Browse the strongest moments first. Open any highlight to flip through the full photo set and jump straight into the story behind it.
We spent the night at a lovely little multi-purpose centre with a spacious car park in the middle of nowhere, about 15 minutes from Vaison-la-Romaine. When we arrived, there was already another camper parked up, so we made sure to choose a spot that wouldn’t disturb anyone. It was a peaceful night and the location turned out to be an excellent starting point for walking and cycling.
After Cuiseaux we headed straight to Orange. On Google Maps it looked absolutely lovely, with its ancient theatre and maze of little alleyways. When we arrived, however, disappointment set in rather quickly. The theatre was almost completely hidden behind scaffolding, the hilltop park was closed due to construction work and the little alleyways were, quite frankly, a bit underwhelming compared to what we had seen so far.
Yet another lovely village we discovered completely by accident. Once again, we simply picked a place on Park4Night. We noticed that Cuiseaux had a free and surprisingly modern aire with full services — even free electricity. (Not that we really need or use shore power, but it’s still amazing that some villages offer it for free.) So we parked up and went for a walk through the village.
Staying true to our “slow travelling” resolution, we didn’t drive very far from Liverdun and mostly chose our next stop based on whatever looked nice on Park4Night for a single night. Once again, we were surprised by yet another unexpectedly lovely little village. Still, we only stayed for the night and spent the evening going for a couple of walks through the town.
After our forced break from van life for a good two months, we are finally back on the road. Wilma has a new transmission and there is nothing stopping us from travelling again 🚐💨 Our original Morocco–Portugal–Spain plan is now officially off the table and, with a fixed appointment back in Germany at the beginning of July, we decided to focus on France instead.
After Wilma had been picked up, we made our way to Málaga. There was a direct flight from there to the airport closest to home and, honestly, it also felt like a good opportunity to calm down after the past few stressful days. We booked ourselves into a simple but nice hotel conveniently located close to both the airport and public transport as well as the beach promenade.
This post was tough to write, because it brings back some vivid memories. But let’s not jump ahead in the story. Then again, it only took 45 minutes to go from yaaay to noooooooo! As you might recall from our last post, we were leaving the wonderful campsite where we had been tucked away under palm trees, enjoying a sunny day after a couple of rainy ones.
Morocco as a first-time traveller can be tricky at times. Not because it’s difficult to travel or constantly throws obstacles in your way — quite the opposite. It’s because the options for what to see next seem endless, and making a decision feels almost impossible. Leaving Tafraout was one of those decisions. In the end, we tossed a coin and headed further west towards Tiznit.
Tafraout was first recommended to us by Heidi and Peter. For them it was obvious that one would have to stay at Tafraout. We heard about it the first time this very moment. This was quite funny, especially because when you are in Tafraout you understand it is one of the most travelled destinations in Morocco.
Pretty much everyone we met told us about this fantastic and beautiful drive that we had to do. Really everyone! What is this road you ask? It’s the R107 which is actually a mountain pass. It’s not very long yet everyone also kept telling us to plan a full day for it, because of its beauty. We were intrigued and made sure to fit it into our itinerary.
Icht is another small little village in the south of Morocco. It is known for its ancient town that is partly underground as well as stone carvings that are supposedly dating back quite a bit.
Tata was one of villages that came highly recommended and it didn’t (fully) disappoint. It is a nice little quaint village and it has a river flowing through the middle of it … when there is water. Which there wasn’t much of.
After sleeping in and enjoying a calm day (the young folks call it “chilling”) at Bou Rbia we made our way further West. We had found a couple of great spots to camp on Park4Night near Tissint. First, however, we needed to fill up on water and used a well next to a Mosque. It’s fantastic that they let you fill up for free!
After our excursion into the desert we decided it was time to move on from M’hamid and our beloved campsite. We said our see-you-laters to our new friends and drove off. Our new destination was a place called Foum Zguid.
As I have alluded to in our last blog, we did an excursion into the “real” Sahara Desert, to Erg Chegaga. No, that is not the name of yet another Star Wars character, but simply means “Dune Chegaga” (actually, erg = “sea of sand”, but I hope you will allow me to call it a dune).
Long before we had a van we were following a couple of “van-life” folks on YouTube. Most of them are no longer on our subscribed list, but one particular channel somehow managed to keep our interest for a long time. It is that channel that gave us the initial idea to visit Morocco. We saw in their videos that all kinds of RVs are going to Morocco and reassured us that you don’t need a monstrous overlander truck with massive tires to get anywhere interesting.
