Sunday morning it is very foggy and only 41 degrees fahrenheit. It’s a good thing we attached our insulation mat last night. After breakfast we leave and drive further west through ghostly villages. The road winds in this border region, then we drive into Spain and then into Portugal. Every now and then the sun manages to penetrate the fog for a while, but only when we climb higher into the mountains we leave the fog behind us and have sun and blue sky. We arrive in Ourense at 11 am. There is no space available in the parking lot for our Frankia. Fortunately, Dick sees movement in one of the RV’s. When I walk towards it, it turns out that it will leave within fifteen minutes, so we wait patiently until the camper has left and park our Frankia in this, extremely suitable spot for a large camper.

Old fire trucks in Ourense

We are still early, it is only 11.30 am and we walk leisurely to the center. We take the walking path along the river that takes us to old fire trucks. It’s fun to see these old cars and imagine what it would be like to take them out.

After passing a futuristic bridge that resembles a roller coaster, probably you can climb it, we walk over the Ponte Vella, the old Roman bridge, into the center of Ourense. We don’t have to look for the way because there are scallop shells cemented into the sidewalk everywhere.

Old city center in Ourense

Once again we walk on the Via de la Plata. So time to take another picture. The center of Ourense is built on a hill and we have to climb quite a bit to get there. Later we see that some side streets have escalators going up, but then we are already at the top. When we find a vacant table in the sun on the Plaza Mayor, we take a break while drinking a Cafe con Leche. We don’t linger as long as the Spaniards, who enjoy a coffee for hours.

As soon as the coffee is finished we leave again to explore another part of town. Here too there are narrow streets and imposing buildings. A geocache takes us to a small square with a hot spring. We look around and then pass the “albergue de peregrino”. When we look there, the manager is just arriving. We have a chat and when I ask how the occupancy is, I learn that there is always a place to sleep available here. Reassuring to know. When we walk back, the streets are almost deserted. The terraces are removed, the tables and chairs are stacked. It’s siesta and everything is closing, so we leisurely walk back. Since Dick has no desire to climb the “Puente del Milenio”, I walk back alone.

“Puente de Milenio”

This futuristic bridge was inaugurated on September 1, 2001 and became a symbol of contemporary Ourense. The path, made in an elliptical shape, leads 72 feet up to the sky via 100 steps and then descends 72 feet down to the river. At the start of the climb I have to swallow hard. The steps lead steeply up. However, the climb is easy and at the top I am rewarded with a beautiful view.

Time for the descent

But then comes the steep descent, my heart pounds in my throat and I am happy when I am back at river level. Yet I have to experience the same feelings again, this time with the ascent and descent on the other side. But many residents do this and from the fact that they move easily you can deduce that it is not the first time they have climbed this bridge. And the sun that is now shining fully is the reward. Once I have completed the entire ellipse, I leisurely walk back. What a nice experience this was. Unfortunately Dick wasn’t here.
Our evening meal (rice with vegetables, lettuce and meatballs) tastes very good after all that fresh air today.

On Monday, January 29, we leave Ourense after breakfast. We will definitely return. Not only to climb the bridge together but also to take a bath in the hot springs here. We drive through a beautiful rugged mountain landscape to Santiago de Compostella.
Blue-yellow signs with a scallop shell regularly remind us that we are driving along the Camino Sanabres. Now I can also explore the last part of my Camino.
And then we arrive at the large parking lot near the center of Santiago. We pay the daily rate, have a chat with the guard and then park our RV in the almost empty parking lot. While Dick makes coffee, I dump our black water. We haven’t had the opportunity to do that in recent days. After coffee we walk to the bus stop on the road. Bus #1 is just arriving so we get on. It is not really necessary to take the bus because it is only a 1 mile walk to the center, but if the bus arrive…

We get out at the market hall and look around. Unfortunately we are too late, there are only a few stalls left open. Most have now closed. So we soon continue walking and wander through the narrow streets of the old town.

Bar “La Tita”

We look around at shops and then Dick points to Bar “La Tita”. It is busy and all tables are occupied, but when a table becomes available outside, Dick has already taken a seat. At this time, before 1 pm, that is still possible. A little later, while we are already enjoying “Hamburguesa Tita”, we see people waiting on the edge of the opposite arcades until it is finally their turn to eat or drink something. The food tastes good and of course I send a picture to Hannah and Henk. When they arrived in Santiago by bike, they also had dinner here. They had rain, while we have a faint sun with a temperature of 61 degrees fahrenheit.

Strengthened by the food, we wander further through Santiago.Because all streets lead to the Cathedral, it does not take long before we enter this impressive church.
Unfortunately, the Botafumeiro, the largest censer in the world, is not there. According to tradition, it was used to purify the air in the Cathedral from impurities and malodors from the pilgrims. Now, seeing the censer swinging around in church, is more of a tourist attraction. Unfortunately, you never know when it will happen.
Fortunately, we saw the censer in operation when I ended my first Camino. Very impressive because the enormous censer rises very high when swinging.

Apostel Santiago in the cathedral

As we wander around the silent cathedral we see that it is again possible to embrace the statue of apostol Santiago, an emotional gesture that represents gratitude, respect and the end of a long journey. Unfortunately, it was not possible to hug Santiago when I completed my pilgrimage. The corridor leading to it had been closed since the outbreak of Corona. Now it is possible and it is quiet so we climb the stairs to the statue. I don’t understand why, but as I climb the stairs tears flow from my eyes and I hug the apostol while crying. It really is a moment of great emotion. Even for someone who wasn’t raised with saints.
Dick clearly has less interest and follows me without even thinking about a hug.

