Back in our oasis of well-being

Day 13: Yesterday evening ended with a shock! I discovered that the body battery was not being charged. Don't worry, it won't get (too) technical now. A motorhome has two batteries: Like every car, one to start the engine and an additional battery that provides power for lamps, the heater fan, water pumps and the built-in USB ports for charging cell phones and computers. This battery is also charged by the alternator when the engine is running. A solar system on the roof also provides energy, but that alone does not cover our daily needs. We could also charge our living area battery using shore power, but to do this we would have to be on a campsite or well-equipped parking space. Are you still there?

I researched on the internet and slowly made my way through troubleshooting. The problem is our charging booster, which regulates the power supply from the car battery to the living room battery. It stopped working, which even I recognized because the green indicator light wasn't on. Unfortunately, the small box does not have an on/off switch. Since our battery technology is only two years old, I called the workshop that installed the part this morning. The employee was really nice, but he couldn't help me.

Battery Fox was my last hope. This is a Swiss man who came to our aid in Calpe four years ago when our living room battery gave out. Late in the evening, Patrick quickly installed a lithium battery for us, without which we would have had to cancel our vacation. I had saved his number – wisely – and had it on my cell phone straight away. He still remembered us, unfortunately he has moved and now has his workshop near Valencia - 350 kilometers further north, exactly where we were the day before. But he promised us that he would keep a workshop appointment free for us if all else fails.

But our ropes won't break! We have a lithium battery that still has 50 percent capacity and a power station that is about 40 percent full. This is how we get by. We'll have to go to a campsite in three or four days at the latest anyway to get everything - really everything! – to bring it back into shape.

So this morning we started the 18 kilometer tour to Guardamar del Segura, Icke's favorite city in Spain, in the rain. We have been here three times in the past five years and have always had a good time. As we walked around the city, the memories danced in front of our minds. We had breakfast for a second time in our regular restaurant - the head waiter still knew us - and went home feeling inspired. I checked the batteries routinely and lo and behold: the living room battery had increased by almost 20 percent. The engine is charging again! Despite the constant rain: the sun shines in my heart.