Rough sea, calm days. (30.12. - 01.01.20) We decided to stay in Anglet. The place was central and quiet, making it a good starting point for a relaxed New Year's Eve. We spent the days doing nothing. Sleeping in, having a leisurely breakfast, and just living the day. We like it. The weather is beautiful with lots of sunshine, so we head to the beach. Digging, building sandcastles, watching the sea, listening to the sound of the waves... In the late afternoon, we take the bikes to go into town. We need to buy some food and drinks for the next few days. Wilma really wanted an ice cream. On the way, she spotted a carousel, which we visited after shopping. One ride was agreed upon. The ride lasted a long time for 2.50 euros. It was great. However, Wilma didn't enjoy the long ride. She ran away. Not just a few meters, she was gone. Calling and shouting didn't help. Then she appeared from behind the carousel. We scolded her. Her response was 'I just wanted to take a ride'... We drove back to our motorhome. Wilma realized that we were really upset about her actions. She came to me on her own and said 'Can I hug you?' Of course, she could. I calmly explained to her again why what she did was not okay. The sun slowly set, and we went down to the beach to watch the sunset together. Beautiful. We had dinner, and the evening was peaceful.
New Year's Eve without fireworks. (31.12.19) We decided to spend the last day of the year, and our last day in France, in a French way. Mathias went to the bakery once again. We had French jam from a farm and the last French eggs. We went through the year again during breakfast. It was a very educational year for us. Very emotional and yet, that's why we are right here now. The day was a bit grey, so we spent the morning in the motorhome. Mathias made a pizza for lunch with yeast and everything. Then we all baked a cake for coffee time. It was already 4 pm when we went to the beach. Mathias tried his luck with fishing. Wilma proudly carried the 'club' to kill the fish that Papa was supposed to catch. It didn't happen. Mathias tore something off the fishing line, and the fishing trip was over. Almost. Wilma and I tried to set it up again and encourage him to cast the fishing line in another spot. We started walking and built him a 'stand' for the fishing rod from wood and roots. Mathias tried again, but it just wasn't his day. We watched the sunset and then went back up. Wilma and I were busy decorating. Mathias prepared dinner. Then Wilma wanted to be painted. My supplies have become very minimal. I quickly found a red lipstick and an eyebrow pencil. First, I painted Wilma. She became a red ladybug. Then Wilma painted me (1:1), and then it was Mathias's turn. So we became the lucky ladybug family. We all had a lot of fun. Wilma fell asleep around 9 pm. We treated ourselves to a bottle of sparkling wine and went to bed at 11 pm. We watched a movie and then welcomed the new year under our skylight. Anglet celebrated quietly, and that was great. We could only hear a little bit of fireworks in the distance and see even less. Thank you, 2019. Hello, 2020.
¡Hola Espana. (01.01.20) We knew that the first of January would be a travel day for us. Our wish was to drive as far south as possible. And we succeeded. It was grey in Anglet. We left around 11 am. Country roads ahoy :-). We drove into the mountains, and the sun came out. It was a very, very beautiful route towards Spain. But also very, very long. We had already been driving for 2 hours and had only covered a few kilometers. Wilma was sitting next to me as a passenger. But she quickly got bored. Mathias felt very sick from the backseat. So we stopped an hour later. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to stop before. We had lunch and took a short break. Then we switched places. Wilma went back to the backseat, and Dad was in the front with Mom. Wilma fell asleep, and we drove for 3 hours. We saw mountains, tunnels, sun, fog, gray clouds... it stayed gray for a while. We eventually had some coffee and then Spain welcomed us with the most beautiful weather. A beautiful landscape and no cars on the road. Wilma and Mathias watched a movie - Michel - and I drove us into the night. We made a short stop in a small Spanish village. It was also our first experience with narrow roads. For orientation - we were still above Madrid. We still had over 500 km ahead of us :-(. Wilma eventually fell asleep peacefully. We continued to struggle towards the south. We agreed to keep driving as long as we could. Just after Madrid, I couldn't go on anymore. We switched. And we actually made it. We arrived in Puebla de Cazalla at 3:40 am. Mathias had found a free parking space here. Including electricity, water, a playground, etc. We squeezed in between two motorhomes. Wilma was put in bed, and we went to sleep as well.