Zagora, we finally made it! And, spoiler alert: it held all its promises and fulfilled all our wishes. We arrived and recognised a few things from some YouTube videos of other van-travellers, which was a funny experience! The Main Street was super busy as you would expect, shops, cafes, restaurants, schools, street vendors – and of course garage after garage with lines of campervans, overlanders and motorhomes waiting to get their work done.
On day 2 of our Morocco journey we drove south as far as Tazentout. Since we were really fed up with the bad weather, there was no question that we wanted to get to sunny and warm weather as quickly as possible. It was a bit too far to reach our unofficial first goal Zagora in one day, so we checked the map for acceptable distances and then picked the best campsite we could find on Park4Night. That is how we ended up in Tazentout at Camping L´Escale de Ouarzazate.
Our plan for escaping the cold weather in Europe for this year was to discover Morocco. Living in Germany, this meant a bit of a drive through Belgium, France and Spain. We met some old friends along the way which meant the journey was a bit longer compared to driving straight through. We arrived in La Línea de la Concepción on Monday, 2 February, bought our tickets from “Carlos” (a tradition as we were told) and proceeded to our campsite which was next to Gibraltar. We took the opportunity and visited the rock for a couple of hours. At this point, we had no idea what was about to happen….
Vestersand – a name you won’t find on any tourist map, which is exactly why it was perfect. A tiny place somewhere in Norway, a lake, our camper van, and absolutely nothing else. No other travellers, no noise, just the gentle lapping of the water on the shore. We spent the night here and simply spent the evening gazing out at the water.
One of our last stops on the Lofoten was Vik beach and Haukland beach (they are right next to each other). Supposed to be one of Lofoten's most beautiful beaches it doesn't disappoint. Beautiful white sand in a bay surrounded by mountains and perfectly oriented to allow for wonderful sunsets.
After visiting Reine and the tiny village of Å at the very end of the road, we continued our journey to Vikten – a small and peaceful place known for its glass workshop and its stunning beach. The light there was absolutely magical. Soft, golden, and constantly changing, it turned the whole landscape into a painting. A group of photographers had gathered to capture the scenery, and we completely understood why.
If you've ever wondered whether places from postcards actually exist, let me introduce you to Reine. Nestled among dramatic granite peaks, dotted with bright red fishermen's cabins, and surrounded by impossibly turquoise water, Reine is the kind of place that makes you stop mid-sentence and simply stare. It's often called one of the most beautiful villages in the world — and honestly, we get it.
Visiting the Lofoten Islands had been one of those long-held travel dreams. The kind you tuck away in your mind, hoping that one day life will line up perfectly and make it happen. And then suddenly, it did.
We visited the Vesterålen Islands, a tranquil archipelago located just north of the Lofoten Islands. We arrived by ferry in Andenes, the northernmost town in the archipelago. The town is best known for whale watching, as the deep waters off the coast are home to sperm whales all year round.
After spending a few days in Tromsø, we travelled to Sommarøy, a tiny fishing village which literally means 'Summer Island' in Norwegian. This tiny fishing village is located about an hour west of Tromsø and is home to around 350 people and more seagulls than inhabitants. It boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in Northern Norway. We parked Wilma at a private campsite right by the sea. It was surrounded by crystal-clear water and white sand. It was beautiful to look at, and the weather was teasing us to go for a swim - but the water temperature isn't "pleasant" 🥶
We spent a few incredible days in Tromsø, often called the "Gateway to the Arctic." It's the largest city in Northern Norway, and back in the 19th century, a French visitor gave it the nickname "Paris of the North." After spending some time here, we can see why – it's lively, stylish, and full of surprises, even this far above the Arctic Circle. Our first stop was the Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen), one of Norway's most distinctive and modern churches. With its striking triangular shape inspired by Arctic icebergs, it's impossible to miss.
After driving straight across Sweden for five days, we finally reached Senja, Norway's largest island, often lovingly called "Little Norway." And let me tell you – it was love at first sight. We'd heard so many wonderful things about the island, but nothing could have prepared us for just how breathtaking it really is. Before crossing the bridge to Senja, we made one last pit stop in Finnsnes, the final proper town before the island.