We spend some time in the Cathedral and then we walk outside again where we take a look at the Pilgrim Office. Today 43 pilgrims arrived there. How different this was when I arrived here in September 2022 after walking the Camino Frances. Then long lines of pilgrims stood inside and outside waiting to get their Compostella.

Every day along the camino you receive a stamp at the church or albergue in the “Credencial de Peregrino”, a credential issued by the church that proves that you are a pilgrim. Upon arrival in Santiago, the stamps are proof that you walked or cycled the required number of miles and you can receive a “Compostela”, a certificate that indicates that the pilgrimage has been completed.
Hopefully I will be here again at the end of May 2024 to receive a Compostella after completing the Via de la Plata and Camino Sanabres.

The large square in front of the cathedral in Santiago

And then we arrive at the large square in front of the Cathedral. It is always a magical moment when you arrive here, even if you are not walking. We sit on an edge for some time and look over the almost empty square. Eventually we’ve wandered around enough and we walk back to the street from where the bus leaves to the parking lot. Once there, I walk to the supermarket further away while Dick stays at the parking. He thinks he has walked enough with 6.5 miles. When I get back it has become a lot cooler and the temperature does not exceed 50 degrees fahrenheit. It is expected to be even colder tonight. We therefore place our insulation mat in front of the window and then drink a glass of wine and talk about this special day in Santiago de Compostella.

It is already light on Tuesday January 30 when we get up at 8.30 am. We notice that we are further west, in the morning it stays dark longer, but in the evening we have light for longer. After breakfast, dumping, filling water (requires a key) and paying, we leave this nice parking lot and drive through the mountainous landscape of Galicia past endless eucalyptus forests.

RV parking with a view in Fisterra

At 12.30 pm we drive into the parking lot by the sea in Fisterre. The sky is steel blue, the sun is shining, there is no wind and it’s 62 degrees fahrenheit.

We park where we always park and have a chat with our German neighbors who live here for at least 6 years. While we are talking, the manager of this parking lot arrives and immediately recognizes us and a hug follows. After having a nice chat and drinking coffee, which is a regular occurrence when we arrive somewhere, we walk into this nice little town. We look at the harbor and stroll through the narrow streets. The weather forecast is favorable so we will definitely stay tomorrow.

Hairdresser Victor in Fisterra

I’ve been trying to get a haircut for weeks, but it did not work because many people were waiting or the hairdresser was closed. But as we walk around, Dick sees a hairdresser that just has opened, so while Dick walks back, I climb the stairs and open a door. After fifteen minutes I can sit in the hairdresser’s chair and my long locks are finally cut.
How happy I am when I stand outside again. Apparently it is not too short because even Dick, who likes long hair, nods approvingly when he looks at the hairdresser’s work. Together we walk to the fish market, but because we cannot find a place that meets this requirement, we return. In the evening we walk to the harbor again, this time to eat. The season has clearly not started yet because many restaurants are renovating, but luckily we find one restaurant that is open. The food is excellent.

Sunrise in Fisterra

After a beautiful sunrise on this last day of January and a delicious breakfast with a boiled egg, we walk to the lavanderia with our two laundry bags. While I start the washing process, Dick walks back to the camper where he vacuums the floor. He regularly comes back to see if he can help with folding (we use our legs instead of our mobile phones) and around 1 pm everything is put away in the cupboards and our bed is covered. Now that our chores are done, it’s time to go out. When Dick takes out the bicycles, his front tire turns out to be flat.

Patching a tire in the sun

Fortunately the weather is beautiful, so he can repair the tire while sitting outside and not much later we are on our way.
We drive leisurely through town to the Cabo de Fisterre, which used to be the end of the world. Down by the water, is a geocache hidden. Shoes have been left everywhere and you find clothing hidden under rocks. Tradition wanted pilgrims to burn their clothes and shoes here. Nowadays that is prohibited. There has probably been a cleaning campaign because there is considerably less here than when we climbed around here a year ago. Of course I also greet Apostol Santiago (St. James) who is standing near the cross on the rocks.

My beloved pilgrim song tells about this:

“Et tout la bas au bout du continent
“Messire Jacques nous attend            
“Depuis toujours son sourire fixe      
“Le soleil qui meurt au Finisterre   

And over there at the end of the continent
Awaits us Lord James
Since always his smile has been on his face
Looking at the sun setting in Finisterre.

It’s beautiful here on the Cape with the sun reflecting in the water and we hang around for a while. Of course we take a picture at kilometer marker 0.0 and another at the image of the pilgrim making his way against the wind and then we leisurely cycle back. Of course I can’t resist the Chinese bazaars, there are even two in this town, and I walk around there a little later. Then we talk a bit with the manager who tells us where we can wash our dirty RV.
He advises us also to visit the Ezaro waterfall, which is worthwhile. So we decide to stay another day. Our parking spot will be held so we don’t have to worry about that.
We’re leaving and don’t have to pay yet. Here, at the end of the world, there is still confidence in humanity.
In the evening all restaurants in the harbor are closed. Fortunately, a Turkish snack bar is open where we eat kebab. We walk back in the night through a dead quiet Fisterre.