Cold and short night. (02.01.20) I woke up because it was getting colder. The heater had turned off during the night. No more gas. We had tried to refill the gas bottle during our trip, but we were missing the appropriate adapter for Spain. Oh well. Luckily, we had the other bottle as a backup. Wilma was already awake in her bed saying 'Good morning, Mama'... which is a big improvement from 'Maaammmaaa' :-) ... I asked her if she was also cold. Her answer was 'No, I covered myself'. The sun was already shining outside. So we were rewarded for our long journey. Mathias went to get bread, and we started the day relaxed. From now on, relaxation will be a big part of our journey. We will never drive such long distances in one go again. We puzzle through the morning. Cleaning up, airing out properly, and enjoying the warm sun. I'm very tired, and my nerves are on edge. Wilma is starting to feel the effects of the previous day and the long night. We have a park right next door. We go for a walk there. Visit the playground next door and enjoy lots of sunshine. We have lunch and dinner outside - great. An older couple parked next to us - Elly and Chris. Dutch and super nice. We started talking right away, and that would continue for the next few days. Wilma slept, and we needed some water and supplies. There was a kind of market nearby. Elly and Chris said we could buy food there. It was really only 200m away, so we went there. They had everything, and it was in XXL. Cans of corn and peas as big as cartwheels. Oil in barrels, etc. We bought small quantities for the next few days. It's cheap. Very good. Back home, Mathias and I burst out laughing. We laughed so hard at the sizes. Why am I writing this? Because we haven't laughed so heartily in a long time. It was great. Then we went to bed.
Spanish Christmas. (03.01.20) Today it's a bit grey, but that doesn't matter. We're just going with the flow. We have a late breakfast and an even later lunch. Then we go into town. We wanted to visit the church, but it was closed. We strolled through the beautiful narrow streets. It's a cute town. When we arrived at the town hall square, we witnessed a bustling activity. Something was being set up. Then the bells rang for us - it's clearly the start of the Spanish Christmas celebration. Today was something like handing in wish lists to the three wise men, and it was celebrated with a big festival. We walked a bit further. But then we got curious about what was going on at 4 pm. And something was happening. The music was so loud that it almost deafened us. Three wise men sitting on chairs, accompanied by their entourage. The whole town gathered. Every child was dressed up more flamboyantly than the next. And everyone was excited. Foam snow was falling from the sky. It was actually a completely different world. Overall, a great atmosphere. A bit too loud for me, though. But what personally scared me was how the children were dolled up. They looked and dressed like mini adults. Little Lolitas. I don't find it beautiful anymore. But everyone looks like that. It seems to be part of the Spanish culture. Wilma and I were thoroughly examined. Of course, we didn't fit into the picture. Wilma found the party and all the children very interesting and didn't want to leave. But my ears and head needed some peace and quiet 1 1/2 hours later. We had dinner outside to relax and called my parents.
Mom has a day off today. (04.01.20) The sun is shining, and it's beautiful outside again. After breakfast, I took a 'day off'. Mathias is in charge of Wilma, and I'm taking care of the rest. And the rest for the past 2 hours has been sitting outside and writing the blog. Enjoying the sun. Yeeeaaaahh. I won't do anything else today. I can hear the two in the motorhome. They're reading and playing. Then they go to the restroom together to use a real shower. Now it's my turn to make lunch. It's pea soup. Quick and then I'm back here at the table. In theory. At 3:26 pm, I'm sitting at the table in the motorhome, finishing the last few lines. Wilma and Mathias are baking bread. They're being quite loud, and Mom's peace and quiet are being disturbed. But that's okay. We'll practice a little more, and in a month, it will surely be better. We're staying the night at this parking spot and will continue to Marchena tomorrow. There we will meet friends and attend a Christmas parade. More Spanish Christmas magic for everyone.