After exploring city after city, we felt the pull of nature again, not to mention the itch to finally try out our SUP board. Our first stop was Gmunden, a picture-perfect town on the shores of Lake Traun. On Sunday, we spent the whole day out on the water, paddling with the mountains as our backdrop. Did you know that Traunsee is Austria’s deepest lake at over 190 metres? In the evening, we bought a pizza, sat down on the lakeshore and watched the sun set over the water, it's the simple moments that really are the best.
We arrived in Vienna on a Friday evening and checked into a busy campsite. Luckily, we found a quiet spot in the back corner. The weather was on our side this weekend, with blue skies and sunshine and we were so excited to explore Vienna. And what should I say: Vienna is overwhelming in the best possible way. Walking through the city feels like stepping into a giant open-air museum. Every corner reveals another architectural masterpiece or historic story carved into stone. It's no wonder that Vienna consistently ranks among the most liveable cities in the world.
Finding a good spot for Wilma near Bratislava turned out to be much harder than expected. After circling around and losing our patience, we finally decided to look for somewhere on the Slovak-Austrian border. That's how we ended up in a tiny village called Deutsch Jahrndorf — the kind of place where foxes and rabbits literally say goodnight to each other. The local highlights? Apparently, a fire somewhere in the area was the talk of the town. And the shop opening hours were… let's say "creative." The local organic store looked so promising, but the sign read: Fridays, 14:00–18:00. Closed next Friday. So much for our shopping spree. Slightly disappointed, we reminded ourselves that we weren't here for village adventures anyway, we were here for Bratislava.
After spending a few relaxing days at the B&B run by Martha and Michał near Krakow, our lovely hosts suggested to visit the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. "If you like mountains and hiking, you should visit the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia." Mountains? Hiking? A chance to stretch our legs after eating far too many pierogi? Absolutely! So off we went and soon found ourselves parked in a beautiful spot in the heart of the Tatras, surrounded by towering peaks and a small, crystal-clear river.
Since we were already near Kraków, we couldn't resist visiting one of Poland's most famous attractions: the Wieliczka Salt Mine. It's not every day you get to wander through a place that's been in operation since the 13th century, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list, and has enough underground tunnels to make a mole dizzy. We joined a guided tour led by Marek, a man with a dry and dark sense of humour that made the history lessons fly by. Marek didn't just show us the mine; he brought it to life, mixing fascinating facts with jokes.
After stopping in Warsaw, we headed south to one of Poland's most popular cities: Kraków. While many visitors head straight for the old town, we took a slightly different approach and it paid off. Just outside the city, we found a dreamy campsite on the property of a warm-hearted family who run a B&B in their historic manor house. Wilma got a shady spot under the trees, and we were greeted with open arms by our hosts, Martha and Michał.
After changing our plans due to the rainy forecast in Masuria, we found ourselves in the Polish capital. We explored the colourful old town with its historic charm. As we walked through its lively squares and streets, we could feel the history.
Our Polish road trip kicked off in the best way possible: with the beautiful city of Gdańsk. We didn't really know what to expect. We found the perfect spot for Wilma, right by the harbour and just a stone's throw from the historic city centre. Finding a level (ish) spot proved a bit of a challenge, but we were lucky as a fellow German camper-couple was just leaving.
After 13 hours on the road, we finally arrived in Berlin, exhausted and starving, just dreaming of a quiet spot to park Wilma and relax. However, reality had other ideas: our booked 'campsite' was essentially a glorified car park at a busy junction, right next to a petrol station. It was not exactly the peaceful green haven we had imagined. It wasn't cheap either. But never mind, on the plus side, the bathrooms were spotless and the owner was really friendly. Sometimes you just have to take the wins where you can find them.
This week was all about spending time with family. We caught up with my mum, aunts, uncles, cousins and my godchild. First stop: Westende. We played endless rounds of pétanque, embarrassed ourselves at mini golf 🏌️♀️ 🤪 and took every opportunity to enjoy cake, coffee and a chat in cosy cafés while soaking up the sun.
What a week! The weather was chef's kiss, and we took full advantage of it. We explored the beautiful "Polders" on foot from our idyllic camping spot near Oudenburg.
We realised that we had far too much stuff. Way more than we needed — or even used! So we sold and donated a lot, and only packed what really mattered (ok, ok … we are now also the proud tenants of a self storage unit…). Finally, we gave up our apartment and moved into Wilma, our trusty van. Feeling tired from the last months but excited, we hit the road heading for Belgium. The land of chocolate, beer, and of course fries. We've eaten them three times in seven days – no shame!
