# Tag 75 ff. Review

On Friday the 13th, we safely landed back in our little village and were eagerly awaited.

As we drove onto the courtyard, there was already a little joy.

Nevertheless, we both listened within ourselves and had the feeling that we could have endured it longer.

That was one of the unknowns that was difficult to answer at the beginning of the journey - how long can you stand it in 14 square meters of living space with the restrictions.

I can answer that now - more than 3 months, provided the surroundings and the weather contribute their part.

What the journey brought with it....

Germany / Switzerland / Italy / France / Spain / Portugal

11 weeks on the road (74 days)

40 overnight stays

(longest stay in one place 6 days)

- 17 x parking spaces

- 13 x campsites

- 10 x free standing

- €980 costs for parking spaces / campsites

8077 km total distance

750 km longest daily stage

18 km shortest daily stage

- 14 x refueling

- 824 liters of diesel

- €1506 fuel costs

- €148.50 toll fees

1963 photos

48 reports in the Vakantio blog

... and lots of impressions that cannot be expressed in numbers.

It was a pleasure to share our experiences with you in the travel blog reports. The result is of course also a kind of diary that I was able to write live and in color in a timely manner and thus include emotional moments.

If you ask the question of where it was most beautiful, there are several answers to that.

We already knew some places from previous vacations, others were completely new.

The highlights were

- Portugal at the outer tip of the Algarve (around Lagos) and the Atlantic coast (Costa Vicencia)

- Northern Spain and the Basque Country (Costa Verde)

I was particularly excited about the northern Spanish coast, as I had heard a lot of good things about it. And we were not disappointed. Here you will find everything you expect from a varied area. The coast is dotted with beautiful bays and white beaches, the hinterland is green and reminds a little of the hilly landscape in the Allgäu or South Tyrol. But the best is in the hinterland - the mountains. The Los Picos de Europa Natural Park with its snow-covered peaks and endless opportunities for hiking, road cycling, mountain biking and canoeing on the rivers invites you to an active holiday.

This is definitely a destination that we will visit again.

One realization of the journey also lies in the time approach and the scope of the route. Even before departure, I often thought whether 80 days were really a lot.

Objectively speaking, with 8000 km total distance in 80 days, you have to average 100 km per day, which of course you don't do.

Each longer stay or shorter distance had to be made up later. This became apparent when we had to move on after just one day or a maximum of two overnight stays. So we saw a maximum number of places, cities, and regions, but we would have needed more time to enjoy or experience them.

The goal was always to complete the circle along the coast. We deviated from this in the end because I didn't want to rush through Brittany, Normandy, and the Dutch coast in 6 days.

We'll save that for a later trip.

I don't want to give the impression that we were always in a hurry. On the contrary. There were also longer stays in beautiful places that we really enjoyed.

- 5 days in southern France in the port of Le Brusc

- 6 days on the Algarve near Lagos

- 4 days in Conil / Andalusia

- 5 days in Porto Covo / Costa Vicencia

About the Laika mobile home:

Did the motorhome meet your expectations and what would you change... this question arises for everyone who is also on the road with a motorhome.

We bought the model because it best met our expectations, and it did. The stay inside could be endured well by two people. The facilities of the kitchen, refrigerator, bathroom and shower, seating area, and beds compared to many other motorhomes we saw on the road had a downright luxurious charm. In any case, on every parking space or campsite, you first checked the other motorhomes. What is parked here, what does the Frenchman, Spaniard, and Portuguese drive around in.

Clear preferences in Spain and Portugal for the local brand Benimar.

The French swear by their products from Rapido, Challenger, and a lot of Knaus - Mobiles.

We occasionally saw a Laika, but rather rarely. In any case, encounters were greeted with a friendly look.

Encounters in general - motorhome drivers always greet each other very friendly when they pass by, raising their hand in greeting. Initially, I didn't like doing it at all, but later I did it with a genuine feeling. So now we belong to the group of experienced campers, don't we.

However, the long-term stay in the Laika also revealed one or the other weak point, which is normal. Most of them are minor things that you would pay attention to when dealing with a motorhome again.

Our first source of information on the Internet was the blog by Leni & Toni - YouTube, who have also developed further after one season.

Although it is not on the plan, we will certainly take a closer look at one or the other model and visit the Düsseldorf trade fair.

Or check if the Laika can be improved with little effort.

The journey was a great experience and perfectly fulfilled the desired effect, namely the distance from everyday life and professional life.

As they say...

After the journey is before the journey.

Thank you very much for your participation in the journey and the feedback you have given me. After all, I made it to 3rd place in the Vakantio ranking at times.

And a special greeting to Jenny and Florian with their blog Reiseblog querfeldein - Vakantio, whose reports I always enjoyed reading and who also inspired me.