We sleep under a bridge

Day 46: It was midday before we could set off for Teruel. Filling up the water, emptying the wastewater - the usual procedure took longer than usual today. Maybe that was because we didn't really want to leave. This became clear when we said goodbye on a “lap of honor” and everyone waved to each other. Carmen and Juan shook our hands goodbye. “You're coming back, yes?” Carmen asked me with an extra bright smile. “Yes, we’ll see each other again,” I promised her. And a promise is a promise and will not be broken.

Carmen waved after us until she was just a tiny black dot in the side mirror. I didn't have long to think about it because we had to go to a gas station, preferably one that also had gas for our aluminum bottles. I have an app that shows me LPG filling stations in Spain, but this time it was completely wrong. Maybe she's conspiring with Google Maps against me because, after Google's recent missteps, I now use Apple's Maps app to navigate. Anyway, there was no gas at this gas station, and because the gas station attendant wasn't particularly friendly, we didn't fill up there either.

According to the fuel gauge, we had enough fuel for 250 kilometers. It was almost 300 to Teruel. So we had to refuel on the way. Diesel and gas. We stopped at five gas stations, but none of them had gas. At the fifth gas station we filled up with diesel. The gas station attendant said we could get LPG gas in Segorbe and showed us the gas station on my iPad. It was a small detour, but I was happy to accept it. Ricci's words are still ringing in my ears: “If you can get fuel, gas or water somewhere, fill it up, fill it up, fill it up. You never know when you'll get the opportunity again." Ok, that was his motto for our trip through Morocco last year. But for me it is valid everywhere.

We arrived in Teruel shortly before 4 p.m. Today we are standing under a mighty bridge and will also spend the night here. Construction of the Los Arcos aqueduct began in 1537 and lasted more than 150 years. This bridge compensates for the difference in height between medieval and modern Teruel. We walked up to the old town and were rewarded - in addition to a large portion of ice cream and cream - with beautiful buildings from the times of the Mudejars , Muslims who lived under non-Islamic rule in a non-Islamic country. The most impressive work is the Escalinata de Teruel , an elaborately designed and decorated staircase that leads to the center of the old town.

The same applies to Teruel as to Carmen: “Yes, we’ll see each other again!” But then for more than half a day.