Special RV wash box in Cee

The first day of February starts again with a steel blue sky and sun, but when we are on our way to Cee we encounter a thick cloud cover.
The washing area is high enough for our camper and after we put money in the machine, a lot of green foam appears and we can soap our camper. You see the dirt loosening from the sides. Finally, after a lot of soaping, scrubbing and spraying, the camper is sparkling clean again and we drive further along the bay from where we can regularly take a look at the Cabo Fisterre.

Waterfall in Evora

In Evora we have to look for the waterfall, but eventually we find a parking and walk to the beginning of the waterfall. The water rushes down and against the rock wall with great force and is impressive, we feel the water splashes. And we are really a long way from the waterfall. The original path to the foot of the waterfall continues but has decayed and is therefore hermetically sealed.

It’s a pity that we are still in the shade with the low sun at this time of year. I will definitely come back here in high summer. After many photos from different angles, we eventually walk back and drive back to Fisterre where we park the Frankia in our reserved spot.

Because it is still early afternoon, I walk to the beautiful church at the end of town. But when I get there I see that it is only a short distance to climb to the “Ermida de San Guillerme”. There I have a beautiful view of the entire bay. And then it turns out to be only a short distance to the Cape, so I continue walking. It’s fun to descent the mountain to the ocean.

View from Cabo Fisterra

When you see the endless mass of water, it is understandable that, in earlier times, this place on the Costa da Morte was referred to as “the end of the world”. It is not without reason that you can see the last sunset on the European mainland from here. With the steel blue sky and sun it is enchanting. After a last look at the apostol Santiago (St. James), I walk back. It’s nice that I now cycled and walked to the Cape.

Farewell to the camp manager

At home we have a nice chat with the manager, pay for the nights we spent here and promise to return soon. At 7 pm we walk again to the harbor where, fortunately, our restaurant is open and again we enjoy a good meal.

We leave Fisterre on Friday, February 2 at 8.30 am. The sun is shining brightly, but an icy wind is blowing. We drive straight through mountainous Galicia to the north coast where we find a parking lot in Foz, on a large lawn on the bay. It is low tide and in front of us stretches a bare sandy plain, only crossed by a few water streams that flow towards the sea. After heavy fog in the mountains, we have steel blue sky and sun here, so we explore town. I can only say one word: it is deadly boring, there is no shop in sight, no supermarket and there are no people on the streets.

Rocky beach in Foz

Eventually we reach the coast where we descend to the beach and find a cache between the rocks and caves. This part of Foz, as well as the wild boulders in the sea, make our walk still fun. Unfortunately, more and more clouds have arrived and when we are back, it is gray and icy cold. It takes some time to warm up again.We don’t go out in the evening anymore. I still have some cans of Chili con Carne that we heat up and eat with bread. It is not bad.

It becomes clear that this is a place where many people like to stay when one camper after another arrives at the end of the afternoon. In the evening all places are occupied and we have at least 40 Spanish neighbors.

When we get up at 8 am on Saturday, February 3, it is still dark. Although the sun tries to color the sky, a thick cloud cover rises and when we leave at 9 am we only see a faint sun. Through sometimes heavy fog banks we drive straight through the mountains to Ponferada where the sun comes out again and at 1 pm we park between the apartment buildings in Astorga. The sky is now steel blue, the sun is shining and it is 64 degrees fahrenheit. Good that we left the north coast. Even though we have wandered around Astorga many times, this remains a place we like to visit every time. We have a drink on a terrace on the Plaza Mayor, enjoy the sun and the people strolling around.

In the evening we walk again to the center where we eat in the Irish tabern not far from the albergue peregrino. A good choice, the food is good, it is not without reason that all tables are occupied. We walk back in the evening past the beautifully illuminated Cathedral and Gaudi’s Palacio. It is busy on the streets and people are still sitting outside on the terraces everywhere, at 50 degrees fahrenheit. There is a really different way of life in Spain.

We wake up before 8 am on Sunday February 4 and after breakfast we drive to the arena where we dump our gray and black water. It is freezing, so it is questionable whether there is drinking water, but when we turn on the tap, water comes out and we can fill up.

Valverde La Virgin

We stop in the small town of Valverde La Virgin, on the Camino Frances, and take pictures of the storks nesting on the church tower. Because there is no wind and plenty of sun, it does not really feel cold, although the temperature is still 41 degrees fahrenheit. We arrive in Burgos at 1 pm where we park next to the La Plata shopping center. Because the weather is so nice, we walk to the center. To do this, we only have to follow the yellow arrows that are everywhere. After all we walk the Camino Frances. Before arriving at the cathedral we pass the albergue municipal. We look into the lobby and from the street I show Dick the roof terrace where I dried my laundry. I’m talking Dick’s ears off. Poor Dick, he’s probably heard this already several times. Only now he has an image of it.

The cathedral in Burgos

Not far from the albergue is the cathedral that we enter. I brought our credentials (yes, Dick has one too) so, in addition to a stamp, we both receive a pilgrim discount on the entrance fee and then walk inside. The outside of the cathedral is already impressive, but inside it is unbelievable how richly decorated this church is. Everywhere there are aisles with statues, richly decorated altars and beautiful paintings. We can’t get enough of it, it’s impressive.

