Two years living in a van...

We arrive at the famous Nazare. Here, you can find the biggest waves in Europe, and in winter, the world championships in surfing are held here. Unfortunately, the sea is flat today, but we still enjoy the amazing beach with its peculiar rocks.

In Pataias, all four of us check into a campsite. We all need some things from Germany, and our families send us packages. Thank you, Mom and Fritz, for the package 💟. We enjoy a 12-day break from driving and the amenities of a campsite. The beach is crowded with people from one day to the next, and I learn from a teacher that schools go to the beach for a few days in the last week before the 11-week vacation. This strengthens the sense of togetherness and friendships. I think it's a beautiful thing, even though the beaches are now off-limits for us dog owners during the day.

We enjoy the break and arrive in Figuaira da Foz two weeks later. We were already in this great little town two years ago, where you can park right by the beach and outskirts for eight euros. This time, there is an electronic festival here, and the main stage is set up within sight of the parking lot. It's full, full, full, and we squeeze into the last parking space. We don't feel like going to the festival, as the music is already too loud in the car. We have a sleepless night. The music goes until six o'clock in the morning, and both the dog and I are completely exhausted the next day. Germany and Portugal are eliminated from the European Championship on this day. The game is broadcast live at the festival. The Portuguese are sad but still party all night until six o'clock in the morning. Since this is supposed to continue until Sunday evening, we flee to a nearby lake outside the city the next morning. It's wonderfully quiet here, the dogs can swim, and people sit blissfully in the calm, quiet shade. Coincidentally, on Sunday, countless beautiful vintage cars drive into the parking lot, and our camper fits in perfectly here with our bumblebee. Photos are taken, and everyone is enthusiastic about our bumblebee.

Since Lucy's neck is still swollen despite antibiotics, we drive a short distance inland to Coimbra and the nearest animal clinic (No. 5)!. At some point, it becomes clear that she has a salivary gland inflammation. She receives antibiotics for another 10 days, and we receive instructions on massaging the swollen gland. If it still doesn't get better, she will need surgery. We will do everything we can to avoid that.

We are excited about the interior of Portugal. The area is mountainous, and numerous rivers and lakes define the landscape. Small mountain villages, some built steeply on the slopes, are visible. Time seems to run slower than at the crowded sea. The 11-week vacations have begun, and the coast is getting busier every day. We find a shady spot right by the river in Penacova and decide to stay here for a few days. Summer has arrived, and it is very hot by now.

Kilian removes rust and repaints our van. Two years by the sea leave their mark. I sand and repaint our wooden table, we chill and hike, and we are happy at our shady spot here by the river. Our friends Karin and Nicole drive their camper to the nearby workshop. The turbocharger is supposed to be replaced, and severe defects are discovered during the thorough check of the mobile home. The camper has to go to the workshop for a week, and the two quickly rent a small house here in the village. Fortunately, they find one that allows their two large dogs during the peak holiday season.

Our dog Lucy takes her antibiotics daily and receives a neck massage. We hope that the lump on her neck will go away and that we can spare her and ourselves from surgery.

In two weeks, on July 31st, we will celebrate our wedding anniversary and the 2nd anniversary of handing over the keys to our sold house in Germany. From then on, we will live in the van for two years and travel around. These two years have passed incredibly fast and have changed a lot in us. At first, we were on the move a lot. We wanted to explore Spain and Portugal and see many new places. Now we realize that we are becoming calmer and slower. We stay longer at beautiful places and live our lives... just in the van. In between, Kilian became very ill and had surgery and chemotherapy in Germany. Now, 8 months later, he is fit again, tanned, and healthy. This way of life has healing effects, and we are convinced that our relatively stress-free everyday life contributes to that. Nevertheless, we have also developed a kind of routine. We work for 2 to 3 hours in the evening, and we also have to cook, do laundry, take care of the dogs, shop, and take care of everyday things. However, there are much fewer things to do for us than there were at home in Germany. Do we miss our house? No! This simple, minimalist life that we now lead cannot be compared to any house. Occasionally, we wish our friends and family were here, we can't deny that. But since we have our friends with us and we keep going to new places and meeting new people, it's not that bad. We have become relaxed and cozy in the last two years.

Will we ever get tired of traveling? We don't know. We live in the moment, and right now, this life feels amazing and free. Who knows what the future holds? We will let it come to us 😊