Life is beautiful. (05.01.20) But before we can set off for Marchena today, we had to solve our gas problem. We said goodbye to Elly and Chris. Unfortunately, we had to drive back to find gas. So we stopped at every gas station we came across. Nothing. No gas. Eventually, we found one, and yes, it worked. We were relieved because our other gas bottle was only the 'emergency solution' and should help us out of trouble more often. Even though the days here in Spain are warm, the nights are 10 to 15 degrees colder than the daytime temperature. That's why we need/want to heat at night. So with the gas refilled, we're off to Marchena. In Wilma's words: 'Are we going to Lene and Pablo now and throwing candy in the air there?' We arrived in Marchena and parked in an industrial area. The parking lot wasn't nice, and there was a youth center nearby. We had received a tip from Lene. It's okay for the night and quiet. We were picked up, and off we went. Marchena is apparently a village. We think it's a small town (16,000 inhabitants). There are tapas, beer, and sun. Wilma's entertainment program is taken care of today. Lene is doing a great job. Wilma is having fun. Then we went to a playground. Another beer for the parents. In Spain, nobody knows us. By the way, the Spaniards don't drink as much as the Germans. Well, at least they drink from smaller glasses :). We won't comment on the rest. In Spain, there is a parade of sorts in the towns the day before the three wise men. It's like Carnival. Fancy floats, beautifully decorated. Each float has a different theme. From there, sweets and other goodies are thrown into the crowd. Everyone takes as much as they can carry. It's the highlight before the real gift-giving in Spain. And we're right in the middle of it. Wilma quickly figured out how it works. Arms up and grab as much as possible. We stood among the people from Marchena, who were well-equipped with large plastic bags, waiting for their loot. It's a great atmosphere. Yes, it's loud. But somehow, it all fits together. It's crazy what flies through the air and lands on the ground. Sustainability and such are not a topic here right now. We join in. Collecting sweets for the child. Wilma? Eating. One candy after another goes into her mouth. Sugar heaven. The parade passes us, and we are shown around Marchena. We look over the roofs of the city and walk through narrow streets. We see the old town hall and learn why there are bottles with liquid on the corners of houses. Then we come to a church that is supposedly always open. Not today. Too bad. But then Pablo tells us that nuns live here. These nuns live very secluded, and no one sees them. However, they make chocolate and other sweets and sell them. To do that, you have to ring the bell and say what you want. Behind a rotating box, an anonymous nun speaks. But it wasn't quite like that. Pablo and Wilma rang the bell. The door opened, and a super friendly nun greeted them. They placed their 'order' and chatted with the nun. After a request, we were even allowed to go into the church. It was a great atmosphere. A great experience and still a bit mysterious. Then we strolled through Marchena and stopped for another drink. We had sweet Spanish wine, and I had a beer. We met Pablo's family. Very nice, even though we can hardly communicate. There was noise next to us. It was storks. They nest on roofs and churches all over Andalusia. Four storks are currently nesting here at the town hall. Crazy and beautiful. On the way home, we encountered the parade once again. Wilma was in heaven. I was momentarily knocked out by a flying plastic ball. Wilma ate more candy. Then we were allowed to see the inside of a typical Spanish house. Pablo's home. Great, cozy, and welcoming. Just the way we have experienced Spain so far. The lemon tree in the garden gave us lemons. And we took the crate of oranges with us. Packed with great memories and full bags, we went back to the motorhome. In the past few days, we have realized what a great gift we have given ourselves with this trip and continue to give ourselves. But today, this was once again underscored. We are grateful and proud to experience Spanish life up close. It was a wonderful day with wonderful people in a beautiful country. THANK YOU!