Inside the cathedral

After walking through endless cloisters, full of marble statues and beautiful tapestries and after one last view of the cathedral courtyard, we leave this beautiful cathedral again.
We walk back leisurely in the warm sun. Because it is already 6 pm, we enter the shopping center on our way back and order a menu at the restaurant. After the 6.5 miles walk, the three-course meal tastes great. In the evening we only drink coffee and watch TV. It was a lovely day.

Fortunately, we attached the insulating mat for the windshield last night because when we get up at 8 am on Monday morning, the thermometer shows 30 degrees fahrenheit. The parked cars around us have a thick layer of ice on the windshield.
We arrive in Vitoria Gasteiz at 11 am. It is still very quiet, but as the day progresses more and more campers arrive and by the evening almost all places are occupied. Unfortunately we left the sun and blue sky behind in Burgos, here it is gray.
That’s not a bad thing because it’s laundry day again. I only have to cross the parking lot and then I reach the lavanderia. In the meantime, Dick is going to take care of the windows because they are really dirty, but he also has time to vacuum the camper and help me fold the laundry. At 3 pm we have finished all our chores and walk past some geocaches. Fortunately the sun has broken through again and it is very pleasant outside. Of course we also go to Eroski, the supermarket across the street. We buy dinner and pick out dessert. The Judia Plana (string beans) with baked potato and minced meat tastes good.

Unfortunately, when we get up at 8 am on Tuesday, February 6, it is foggy again and it is cold. After breakfast we dump and fill up with water and leave. On the opposite way of the road we see enormous rows of tractors and long traffic jams form. Farmers’ protests also take place here.
We arrive early in Pamplona, just in time because there are already rows of tractors ready to block the road. Pamplona has several parkings and we choose the one closest to the center. Fortunately there is a spot empty. After paying we walk to the elevator that takes us to the upper town. That’s nice because now we don’t have to climb the steep city walls. We stroll around the narrow streets of Pamplona. Of course I show Dick the albergue municipale, located in an old church, and then we arrive at the beautiful square in the center.

Bocadillo in Pamplona

We cannot resist the sight of a delicious Bocadillo with Jamon and after first buying cream for sore muscles at the Pharmacia, we enjoy the fresh bread outside. All the bars are closed now. With a full stomach we walk around the city walls and then we arrive back at the elevator that takes us to the lower city.

We are back at 4 pm. Because we passed a Decathlon on our way to the parking, only 2 miles away, I decide to take a look around there. It turns out to be a great idea because I find nice thin hiking pants and an orange rain jacket. The latter is important because the zippers on the pockets of my old rain jacket are broken. I can return the purchase if I don’t like it. However, that is not necessary because Dick also likes my purchase. We had the enormous Bocadillo at 3 pm so we don’t have much appetite anymore and I don’t need to cook anymore.
At night the temperature drops to freezing point so our heating starts.

On Wednesday, February 7, the sun shines and the sky is steel blue, but it is cold, only 36 degrees fahrenheit. Nice weather to cross the Pyrenees. So after dumping and filling up with water we leave. After we have driven through Pamplona we arrive at the narrow mountain road that leads to France. The fields around us are white with frost and we regularly cross the Camino Frances.

Today no snow!!

At an altitude of 3100 feet we stop at the pass and enjoy the sun. Unlike last year, there is no snow here now. Everything is deserted in Roncesvalles so we drive on. We stop briefly at Roldan’s monument. In the year 778, the Battle of Roncevaux took place here and a Basque force defeated Charlemagne’s army, army leader Roeland was killed. The epic “Chanson de Roland” is based on this.

We look around at the beautiful mountain world and then follows a steep descent to Saint Jean Pied de Port, France or called in the Basque language: Donibani Garazi. We park at the parking for RV’s. It is very quiet because there is only one other camper.

Saint Jean Pied de Port

Even though it is a small village, it is very picturesque and especially now that the sun is shining it is wonderful to walk around here. Unfortunately, just like last year, our sports shop, Boutique du Pellerin, is still closed. So it won’t be possible to buy a new rain poncho here. It’s a pity because the one I would like to buy is attractively displayed in the front porch. Dick, who anticipated this closure, sent an email but did not receive any response.

It is not the only store that is closed. On our walk through town, many more shops appear to be closed. After lighting a candle in church, we slowly walk back. Then I walk to the other end of the town where two geocaches are hidden and there is also a Lidl where I buy fried rice with meat that turns out to taste good.

There is a thick cloud cover on Thursday, February 8, but it is not cold, 56 degrees fahrenheit. We drive north on narrow back roads. At one point we miss a sign because we arrive at a bridge that is prohibited for more than 7716 Lb and therefore for our Frankia. But having a detour will take many extra miles, so we take the chance and cross the narrow bridge. Fortunately, oncoming traffic only arrives when we are almost at the other side and with some maneuvering we manage to pass each other. Not much later we park the Frankia at the former station in Creon. The parking is completely empty. After a cup of coffee we walk around the dead town. The weather is also gloomy so no one goes outside for fun.

