My Mini Camper

The Preparation:

Already in 2020, when it became clear that traveling would remain difficult due to Corona, I started thinking about a camper. But it was only after the vacation with H-K in La Palma and the cancellation of a winter vacation with Ulla in Sweden that I started searching specifically. But then everything happened very quickly:

20.2.21 I watch many reports about mini campers on the internet.

22.2.21 I buy the 12-year-old Dacia Logan with 139,250km in Bochum Gerthe for 2700€. The exhaust and the outside mirror still need to be fixed. I also pay for the re-registration.

24.2.21 I cycle back to Gerthe and can pick up my Dacia at 5 pm. The engine gets very hot and the red warning light comes on during the journey home: something is wrong. The seller promises to come by.

25.2.21 I make plans and take measurements. With Joachim, I plan to install a second battery. After a test drive with the seller, I return the car disappointed and cycle home. Nevertheless, I order all the parts for the conversion on the internet.

27.2. Fri. In the evening, I get the Dacia back with a new thermostat valve.

28.2. Saturday. I pick up the ordered Multi Birch plates from Lumbeck and the saw can screech.

Every day I am now building. And twice Ulla and I clean up my parents' wardrobe.

3.3. All electrical parts have arrived. Joachim helps me install them.

4.3. The two assemblies are puzzled into the car. Everything fits perfectly! The fine work begins: shelf in front, sockets, lamp, handle recesses in the lids, cutting the mattresses. (4 small cushions from the van find a new place in the Dacia). Buy a roof rack for the bikes.

5.3. There is always something to do. Then cleaning and packing.

6.3. Saturday. The first trip is about to start: bikes on the roof and everything packed. There is plenty of room in the cushions. And excitedly, we drive off with a roaring exhaust.

Lunch break in the vineyards of Schriesheim near Heidelberg and in the last daylight we arrive at Moni and Stefan's place in Freiburg. Until Wednesday we can use the chamber, the guest room under the roof.

7.3. Sunday, hiking together in the Kaiserstuhl. 8.3. Monday drive to Todtnau and hike to Feldberg in the snow. 9.3. Tuesday PCR CoronaTest at Waldsee Restaurant and hike over Roskopf to Wildtal.

10.3. Wednesday. The negative test result is here, the health declaration is printed out and filled in: we can enter France. Buy some groceries at Aldi again and hit the highway. But after only 40km, the exhaust manifold breaks and the Dacia roars like a starting airplane. Hopefully they let us pass like this at the border, as the Corona test can only be a few hours old. We take the small border crossing near Neuenburg. No one here: no control, nothing. Did we get tested expensively for this? Well, then there should be no problems either. The Renault workshop at Mulhouse is on lunch break. Another craftsman heard us and comes with aluminum tape for patching: how nice. He recommends a non-contract workshop 12 km away in Wittenheim. Here we order the expensive replacement part (the catalytic converter is built in!) for tomorrow. We drive to Plan d' Eau de Reiningue, park the roaring Hirschi, and explore the area with the bikes to find a nice place to sleep. We pass Schlichten Abbey Oelenberg, where there is a grocery store with its own products and a sleeping place under a beautiful willow tree. We still want to check out the campsite in Heimsbrunn, but all the paths end at the Doller with a ford. You can't cross here without getting your feet wet, so we take a detour over the next bridge. We like the campsite and I bring the car later. How will the first night in the car be? We sleep well and a hot water bottle in the sleeping bag helps against the cold.

11.3. Thursday. Despite the cold and a few drops, we have breakfast outside. At 10 a.m., we drop off Hirschi at the workshop and go shopping at the nearby Decathlon. It's so unpleasant outside that we prefer to do 2 rounds inside. By 1 p.m., the car is ready!! Hooray!! Now it really starts: on the highway and off to the south. We drive in storm and rain until we reach the camping Les Plages l' Ain near Lyon. It starts raining again, but we can sit under an unused awning and cook.

12.3. Friday. The sun wakes us up, but it's still cold during breakfast. We drive to Lyon and park by the river, then bike 7 km into the hilly city on Rhône and Saône. Our goals are Place Louis Pradel, Terreaux, and the churches Saint-Jean and Notre-Dame de Fourvière with their beautiful view over the city. We return through the old working-class district Croix Rousse and continue on the highway to the south. But we don't make it to the sea today because of the curfew at 6 pm. We go to the campsite in Tarascon.

