After a lazy Sunday, our friends invited us for a drink. We are very grateful that we were able to get to know these two. We really enjoyed the short time we spent together.
Before we set off for our next destination on Monday, we made a stop to do some shopping. When we got out of WENNE in the parking lot, we heard a strange noise, a hissing, something like that. We searched for the cause for minutes. Near the tank? Some kind of leak? A tire? Alex thought it might be something to do with the brakes. Then he suddenly remembered that he might not have applied the handbrake. And indeed he had. As soon as it was applied, the noise was gone. Again we learned something new 😉
After shopping, we drove on for almost 300 km. We actually wanted to drive as far as Aguilas. But once again our satnav had its own whims. After we realized too late that it was guiding us towards the Tabernas desert and not in the direction we wanted to go, we decided to spend the night at the Route 66 campsite. We stayed there for a few days in the summer. So we knew that the pitch was quite pleasant.
The next morning, we continued on to Aguilas. Our destination was the Anibal service station. Very popular with travelers. Among other things, it is a pitch for €15 per night. You can do your supply and disposal there and wash your motorhome. There is a filling station and gas bottles can be refilled there, including German ones. This is actually not allowed, but every now and then you can find gas stations that offer it anyway. For 22 euros, it was cheaper for us than in Germany.
We then drove a few kilometers further to do our big wash. This means that everything from bed linen to clothes and towels is washed in a launderette. We found a launderette at a petrol station in Aguilas. We also exchanged our Spanish gas bottle there for 17. Having recently filled the diesel from our fuel canisters into our tank, we took advantage of the best price and filled it up again.
After the washing was finished in just under an hour, we drove another 50 km. Away from the coast to a free but official campsite.
The area here in the Murcia region is pretty desolate and very dusty due to the dry soil. You get the feeling that this sand, this dust, spreads like a haze in the air.
Many bridges, roads and slopes are being diligently built and worked on. The masses of water from the fall storm have caused a lot of damage. Some pitches are also closed as a result, only partially passable or the supply facilities are defective.
In contrast to last summer, when we were in the area, the water collection tanks/reservoirs are full and a little water is flowing in one or two riverbeds. Nevertheless, the landscape is bleak and desolate. For us, there is no difference to the summer months.
As we were driving along a narrow road between the hills, we had to stop for a small rescue operation. A turtle wanted to cross the road just after a bend. We simply had to help her and take her across the road to safety.
Only in Mallorca, Doñana in Andalusia and Murcia and Almería in the south of Spain can you still see tortoises if you are lucky. But even here, the population is said to be in decline. Their habitats are being destroyed and some are being kept illegally as pets. Unfortunately, there is also illegal trade.
The last few days we spent a lot of time on the roads and in the WENNE.
Thanks to the short driving time today, we arrived at the pitch in Molina de Segura, Murcia region, early and took a walk through the area to a beautiful park.
beautiful park.
We got ourselves a small picnic and spent a few hours in this park at 23° enjoying the sun.
The entire coastline in south-eastern Spain is currently making headlines due to the large number of motorhomes. It is well known that camping is prohibited along the entire coast. This means that an overnight stay would actually be tolerated, but camper behavior is strictly forbidden. Some are so cheeky that they set up home for several nights. At the moment, one camper van follows another. They are not only parked on beaches, but also in the middle of residential areas, in stadium, discount store and restaurant parking lots, in nature reserves and sometimes hundreds are parked in riverbeds. People ignore them with their arrogant attitude,
the prohibition signs in an irresponsible manner. They provocatively hang up their washing lines on them. Spread out by extending their awnings, setting up chairs and tables and sometimes even barbecuing. Dispose of their toilets, gray water and garbage in the middle of nature. They make stupid remarks and feel great about it.
Even we are a little annoyed by this impossible behavior. This kind of behavior is unacceptable. Traveling in a motorhome does not mean camping. If you want to do that, you should go to paid pitches or campsites where this kind of behavior is permitted.
It is no wonder that many municipalities have had enough of the many motorhome owners and want to close their doors to motorhomes. Or make paid pitches, with the possibility of supply and disposal but otherwise no service and with campsite prices unattractive.
But there really are some good offers. For example, anyone can use certain apps to find a suitable place for themselves, from free pitches with utilities to parking spaces without utilities but with official permission to stay overnight, to paid pitches or campsites.
We would love to spend 2-3 nights on a pitch again. But even outside the coastal area, the ignorant, irresponsible behavior of people does not diminish. That’s why we don’t feel very comfortable at the moment among people who don’t follow the campsite rules at all and prefer to drive on after one night.
