Off to the winter quarters... Tarifa, here we come 😊

On our way to Tarifa, we make a detour into the mountains to visit our friends Fred and Gabi. The road is steep and narrow, leading us further into the mountains. When we arrive at the top, a marathon is taking place there. People, cars, and tour buses block the access, and we drive our truck right into the chaos. We try to squeeze through, with only a few centimeters of space between the parked cars. Then, when a tour bus comes towards us, we break into a sweat, as we have to reverse the whole distance. Friendly Spaniards rush to help and guide us down the village at a snail's pace. It gets dark and we give up, spending the night outside the mountain village high up in the cold mountains, where eagles circle above. But the next day we manage to see our old friends Fred and Gabi again, whom we met in Greece in 2018 and have met several times since. As always, we spend splendid sunny days together. The view is magnificent, and we chat, eat, and play the day away. Take care, you two. We really enjoy the days, and there is always a lot to talk about when we meet again. Until sometime 😊.

We arrive in Tarifa on the 'runway.' Since parking here is side by side along the dune with hundreds of cars, it actually resembles a runway while driving through.

Like every winter, the dropouts, kitesurfers, hippies, and van lifers with their interesting diverse world-traveling mobile homes, trucks, furniture transports, and other vehicles gather here at the Atlantic right behind the dunes. It always feels a little like coming home for us, especially since our friends from last year are already here too. Kai and Andrea with dog Linus, Björn and Lara with dog Bärbel, and we park right next to each other. It's not just the many dogs that are excited 😉. The Tarifa life begins!

We all live full-time in our vans and are constantly on the move in spring, summer, and autumn. We experience a lot and see a lot. But eventually, we reach a point where you want to stay to process all the impressions. The dogs and we enjoy the long driving break in winter and the simple, relaxed life in Tarifa surrounded by friends and like-minded individuals right by the sea. Daily, people come and go. We meet incredibly nice new people, and there is never a lack of conversation. For instance, Evelin and Ralph with their impressive Iveco 4x4 mobile, AfriAlex who suddenly stands next to us with a short cab, and Marc and Melissa with their cool Mercedes-Düdo that used to be a bakery truck.

Since the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet here, and Tarifa is directly at the Strait of Gibraltar (Africa is in sight), there is almost always wind. The sky is daily dotted with the colorful sails of the kitesurfers, of which there are hundreds. We are content to watch, take long walks in this magnificent nature, chill, chat, and play. The temperatures range between 16° - 26°, the sky is mostly blue, and some people even still swim in the sea. We watch the sun sink into the sea from our bed every day, and fall asleep with the soft sound of waves in our ears.

The days pass quickly, and we feel perfectly comfortable and content in this wonderful place. We will also spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve here with our friends, and in this way, we wish all the people we know, and of course our family and friends back home, a reflective and beautiful Christmas and a smooth transition into the year 2025. May you all enjoy yourselves together, and you will hear from us again in the new year.

Sandra and Kilian 💟💥💥💟