13.3. Saturday. We explore Tarascon by bike and then ride up to St. Roman. But the museum is closed. Alternatively, we go up to Aiguille with a great view over the valley. On our way back, we go to the amphitheater in Arles and to the sea. We go to the campsite La Brise in St. Maries. Today, on Saturday, there are actually some motorhomes here.

14.+15.3. We go on bike tours to the east and west. The route to Fort Peccais turns out to be quite adventurous because I keep coming across private land with closed gates and have to lift the bike over them. For the way back, I prefer the public land route via Aigues-Mortes, which means cycling against the wind and taking a long detour!

16.3. Tuesday. With Ulla, I take another thorough look at Aigues and then cycle through Montpellier for 3 hours. The contrasts of a big city are enormous. Both the old and the new districts have their charms. We visit Promenade du Peyrou, Place des Martyrs de la Resistance, Cathedrale St. Pierre, and Esplanade de l Europe. We then take a cruise by car until we reach Gignac going west. Here, the campsites are closed, and we park above the Hérault river on the picnic area. For this, we have to take off the bikes so that we can pass under the barrier. Today, the kitchen remains cold: we make ourselves a delicious salad. But I light the stove for the hot water bottles filled with river water.

17.3. Wednesday. We cycle up the Hérault valley from the parking lot. We wouldn't have been able to get away by car because the road is being resurfaced. Short stop in front of the closed monastery of Aniane. There is still a lot to renovate here. An old water channel ( Canal Gignac) leads through below the town. Photo stop at the 3 bridges. Pont Diabolo is already 1000 years old. It's amazing how high the Hérault rises in the narrow gorge sometimes. The washed-up wood can still be seen. We cycle up the Gorges to Guilhem. The village is really spruced up. Small shops and squares invite you to linger. Thanks to Covid 19, it is empty. After the church, we climb up to the castle ruins and enjoy the scent of blooming broom and the view of the wide valley and the village. We cycle back to the car on the other side. The road is fully resurfaced, we can continue driving: Aldi and wine shopping. The campsite at Lac de Salagou is closed, and the parking lot is closed. The Caravan Park in Bédarieux is not very inviting. We park a bit further up by the Orb river. The police come and ask why we are not on the caravan site and accept Ulla's explanations and pleas. Good thing she paid attention in school!

18.3. Thursday. We stand in the shade and it's only 4⁰C. Should I move the car? We wait for the sun. It comes out, but doesn't warm up well today, it stays cold all day: that's enough! The V84 is a 250km long cycle path, 78km of which is a railway track in the Orb valley, and we cycle 8km of it to Olargues. The village has a clear backlog of renovations, but it's fun to explore. We go to the castle ruins, enjoy the view, and stroll through the museum staircase to the lower town. We stock up on goodies at the butcher's and the patisserie and enjoy them with a view of the town. On the way back, we turn off at Mons into the Gorges de l'Héric. We cycle up the valley to the waterfall. To get to Héric, there are still 3 steep kilometers to go, but instead, we drive by car through the narrow Orb valley to Béziers. We only have 1½ hours left to visit the church, the squares, and the waterways. We reach the campsite in Saint-Pierre de la Mer just in time for the curfew at 6:01 p.m.: closed. We park in P4 with 747 free spaces and cook in the lee of the car: potato soup with well-seasoned eggplant. That warms us up. Ulla has opened the 5-liter canister of red wine for this, and I enjoy the beer and the nightly walk to the beach.

19.3. Friday. It's cold again, and we have breakfast in the car while it's lightly drizzling. We hike along the beach to the Plaisance-Fleury harbor to see if the campsite is open there. There are many large shells on the beach, and I collect a lot. The sun and clouds change a lot today, and it stays cool, but the movement, 6km there and back, keeps us warm. Everything is still closed in the Plaisance-Fleury harbor. We search the internet for an open campsite and find one in the west near Perpignan. The way there is only 93 km long but difficult. We are stuck in traffic, and the red warning light comes on in the Dacia. In addition, I programmed the wrong campsite in the navigation system, so we have to drive a bit further. But just before 6 p.m., we arrive and we are allowed in even though the reception closed at 5 p.m.

