Finally in France...

We cross the French border in pouring rain with a grin on our faces. We have been working towards this moment for so long...finally leaving crazy Germany...! Excitedly, we drive through the colorful Alsace region and admire the colorful houses. Every third village has free parking spaces. A true paradise for vanlifers like us. The fuel prices make us grin even more. 60 cents cheaper than at home...what more could you want?

We find an early place to stay, meet the first super-friendly French people, and regret that our French skills are non-existent. (that has to change). But even the dumbest person can understand a thumbs-up towards our van.

We drive on bumpy patched country roads, which are more like bumpy carpets for our shock absorbers, all the way to Besancon and then Pontailleur sur Saone. 2 free parking spaces and a great empty camping site right by the Saone River welcome us. We park between a cow pasture and a boules court and explore the (slightly sleepy) town. Old dilapidated (or enchanted?) stone houses line the streets. Many are empty and old men play boules...time seems to have stood still here...we enjoy it and make ourselves at home. After exploring the area and taking a walk along the river, where houseboats are anchored, we make ourselves comfortable in the van. Although we already feel decelerated, we still catch ourselves constantly feeling like we have to do something. A remnant of our old life! Constantly living by the clock...we hope to get rid of this shitty habit soon.

Below Dijon (yes, that's where the mustard comes from), we continue towards the Morvan National Park. Sleepy villages with old stone houses and colorful blooming gardens line the way. Diesel costs 1.60 here at the gas station, and we are pleased to see that installing our "freewheel hubs" on the front wheels was worth it. Our Hummel now only needs 15-17 liters per 100 km. It has also become quieter in the driver's cab. People on the roadside wave at us with a smile. Everyone enjoys our Hummel. Endless canals with hundreds of locks for houseboats run parallel to the road, and the boats patiently wait for the locks to open.

In Saulieu, we check into a campsite for the first time. Our friends Karin and Nicole from Mimmenhausen join us. They are traveling with their caravan, along with 3 dogs and a cat. They have also sold a lot in Germany and want to leave the country for a longer period of time. We spend 2 great days together and then continue on our own.

In Sully-sur-Loire, we cross the beautiful Loire River, take a walk along the sandy shore, let the dogs swim, and enjoy the stunning landscape and old town. We rumble leisurely through sleepy villages towards the Atlantic coast. We don't know any country (except for Sweden) that is as camper-friendly as France. There are free parking spaces with picnic tables and disposal facilities everywhere. The landscape becomes more Mediterranean, as does the architecture of the houses. Pine forests and heather dominate the landscape...we like it.

At the Seine River, we make an overnight stop and accidentally end up in the town of Port-de-Seine. When we take our evening walk, we are amazed by the beautiful mansions with huge gardens. This is where the rich and very rich live. Each mansion is more beautiful than the other. Magnificent stone houses with huge gardens line the banks of the Seine, which quietly flows past us.

Many people may now ask, why did they bypass Paris? There are good reasons for that! The city is simply too big for us with our huge vehicle. In addition, our two furry friends are not fans of cities, and for the time being, we are not fans of people either. We love the remote places where we can wander around with our dogs...we all enjoy that.

In the morning, we set off on the final leg towards the Atlantic coast. We can't wait to see the sea...