Sometimes it's more beautiful...😎

We are heading to Matalascanias, to the strange artificial town next to the Donana National Park, to visit our buddy Oscar. Oscar has created a small colorful hippie oasis right by the sea, surrounded by white villas and holiday apartments. For 10 euros, you can park here in the best location and enjoy the beach and the colorful garden. We were here in winter, and the town was deserted. Now in summer, all the hotels and vacation rentals are booked, the beach is full of people, and there is an incredible hustle and bustle. Unfortunately, the situation with Oscar has changed because his crazy sister has moved in and is pressuring all the guests to pay her. It’s a crazy family dispute over money (who doesn’t know that?). Anyway, the sister suddenly flips out at noon, intoxicated and under medication, smashing everything in sight. Like a fury, she screams, attacks cars, and destroys Oscar's colorful art garden. She confronts Oscar and his sympathetic brother Enrice, escalating to the point where I call the police. By the time they finally arrive, the situation has calmed down, the sister has disappeared into the caravan, and the police can’t do much. This outburst wasn't the first, and the next day charges are pressed and a family lawyer is involved. We are all sitting in the garden in the evening, completely worn out, and Oscar even has to go to the clinic due to a nervous breakdown. Now this small colorful property by the sea, amidst villas, is up for sale for 700,000 euros, marking the end of an era. Probably, by next year at the latest, a massive white villa for the rich will stand here. Finding great places for travelers like us is becoming increasingly difficult in Spain. When we want to leave two days later, a chain blocks the exit, and the sister (we call her la furia negra...the black fury) refuses to unlock it. Again, we call the police, and when she hears that this time the Guardia Civil, and not the Police National, is coming, the chain suddenly opens! The Guardia Civil is the former military police established under Franco, and the locals have great respect for them because they take much harsher action than the ordinary Police National. Heavy-heartedly, we leave Oscar and Enrice and say goodbye as the end of this paradise is in sight.

For our further journey to Motril, we have to take a detour of over 200 kilometers because the Donana National Park blocks our passage along the cool coast. We must head far inland to Sevilla, which is a hotbox in summer. Early in the morning, we set out because it’s a scorching 35°-38° today.

In the inland areas, we are greeted by a desiccated, harvested yellow steppe landscape. Where everything was green and luscious in January, it is now uniformly yellow and bone dry.

We then end up staying in the small town of El Coronil near Sevilla. The town offers free parking spots with shade and water, and we decide to stay despite the 35°. During the day, it’s completely deserted here in the heat. The siesta really makes sense here. In the evening, the small town with its narrow colorful streets comes to life, and people come out. Spanish women have crocheted colorful blankets and hung them over the streets for sun protection. Next to the parking area is a flamenco bar, and we listen to great Spanish songs until late in the evening. It’s nice to venture off the beaten tourist paths and explore authentic Spain.

That’s why we make another stop in Benalup Casa Vieja. Here too, there's water, and parking is free. The white village is picturesque on the mountain, and to explore it, we have to walk up quite a hill. It's the weekend, and a large stage has been set up in the church square. Here, today, artists from the village are singing, and we are part of the soundcheck. We are left speechless when we hear these magnificent voices. One singer belts out a hit from Queen, and we see Freddy Mercury applauding from the heavens. Unfortunately, it starts to rain (the first time in weeks) and naturally, everyone is happy about it, but the party gets canceled. In a pub, we meet the German expats Guido and Tanja. They too turned their backs on Germany in 2022 and rented a house in the village for 400 euros a month. They feel settled now, and it’s great to exchange experiences with them. The next day, we meet up with them again, swap numbers, and then continue our journey towards Tarifa. Take care, you two. It was great to meet you.

We arrive in Tarifa 😊. We keep coming back here because it’s just beautifully stunning. Until now, we had only been here in winter, and now we finally experience this lovely town in summer. The narrow streets are filled with people, colorful shops with great clothes invite us to shop, and restaurants and bars can be found in every hidden corner and alley. The huge, sprawling beach with endless dunes and the many colorful kites that surfers sail create a dreamlike scene. Here, the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, and soon it will be time to say goodbye to my favorite sea, the beautiful Atlantic. No sea (and I've seen them all in Europe by now) draws me as magically as the Atlantic.

But first, we still spend wonderful days at our 'runway' outside of Tarifa. Here, all the expats and long-term travelers are gathered with their amazing world-traveling vehicles and wonderful people. We meet the Swiss Manuel, who set off four years ago from Winterthur with his wolf dog and has now landed here in Tarifa after traveling through France and Portugal. He gets by with odd jobs and says he has never been as happy in his life as he is now. Such encounters are simply inspiring 😊. Furthermore, we meet old acquaintances from last year and get to know nice new people. Tarifa is just a special place, and it’s always nice to come back here because Tarifa is different. Tarifa is young, colorful, positive, and full of energy thanks to the many people from all over the world who come here... and often stay here as well.

We will definitely return here in winter as even more friends have signed up who have spent the summer in Germany and Sweden.

Traveling is just beautiful... and sometimes it’s even more beautiful :)