Apart from such sad events, we really enjoy life in our WENNE.
Of course, there are also some really nice people that you meet from time to time and with whom you can strike up a conversation. But most of the people we’ve met recently are now on their way home. Every day we are well aware of what a great life we are currently enjoying. Because we are also traveling away from Spain. We are also making a stop in Germany. But we don’t have a vacation that comes to an end, our tour simply continues and our stops, stops and breaks are usually deliberately chosen by us. We are allowed to lead a self-determined life. That’s great!
We used to have a saying hanging in the kitchen.
Live your dream and don’t dream your life!
At the time, we thought it was just a positive saying that we would probably never be able to put into practice.
But we did it and are a little proud of ourselves for having had the courage to take this big step into a completely different life.
We wish that many more people would pursue their dreams and not think so much about what if….. We only have this one life and it’s over far too quickly. Unfortunately, we experience this far too often when we are traveling.
Of course we miss our family and friends, especially our children. But nowadays in the social media age, we no longer see that as an excuse to give up our dreams. After all, our loved ones at home also have their own lives. What’s more, you can always plan a visit from time to time.
Apart from our loved ones, we miss absolutely nothing that we have given up for our lives today.
It doesn’t take much to be happy!
We have met so many different people who are now living mobile for a variety of reasons.
So many different life stories and, above all, how they finance this life without a fixed abode. There are so many possibilities. And the reward is: freedom! Which has a different meaning for each individual, but which makes everyone happy.
At the end of the week we found a really nice, free parking space. We drove there from the Murcia region to the Castilla La Mancha region.
The site was on the edge of a small village with just under 2245 inhabitants (as of January 2022). A large open space with a park with a playground, a fountain that is currently empty and plenty of picnic facilities. There are 20 official motorhome pitches with service and free electricity.
The village was deserted at 2 pm. A few stores and bars were open.
After a half-hour walk through the village, you’ve already seen everything. We liked it very much. We love the small villages with agriculture around them and lots of nature.
We decided to continue our journey the next morning, even though we liked it.
How beautifully the almond trees blossom.
The parish church of Santa Marina was built in the 18th century.
The cathedral of Alpera. The Emirata de San Roque was built in the 17th century.
It is a building with the floor plan of a Greek cross, with a dome in cross section and a lantern. Lateral joints are supported by external masonry pillars, which are intended to support the side walls. It is all masonry.
From the outside, it is a simple building. The exterior appearance of the hermitage is rustic and is characterized by unplastered building materials. The roof is gabled and covered with Arabic tiles.
It was renovated in 1939 at the end of the Spanish Civil War and later restored in 1983.
We’ve been asked again and again recently why we’re driving up Spain so quickly to the colder regions. Well, when you have a destination in mind, sometimes you can’t wait to get there. Do you know that too? We’re not really in a hurry, but we’re going to spend this summer in the north of Europe. It’s true, there’s still time until then. But we’d like to do a few things before then and maybe make a few visits that are more or less on the way. That will also take a few weeks. That’s why we’ll be venturing further and further towards France despite the cool temperatures. Before we cross the border into Germany somewhere near the Black Forest. Our first destination is the MOT, which unfortunately expired in August 2024. We will see how long we have to stay in the area because of this and will then decide how to proceed before our Sweden/Norway tour begins and what we will postpone until the fall when we head back home to Germany.
So on Friday, we headed from the Castilla La Mancha region to the Valencia region.
Due to the environmental zones and the big city flair, which we don’t particularly like, we decided to drive generously around Valencia. So the journey continued in the hinterland. Up the steep mountains at 30h/km and down again at 50h/km 😂. This meant we needed a little more time for the 200 km to our destination. The journey took us through the mountains, between almond groves, wine-growing areas and small villages.
Unfortunately, the storm and the masses of water from the autumn storm also left behind some major damage here. Again and again today we saw construction work on railroad tracks, slopes, bridges and roads. Some roads, even large ones, were closed to traffic. So we continued on the highway as an exception.
As you may have already noticed, the Mercadona discount store in Spain is our favorite place to store. We are slowly approaching the north of Spain and these discount stores are rather rare there.
In the afternoon, when we had moved into our pitch in Moncofar, eaten something and rested, we set off on foot to the nearest Mercadona to stock up on a few things.
This may be the last time we are in Spain on the Mediterranean for the time being. So a walk there was a must.