Artiques pres Bordeaux

So when we are back we decide to continue driving to Artigues pres Bordeaux. At 5 pm we arrive at the parking lot next to the old Romanesque church. Fortunately, a large group of hikers, who had parked their cars here, are just leaving, freeing up space to park our camper. That’s nice because we don’t like driving any further. Nearby is a geocache that we need for a challenge so I walk there. Because we arrived late, it is already dusk when I get back. We eat simple, bratwurst and lettuce and watch TV.

On Friday February 9, the church bells wake us up, they chime 8 times. Many of the campers that parked here last night have already left. We are on our way at 9 am and drive through the Bordeaux wine region. At this time of year the vines are still bare and the sky is gray and cloudy so it looks a bit gloomy. As we drive further northwest it rains regularly. The landscape changes and the vines make way for the flat coastal landscape with water basins where shellfish are farmed. Just before noon we cross the bridge to Ile d’Oleron. It’s low tide. Above the island we see blue sky appearing.
Road construction means that we have to detour virtually the entire island before arriving in St. Pierre d’Oleron. We park the camper in the large parking lot of LeClerc. Signs state that parking for long periods of time is not allowed, but we think this does not apply to us, especially at this time of year and because we are leaving again tomorrow. After coffee we walk into the town. Unfortunately it is located inland, so you do not notice that we are on an island. However, the sun is shining and it is wonderful to walk around.

Laterne des Morts

Geocaches take us to beautiful places in the town. The “Laterne des Morts” is special, the towering stone tower as a constant reminder of the deceased. The fire that burns high above is the symbol of the immortality of the spirit. Beautiful.
At the end of the afternoon we are back, the sun is still shining and it is 64 degrees Fahrenheit. We are lucky. Because we have run out of French propane, we walk together to the gas station where we can exchange our tank. Propane has become cheaper because we pay a few euros less than at the beginning of January. Of course I also walk into the large supermarket. Not only to buy food for tonight but also to look around, Dick prefers to stay at home. When it gets dark I emerge again and start cooking.  Dick says the cauliflower, burgers and fried potatoes taste good.
It rains long and hard at night. It is a good thing that our Frankia undergoes an annual waterproofing test.

When we get up at 8 am on Saturday, February 10, it is dry. Again we have to drive around half the island to reach the bridge to the mainland. All around us in this tidally marked country we see basins where shellfish are farmed. This area is apparently also attractive for storks because stork nests have been built on every high-voltage pylon and all these nests are also populated.

Old postcard La Roche sur Yon

Before we know it, we are already in Rochefort. At the capitainery (the harbor) we can dump and fill up with water and because our tanks are full (grey water) and empty (clean water) that works out well. After 20 minutes we drive further and at 12.30 pm we arrive in La Roche sur Yon. It’s nice that we are so early because now we can follow the funeral of dear old Francien on our laptop. She passed away on February 1 at an old age. After the funeral we walk into the town.

Tonight we have a geocache event in the center and we want to see where it is.
Various mechanical animals reside in the Bassins on Place Napoleon. They are connected to a control panel that allows the audience to move parts of the animal. Of course we want to see that too. A narrow path along the river leads to the center. Although there are many clouds, the sun is shining so it is nice outside. When we arrive at the basins, many control panels appear still out of order.

Mechanical Hippopotamus in park Place Napoleon

Disappointing because even though it is nice to see a huge hippo in the water, it cannot be brought to life. Only parts of frogs can be moved. We quickly got tired of these animals and when we are caught by a rain shower, we enter a bakery where we drink coffee and of course order a pastry. When we are outside again the sun is shining again, a good timing. We stroll through the streets for a while before returning to the camper.

At 6.30 pm we walk back and wait for other geocachers on a windy and cold square. It is not really warm outside and we are pleasantly surprised when the attendees enter a pub.

Geocache event

Upon inquiry this appears to be customary. Once every two months they get together here, drink a beer and talk about their geocache experiences and travel plans. It’s nice to chat with each other and we warm up nicely.

At 8 pm we say goodbye to each other as friends. If we are ever in the area again, we will definitely visit again. Drinking a beer together indoors is a very good tip for our geocache events, especially if the weather conditions are not optimal. In the Netherlands we regularly get outside to chill. Full of this experience we walk back to the camper where we eat some toast and soup. All the restaurants were overcrowded and we could nowhere to go for our dinner.

We are on our way before 10 am on Sunday, February 11. There is little traffic so within 4 hours we cover the 161 miles to St. Malo. We park our camper in the parking lot near the sea. There is only one other camper, strange because other times it was always busy here. The dark clouds we saw along the way have all disappeared and blue sky and sun appears. It is cold due to an icy wind and the temperature does not exceed 48 degrees fahrenheit. Dick prefers to stay inside but I will take a look at a cape where a geocache is hidden.

Low tide in the bay of Saint Malo

It is low tide so I try to find my way across the partly dried up part of the bay. Not only is it much more fun, it is also considerably shorter. However, it does require a lot of climbing and clambering over dry rocks and you have to be careful where to put your feet because there are water holes everywhere between the rocks. But it’s fun and to my great pleasure I find some beautiful scallops, symbol of the Camino. I’m not the only one clambering around here. Whole families climb up and down the rocks.

