Caravanlife, 12metriquadrati, wedding anniversary and other things

It's time again for a "Caravanlife" entry.

Christian and I have been on tour since the end of July 2023, there have been ups and downs, there have been great things, not so great experiences and for me, the attempt to find my own way. All of this is not over yet!

For me, every country we have visited so far has left a really beautiful impression and I was always amazed by what we were able to see. We didn't do everything and take everything with us, there are still a lot of blank spots, because the most important thing is the FUN factor! We have that when we think about when we can go to an exhibition, when an excavation makes sense, because of course we aren't just out hiking! We visited so many beautiful places!

There are of course things like rubbish, which is a huge problem in Morocco in particular, or the fact that a plastic city has sprung up near Almeria in Spain, similar to the one in Agadir, just so that we Europeans always have great fruit and vegetables. I probably won't eat avocado at home with the same enjoyment as the avocados that come straight from the country in Morocco, Spain and especially in Portugal, almost fresh from the tree. I don't think the tent cities are that great, but the products were good for the palate; I liked the inland better. The markets in Morocco had their own flair, only in France do you feel similar.

It was good for me that Christian got Palumbi fit again with the help of his brother. We were able to travel again, I really liked Galicia, Portugal is a country I would like to visit again. But there were and are so many places, people and impressions that I simply cannot describe, as I would not do justice to many of them.

It starts with a great restaurant that Christian found somewhere between Muxia and Finisterre, then a campsite owner's tip about where to shop, and it goes on and on. It's just exciting!

Of course, I almost lost it until Palumbi was fit to drive again, but it's all OK now and it's no longer a problem for me. I've had health problems since January because I had something like chapped corners of the mouth, which I would have treated at home with Penaten cream. But I left that at home, so I've been tinkering around with various creams for the last few months, which has only made it worse. Now I have the "stewardess" disease or a mouth erysipelas, which can only be cured with zero therapy. I'm trying that at the moment, but it's not easy because it didn't happen on its own.

I also have to deal with my hormones, because when I noticed in March that I was somehow constantly gaining weight, I was very careful about what I ate. It didn't help at all, I'm rounder than I have been for years. It's frustrating because I don't drink alcohol, I hardly eat any bread, and yet my pants don't fit anymore. Whereas a year ago I was able to lose weight quickly with the smallest of measures, nothing is working right now. That's pure frustration for me, it puts me in a really bad mood, because I'm already active and so on!

Now it's time to see a doctor, because this weight gain sounds like hormones and the thing with the corners of the mouth could be the same thing... Let's see!

Christian gets a little bit of it every now and then, but I continue to try my best with meditation and yoga so that these moods - yes, they are really bad moods - will hopefully pass. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I feel very sorry for him and I apologize all the time for it...

There are some highlights in the literature here, which I also read thanks to my sister-in-law. Menopause is the horrible word. Since I no longer have a uterus, I am in the middle of it, but I only noticed it when my weight and my moods became increasingly violent.

The only thing that helps is distraction, so get out into nature and admire the many small orchids that Nuno showed us in Portugal and the varieties that nature has to offer here. It's nice that nature has a herb or a remedy for almost everything, that could perhaps help me with everything.

Let’s stay positive!

Today's wedding anniversary is definitely one of them! Christian and I had been dating since 1997, with a few interruptions, then we got married on May 13, 2006 and have been through highs and lows together since then - life always writes new stories!

BUT I just have to say one thing: He can get on my nerves, but my heart always jumps when I see him! Wrinkles, grey hair, less hair and other things don't change that!

The man who always wears his caps and hats askew, who only laughs for photos when he can annoy my dog, who can repair caravans almost by himself, who unfortunately always puts the handbrake on the car, who speaks better English than he thinks, who shares some of his hobbies with me, who can't take good photos with his cell phone, who always finds the funniest restaurants, always has my heart in his hand. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR LOVE!