20.3. Saturday. The night was very cold again, but I slept well and long with the hot water bottle. Because of the red warning light, we decide it's better to visit the workshop. They also have Norauto here, maybe it has something to do with the new catalytic converter. They tell us to come by. We drop off the car and bike along the canal to the city center. There is a market there, and we continue to the church and enjoy a coffee to go on the promenade. It's colorful here. The car is already finished. It was just an error message. On the way back, I still want to see the fortress, but it, too, is closed like all the other museums. It's not worth going any further today. We cycle through Elne and to the sea. The coast is very built up. In the marina, you can quickly reach a million euros just by looking at the boats here. It becomes more natural to the west. But we don't stay long because Ulla wants to use the warmth of the sun for dinner. Today, we're having a Sunday meal: potatoes, mixed salad, and fish.

21.3. Sunday. To catch every warming ray of sun, I move the car first. After breakfast, we have a combined tour by the sea today. After finding a way to the highway via Elne (I keep ending up on a blocked road), we drive to Port Vendres, where we park the bikes behind the low tunnel (Ulla has to check if the bikes fit) and continue to Banyuls sur Mer. We hike back in 2 stages against the wind along the coast and cycle back to the car with the wind. The wind is very gusty today and almost pushes us over at unprotected spots. The coast here is rocky and has some sheltered bays. I dare to run in shorts at some places. But I only go into the water with my feet. The sea and the sky compete for the bluest color, and we meet many hikers today. No wonder with the great view. At the end, it gets exciting again because the path ends in a park and we can't find the way out, so we have to climb a 2m high wall with a ladder. Back in Elne, we get takeout from the Chinese restaurant. We eat it at sunset with a view of the snow-covered Pyrenees.

22.3. Monday. It's still very windy. Breakfast is delayed because the stove blows out twice. We drive towards Nabonne and are shaken very hard. Then we go inland towards Toulouse. The small village Lagrasse and the fortress of Carcassonne are worth a visit. Lagrasse is very sleepy, the monastery is closed, and only the area by the river appeals to me. Carcassonne, on the other hand, presents itself proudly and magnificently. We circle between the walls and enjoy every alley and also the view from the river is great. But due to Corona, you can only get a coffee in one place. The small, nicely parcelled campsite in Villemoustaussoue is still open to the north. And there's an Aldi on the way. Everything's fine.

23.3. Tuesday. Our last day in the south. We want to use the next 2 days for the journey home. One village from the list of the most beautiful villages is still on the way: Minerve. Wine is grown on both sides of the country road to get there. Who drinks so much wine besides Ulla? We park on the free bus parking lot and enter the village on the rock via the bridge. Nothing is happening here yet. I want to do a 7km hike in the gorge, but the beautiful path is closed right behind the village. The detour leads over the boring road. However, we can still take a look at the snow-covered Pyrenees. It's really warm here today, I go without my jacket. The stream is deep in the valley. You could even swim (illegally) at one point, at least I dare to put my feet in. We watch a hiker on the closed path, so we dare to take it for the way back, and it is beautifully positioned on a ledge along the cliffs. Coffee break at the bookstore. Back to the car and another 40 km of beautiful country roads to the highway near Béziers and another 200 km towards home in the Rhône valley. On the way, we noticed a castle, so we'll take a look in the evening. 8 km further, Camp Pinede opens. Today, we're having pasta with tuna and tomato sauce in the semi-darkness.

24.3. Today is a travel day. We sit in the car for 7 hours for 600 km. The Dacia doesn't drive fast. We drive the entire Rhône valley from toll booth to toll booth. We only stop for peeing and for a lunch break in Beaune. Near Nancy in Liverdun on the Moselle, we find a nice picnic area by the closed campsite. Here we can comfortably warm up our leftover pasta from yesterday and enjoy the red wine or the beer.

25.3. Thursday. From Liverdun, we drive home. The morning is cold again, and the sun doesn't come through the haze. So breakfast at the Moselle is as short as necessary, despite the nice seating. In Luxembourg, we fill up the tank again with cheap fuel, and at Echternach, we cross the border without control. Back in Germany. We receive an SMS from the federal government with information on the applicable Corona protection measures. We will get tested directly at home in Hattingen, then we don't have to go into quarantine. In the Eifel, we exit the E29 for a break and go to the beautiful Nimstal. We move towards the viewpoint above the town of Schönecken with a view of the castle ruins. Then we drive home in one go and are joyfully greeted directly at home.

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