They don’t look for scallops but for crabs and other sea creatures to have a meal tonight. Eventually I have had enough and clamber to the other edge of the bay where I reach the mainland via some stone steps worn out by the sea. After arriving on the top I walk to the very end of the Cape. This walk also appears to be a favorite outing for the French, given the crowds around me. After a lot of searching and searching, I finally find the geocache, which is cunningly hidden between the boulders, and then I walk back. I descend again to the beach, walk across the dried-up part of the bay and finally arrive at our Frankia, blown away and satisfied with my expedition. The macaroni in the evening with chicken and bacon tastes excellent.

Although some clouds can be seen on Monday, February 12, they soon clear and we can welcome blue sky and sun. We eat our last Spanish Oroweat bread. Unfortunately because it is delicious bread and you cannot buy this type of bread in France. Then we walk to the bus stop at the edge of the parking lot and take bus 6 to the city center of St. Malo. The cold wind makes the temperature feel like 45 degrees Fahrenheit and we don’t like cycling in this cold. Despite the fact that it is Monday morning, we are not alone in the narrow streets of the walled city center of St. Malo. There are quite a few people walking. It is cold and we regularly look for a sunny spot to warm up.

Cathedral St. Vincent in Saint Malo

St. Vincent’s Cathedral appears to be open and of course we take a look inside. This church was seriously damaged in 1944, but after restoration a beautiful House of God was created.
A little further on I see a nice hoodie in the shop window and I can’t resist the urge to try it on. It turns out to fit perfectly and is very warm and if there is also a 50% discount I can’t resist buying this beautiful hoodie, while Dick is the one who needs new hoodies. However, he don’t want to look for new ones. After a while we walk to the pier that extends far into the sea and is completely in the sun.

The pier in Saint Malo

It is wonderful to walk here after the cold in the narrow, shaded streets within the walls. Finally we walk back again.
If a menu looks good, we enter a restaurant. We have a good lunch and with a full belly we leave the restaurant at 3 pm. We walk over the city walls towards the bus stop while enjoying the view of the sea and beach. Just before 4 pm the bus drops us off again at Parking Le Davier. There we discover the cause of the lack of campers, it turns out to be “forbidden” to spend the night here. Because we don’t want to push our luck, we decide not to stay another night but to leave. Unfortunately, the parking lot at the supermarket in Cancale is too small, so we drive to Pontorson where we arrive at 6.30 pm. That’s nice because now I can do some shopping. Not for tonight’s dinner because we have already eaten, but for the coming days. In the meantime, Dick logs the geocaches we found in St. Malo.

Tuesday September 13th is gray, really weather for washing, so after breakfast I collect all our laundry, remove the bedding and together we walk to the laverie located on the road. At this early hour there is no one else yet so I can use the machines I want. While Dick walks back to the camper, cleans the windows and vacuums, I wait at the machines until they are ready. Some items of clothing have dirty stripes. It almost never happens, but now I have encountered a dirty washing machine. I put everything in the dryer anyway, it will disappear the next time I wash it. As always, Dick is back at the laverie on time to help fold all the laundry and together we walk all the clean clothes back.
In the afternoon I walk to the other side of Pontorson to the Lidl supermarket. Of course this is strange when you’re parked next to a supermarket, but it gives me a purpose to walk. In the meanwhile Dick cleans the front and back of the Frankia. It is very dirty again after the heavy rain of the past few days. It is striking that the farmlands are covered with water. It rained a lot here too. When I get back we walk into our supermarket together. The TjingTao beer is in the advertisement, so in the evening we drink a delicious Chinese beer with our rice dish. Just like in many cities in France, the street lights are turned off at 8 pm so we stay in a pitch black parking.

Unfortunately for Dick, who did his best to make the Frankia presentable again, there is a strong wind and it rains every now and then when we are on our way to Cherbourg on Wednesday morning. We arrive in Cherbourg at noon, again with a dirty camper. The parking is located next to the port of Cherbourg and because of the refugees, separated by high fences and barbed wire with razorblades. Unfortunately, many of the parking spaces intended for campers are occupied by parked RV’s and many, many parked cars. But we’re lucky, a car is just leaving so we can park our Frankia.

Passenger terminal “Cité de la Mer”

We take a look at the quay where the museum “Cite de la Mer” is located. It is housed in the “Gare Transatlantique de Cherbourg” where the large cruise ships moor. The submarine “Le Redoutable” is located in the outdoor area. It is France’s first nuclear submarine, which served from 1971 to 1991 and could accommodate a crew of 135 people. During that time, it spent approximately 90,000 hours underwater. We have previously visited this impressive submarine from the inside, but now we will only take a look at the outside (also because there is a geocache here).

Because the gates are open at the end of the long quay, we walk through. It’s not allowed because we are not authorized, but the local fishermen do it too. We are now on the quay where the Titanic started its great journey across the Atlantic Ocean. How that fatal journey went and what happened after a collision with an iceberg can be followed very clearly in the museum. Even though it has been 5 years since we saw that film, we still remember it. Because it is actually too cold to walk around in just a hoodie so we walk back to the camper, get our jacket and then walk to the center of Cherbourg.

Painting for sale “Only $ 1525”

We both believe that you can always enjoy walking around here. I see a painting in a shop window and immediately fall in love. Unfortunately, it remains in the shop because when I ask about the price inside, it turns out that I have to pay 1400 euros. We both think this is too expensive. Unfortunately, I could already see it hanging on our wall. To warm up we drink coffee in a pastry shop and then continue walking through the city. When we arrive at the Montagne du Roule (a high rock) we go our separate ways. Dick walks leisurely back to the camper while I climb the mountain. In the heart of this mountain there are defenses with a system of corridors and viewpoints in various places. During the Second World War it was used to defend the port of Cherbourg.

