The time had come, the day of departure was fixed. Corona meanwhile had Spain and also the south of France under such a high control that these areas were declared a risk area by the Foreign Office. We didn’t want to stay there, we didn’t want to go camping, if we could. We planned our trip so that we were on the road for a good 6-8 hours a day and our overnight stays took place in places with as little human contact as possible.
Our first choice was an olive farm near Zaragossa. We had a hard time with our hearts, and it seems that heaven was doing the same. In the mountains the clouds hung low and it rained again and again. But when crossing the border into Spain it got better and after a long time being back in Spain had a feeling of home, may sound strange, but it was so.
But it wasn’t stopping, we just refueled briefly and then we moved on. The way to the farm was a bit adventurous, but with the evening we were there. We had got a code for the gate and right at the entrance there was a lake where we were looking for a place, a little away there were still two campers, we greeted and then the day was over. The first piece was done. The next morning we took the opportunity to empty our toilet and water canisters, enjoyed the sunrise and a coffee and then we went on, we wanted to go to a winery as far as France.
The advantage of these two overnight places was obvious, free or very cheap, no other people, come in the evening, drive in the morning. The downside of the whole thing, the focus is solely on making track. It’s not a real treat, but It didn’t give us much room for manoeuvre, but The possibility of getting sick or quarantined left us little room for manoeuvre.
The harvestwas processed all night on the estate, you are just a guest, but life on the estate continues. This was also the thought of the dog of the hosts, who first knocked us the hand sweeper out of the car and then a flip flop that stood in front of the thick. The owner and a nice harvester brought us both back, we didn’t speak the same language, but laughing together about the cheeky dog didn’t need any other language.
From the winery we decided to leave the risk area, to go further north, to a national park, to a lake, maybe we could stay there for a few more days. It was worth a try, but somehow it was clear that all this was just delaying something inevitable, the end of the journey, the return to Germany, to Hamburg. After only one night we drove on, even if one of us didn’t want it at all, something in her was reluctant with her hands and feet.
But again something was waiting for us, a glance at the map said, we drive through the middle of Alsace. Colmar should be our next target. Directly on the outskirts of town, on the Ill River was a small campground. What a magical city. We strolled through the alleys despite Corona and of course there were flame cakes with wine for us and a few other little treats also fell off. The campsite was not full, everything was newly renovated and if you take into into look at the fact that we had a sleepless night here with a little too big a crawler, it was a dignified and great farewell to France.
After two nights we went to Germany, the border is only a stone’s throw away from there and already shortly after the city border Freiburg is signposted. After a short rainy stop at Lake Constance and in Lower Saxony, we were back in Hamburg a few days earlier than planned. What a moment.
After a good week of driving, a bit of sightseeing in Colmar and short visits to a part of the family it was over. An incredible journey was behind us. So different than originally thought. Partly foreign-determined by a virus that had thrown everything. And with a lot of faith in ourselves, our skills and our talent, even under not always easy conditions, to get everything out for us. In the end, we look back at the best time of our lives so far. We are healthy, “Der Dicke” is fine, we have found a common sport with windsurfing that inspires us and we are so full of impressions that we will probably look back long and longer, with a broad grin on our face. We are grateful for this experience and we will do it again. Small as well as big, with the thick, back to places we have already learned to love and of course continue to discover as many fantastic new places as possible.
Have we learned anything?
Did we take what for ourselves?
Do we want to do something different than before?
Do we want to change our lives?
We can certainly answer all the questions, whether at this point or only later, whether with yes or no, that remains our secret, at least at this point.