Andalusia ...the beautiful Costa Tropical...

Andalusia welcomes us with radiant sunshine and 20°. We drive through the inland, pass by the huge Sevilla, and find a place to stay in the middle of nowhere. The sun sets in a fiery red and surrounded by eucalyptus and olive trees, we sleep like babies that night, alone for the first time in a long time.

Then we arrive in Motril near Malaga. Our friends Karin and Nicole have been staying at a sweet little campsite by the sea in a Moroccan style. Paradise couldn't be more beautiful. We are enchanted by the huge palm trees and cacti that are simply everywhere here. Many flowers are in full bloom and the thermometer shows 22°. We happily check in at the half-empty campsite and immediately get to know the whole German wintering community. It's a warm togetherness and the retiree 'El Commandante' (Werner) helps us with parking. The campsite is small and overgrown with eucalyptus trees. After going back and forth at a snail's pace, our Hummel finally finds its sunny spot, which will be our home for the next few weeks. We are grateful for a break from driving because after almost 5000 kilometers, we need some time to process the many impressions of the past months and make room for the new. In the evening, we are immediately welcomed into the small community with drinks. Cristian from Argentina, the good soul of the campsite, cooks chicken in the Taichine, the red wine flows abundantly, and the next day, on my birthday, we are all completely hungover.

Our Hummel needs to be lubricated. That means 50 spots on the underbody need grease. Kilian puts on his work clothes, crawls under the car, and gets started. I take the opportunity to get some exercise, traveling makes you fat! Headphones on, favorite music playing, and off I go in quick steps along the endless promenade. It's a pleasure to walk under palm trees with great music in my ears.

Our friends Susanne and Wolfgang visit us on their motorbike. Their camper is a few kilometers away and they take a short ride to visit us. We met the two of them in Riga, Estonia in 2018 and have stayed in touch ever since. What a joy to see them again...and in Spain, under palm trees!

One day, we discover a chameleon on our truck. It can't get down on its own, so we build a 'chameleon bridge' for it to crawl off in slow motion. When it's back in the tree, its color changes to shimmering green.

The winterers Birgitta and Werner go with us to the city. She knows a dressmaker (my favorite jacket needs one) and he knows a workshop for Mercedes Benz (Hummel needs one). The togetherness here is simply wonderful. Thank you both!

We take long walks, constantly discovering new beautiful spots, and enjoy the 'staying' very much. The break from driving is good for all of us...even the dogs are happy to stay in one place. Enrice from the Basque Country cooks fish goulash. Almost the entire campsite is invited...and so are we. Quickly, the tables are set up and a fun group of twenty people sit together. It could be much worse. At the weekly market, I can't stop marveling. 1kg of tomatoes for 1 euro! Wow. I like Spain more and more. Loaded with 4 bags of fruits and vegetables, I return home. I paid 5.50 euros for all of it.

We celebrate birthdays and we celebrate for no reason...all together...and enjoy the company very much. Everyone is very nice and there is a lot of laughter. After 4 months of being alone, we realize how much nice company is appreciated. Cristian from Argentina turns 37 and Barbara from Berlin celebrates her 70th. Once again, the tables are set up and delicious food is served. It is November 27, 2022, the 1st Advent, and we are sitting under palm trees in t-shirts.

Eight people and five dogs take a trip to the mountains. The destination: Terevez, the ham village! Somewhere in the middle of nowhere is a village specialized in ham. It hangs in masses from the ceiling. What a sight! And delicious too.

The days and weeks fly by. It never gets boring and we can hardly believe that we have been here in one place for almost two weeks. We all enjoy the 'staying'. Even the furry ones are very relaxed and enjoy the break from driving and long walks. We will definitely stay in the nice community for Christmas and then continue our exploration of southern Spain.

Although we are known to be big fans of Greece, Andalusia has thrilled us from the very first day. The landscape with the sea, palm trees, and the high mountains in the background is truly impressive. The people are friendly and we have felt very comfortable here so far. Let's see what awaits us in the next few months.