View on Cherbourg

The steep climb is a good practice for my pilgrimage and when I reach the top I am rewarded not only with a beautiful view of Cherbourg but also with a geocache. I won’t be back until the end of the afternoon, but I am satisfied. At 7 pm we walk along the harbor to our Thai. Even though we haven’t been here for a year, the food we are served still tastes good. We drive to Cherbourg again and again for this Thai restaurant alone.

Because there is some blue sky and sun on Thursday, February 15, and we are still ahead of our travel schedule, we decide to stay another day. After breakfast, Dick takes out the bikes and a little later we cycle in the sun. Around 12.30 pm we pass a bakery. It’s very busy and after our bicycles are chained up we walk inside. The filled baguettes convince us and we soon enjoy our bread and coffee. Later we ride along the foot of the “Montagne du Roule” and decide to cycle up to enjoy the view. Unfortunately, the clouds have increased and it even starts to drizzle, so the view is disappointing. We cycle back to the camper and then I want to walk to the Action (cheap shop with all different articles). I need more exercise. It means that I have to go through half Cherbourg, but I have a nice goal to walk to.
The sun shines again and it is considerably warmer, so it is a pleasant walk. I buy 2 sports tops but as I cannot try it on in the shop I expose my upperbody in the nearby bushes and try them on. The sports tops appears to fit well so I continue my walk. I don’t know what the passing motorists were thinking. After all, it’s still winter and the bushes are still bare. When I return home at 6 pm Dick is waiting for me with hot chocolate.

Diner in the “Thai restaurant”

In the dark evening we walk to our Thai restaurant and again we are served an excellent meal. The green curry I ordered is even better. When we get back home we don’t make it late, we are both rosy.

On Friday, February 16, we get up at 7.30 am and it is still dark, but when we leave at 9 am we see blue skies, only a few clouds can be seen in the horizon. Until the town of Caen we drive on a 4-lane road, but then we follow very narrow roads to the north. The last part to Honfleur we have to take the toll road. I still find it strange that there is no toll-free route for heavy vehicles (cars over 7716 Lb). There is enough parking place in Honfleur so we can park our camper at our regular spot. Because the weather is so nice I want to go out, Dick prefers to stay with the camper. So I decide to walk to Leclerc’s large supermarket. When I’m almost there I see that the Pont de Normandie is not that far anymore, so I continue walking.

Pont de Normandië

This Pont de Normandie opened in January 1995 and was at that moment the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world and has a span between the pylons of 2808 feet. This toll bridge, running high over the river Seine, consists of 4 lanes with on both sides a narrow bicycle lane and, separated from it by a stone ledge, a small footpath. Unfortunately, the sun disappears behind a thick layer of clouds when I walk onto the bridge. There is a virtual geocache at the first pylon, no hidden box but you have to take a picture of yourself on the bridge. Despite the climb up, it is easy to walk, you just get dizzy from the endless stream of trucks rushing by at 55 miles per hour. Finally I reach the first pylon where I take a picture and look into the horrifying depths below me. It is no longer that far to the middle of the bridge, but there is a strong wind so high on the bridge. Walking to the middle of the bridge will happen another time when there is less wind. Preferably with Dick because it’s scary so high above the Seine. It is a relief to be off the bridge again.

After buying some food at Leclerc, I leisurely walk back home. I end up walking 7 miles. In the evening I walk to the Kebab restaurant to get food. Unfortunately, it closed for renovation just after our last visit in January. The small supermarket next door gets a new owner and is also dismantled, so it’s good that I bought some food this afternoon after my bridge escapade. We eat simply, bread with meat and salad, because I don’t want to cook extensively.

Chalk cliffs in Fecamp

Unfortunately, it is gray when we get up at 8 am on February 17. Our plan was to walk together onto the Pont Normandy from the Le Havre side, but when we drive over the bridge it is raining and clouds hang over the top of the bridge. We therefore abandon our plan and drive on to Fecamp. According to our camper app, the parking no longer exists here, but when we arrive we still see a parking lot for campers and cars. It is smaller and there are no longer dump facilities, but you don’t have to pay anything anymore. While we drink coffee, the clouds partly disappear, so in the afternoon we walk through Fecamp in the sunshine. Here too, the tourist season has not yet started and only locals are walking around. To be on the safe side, we reserve a table in a restaurant at the harbor for tonight.

Then we alternately walk through narrow streets, over piers and along the wide boulevard. The chalk cliffs on both sides of the beach are impressive and because the beach consists only of pebbles you can constantly hear them rolling back and forth as the otherwise calm sea hits the beach. We enjoy it and just like in Finisterre, it feels like spring here.

Sunset in Fecamp

When we get back to the camper, we manage to decipher the location of a geocache based on data we found along the way, so at the end of the afternoon I walk to the boulevard. There the sun is sinking further and further towards the sea. It is busy on the pebble beach, many people do not want to miss this magical moment. I also stay here for a while and take pictures, but eventually I tear myself away and walk back.
At 7 pm we walk towards the beach again and enter our restaurant. The food is very tasty. We will definitely come back here.

On Sunday February 18, it rains and there is a thick cloud cover. We drive to Boulogne sur Mer on back roads. Every now and then we see a glimpse of the gray sea. Here too, the fields are covered with a layer of water. As we approach Boulogne the visibility is 0.0 due to fog banks. Unfortunately, the RV parking lot behind the casino is not available. A new apartment building is being built and the question is whether you will ever be able to park here again. So we drive on and 16 miles further north we park in Wissant.

Rainbow from the RV parking in Wissant

We walk through this unknown town and let ourselves be guided by geocaches. We finally reach the beach. The sun drives away the clouds more and more and it is wonderful to walk around. On the boulevard it’s even busy with people strolling along. We are back at our Frankia at the end of the afternoon. Just in time because a little later it starts to rain very heavily. At the same time, the sky turns red-orange through the trees, which contrasts strangely with the black sky above our camper.

Unfortunately, the sky is gray when we get up at 8 am on Monday, February 19. This parking has no drinking water but we can dump our gray and black water. Then we leave and after passing Calais we drive inland. Our destination is Revin and the road there takes us now and then through Belgium. Traces of farmers’ protests can be seen everywhere along the road, stacked tractor tires pushed aside, but at various roundabouts also piled up hay under the car tires is still smoldering. Glad we weren’t here when the protests were going on.
We arrive in Revin at 2 pm. To our surprise, the parking for RV’s is completely deserted. We have never experienced that. It is our last day in France so while Dick cleans the windows I walk to the supermarket to do some last shopping in France  and I also take a look at the other side of the river Meuse. Except for a few raindrops, it remains dry, but unfortunately the sun that shone briefly along the way, is no longer visible. When I am home, Dick is also ready. As always he has cleaned dirt from the front and rear of the camper.

We saw that there is a Kebab restaurant in the village, so I walk there in the evening. We have some confusion about the chosen meal (I want a dish instead of a filled sandwich), but in the end I leave with two “Assiettes Kebab”. It tastes great. After our meal we apply the insulation mat in front of the windshield because tonight the temperature will drop to 40 degrees fahrenheit.

The clouds hang low over the river on Tuesday and after breakfast with a freshly boiled egg we leave. After an hour’s drive on back roads and through endless forests we leave France and a motorway takes us to Arlon in Belgium. Once again we are surprised that the parking space behind the fire station is so empty. It is usually busier at this location near the highway to the south. We assume that due to the persistent bad weather many campers have driven to more southern regions.

Walking in Arlon

After coffee, Dick sends me out. After all, I have to make miles and soon I’m walking through Arlon searching some geocaches. Unfortunately it is cold, due to the icy wind. Although the thermometer is at 45 degrees fahrenheit, the perceived temperature is significantly lower. Luckily I put on a down jacket under my rain jacket. Of course I have to climb to the church high up on the hill. Unfortunately the clouds have dropped so I don’t have a nice view of the city. But all that climbing in Arlon makes me nice and warm. But what really warms me is the cup of soup that Dick makes when I get back. Together with the leftover macaroni we have a good evening meal. Late at night the parking lot, which can accommodate 5 campers, appears to be full. A sign at the entrance says: it is full.

Apparently we left the beautiful weather in the south behind because when we get up on Wednesday, February 21, the weather is cloudy and gray and it’s only 42 degrees fahrenheit. So it was good to attach our insulation mat last night. The road from Arlon to the north takes us to Martelange, a small town in Luxembourg, no more than a street’s length but enough to accommodate at least 12 gas stations. Since fuel in Luxembourg is cheaper than in the surrounding countries, we fill up and then drive on. We park in Sittard. Fortunately, a faint sun appears as we walk around the border area of the Netherlands/Germany. Considering the paths we walk on, this sun has not appeared for a long time because our shoes are soaking everywhere in the very boggy soil.

Long distance walking path: Pieterpad and Camino pad

Sometimes there are even such deep puddles of water on the paths that we have to make our way straight through the forest. It is nice that at one point we end up on the Pieterpad and the scallop shell shows that this is also the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella.
After 5 miles of paving our way through the swamp we are back home. Dick doesn’t feel like going out anymore, but I walk to the center of Sittard. There is a webcam cache. This is a geocache where you take a photo of yourself while appearing on a webcam. It is a type of cache that can still be found abroad, but in the Netherlands there are only two webcams. Possibly as a result of our privacy legislation.

After warming up, it still feels like 39 degrees outside, I walk back into town. This time to get Chinese food. Until now it has always been tasty, but after the meal we conclude that the food is of much lower quality. We won’t buy food here anymore.

On the way to the RV-shop in Nederweert

On Thursday, February 22, we have breakfast at 7.30 am and after washing the dishes and dumping our gray and black water, so that doesn’t have to be done at home, we drive home. The weather is gray but it is not raining and even when we unload the camper at the end of the morning it remains dry. After the camper has been cleaned inside and outside, we park it behind our house. Fortunately, there is an empty spot where we can leave the camper overnight. Tomorrow Dick will take it to Nederweert, to our RV dealer where the lock of the camper door will be checked. How nice it will be if we can simply enter our Frankia through the side door again.

We look back on a wonderful holiday. Although we did not really have warm weather, there was often sun and blue skies. After months of gray sky and rain in Western Europe, it was a relief.
We drove 5240 miles, cycled only 34 miles and walked 149 miles.