Road Trip in France               Spain and Portugal

On August 2, 2022, aboard the Magic Van, I left alone to go and see a part of Europe, a journey that I had dreamed of for a long time and that I was lucky enough to make, a journey that was very important to me. The first really long trip for me , before then I had mostly taken holidays of no more than three weeks . But this time it is different , I decide to leave alone , for a period of six months ( which later turned out to be five due to health problems ) and I decide to try to live in a very few square meters but with a different garden every day and with a view from the window that changes along the way. Below is the photo of the departure , with the small village  where I was born in the distance in the background .

We go towards France and after crossing the Alps I decide I want to spend a few days in nature and here I am at the Parque Natural Regional de los Montes de Ardèche

Quite a lot of tourists in the summer season but it is still a pleasant location to spend a few days, proceeding towards the West there were some unexpected events and after having done the laundry I realized that I did not have the right jack with me, a very kind French gentleman helped me find a jack and so I continued on my way

After a few kilometers along French soil I decide to cross the Pyrenees and on a hot August afternoon I enter Spanish soil

It must have been the period that being summer there were many people and therefore a lot of traffic, it must have been the fact that buildings were built in many parts of the southern Spanish coast or it must simply have been the fact that they are for much quieter places, I decided not to stop too long in that stretch of coast and so I drove up to a place that has remained in my heart and that knows how to make you feel good, on a windy Spanish morning I arrived in Tarifa

With the ancient village, and inside it numerous narrow streets and many bars, Tarifa offers a pleasant atmosphere. From the town you can admire the Strait of Gibraltar and the Moroccan coast. A particular place in Andalusia, where the course of the days is dictated by the wind. There may be the western wind, the Ponente, the most suitable for those who practice kitesurfing; the Ponente arrives from the West and brings fresh air from the sea. Or there may be the Eastern wind, the Levante, suitable for windsurfers because it blows offshore and requires a good level of ability. While I was there I attended the most important fiesta of the city which lasts the entire first week of September and at the weekend many Andalusians traditionally dressed on horseback parade, the fiesta dedicated to the Vergen de la Luz, who is the patron saint of the city.

After saying goodbye to Tarifa I headed to the Duna de Valdevaqueros, but this time accompanied by an old friend who shared the journey with me for the next two weeks, the place is very beautiful. From the top of the dune you have a beautiful view of Tarifa and you can clearly see the coast of Morocco.

An asphalted road passes in the middle of the dune which, due to the strong presence of the wind, is often partly covered with sand. Below you can see the Magic Van in the sand of the dune

After spending a night in Playa de Bolonia we headed inland to visit the beautiful city of Seville . We then headed towards a country that is a destination for many surfers, kissed by the Atlantic and with huge beaches

We arrived in Portugal and headed to the Algarve to visit the parts of the coast that have the particular cliffs, an interesting but very touristic place, having been there in October however it was very pleasant

Many surfing villages and beautiful beaches, one of these not to be missed is Sagres, I spent my birthday there and that's where I got injured while surfing. After seeing that the situation didn't improve, I decided to fly back to Italy for a more thorough check-up and two weeks later I returned to the Magic Van that was waiting for me in Lisbon

After visiting the city of Lisbon I headed to Sintra, an interesting place that I recommend going to see, there I also visited the Quinta da Regaleira site and saw the Poço Iniciático

Some parts of the Portuguese coast are truly splendid, here I was an hour from Sintra, and together with the Magic Van we headed north

After passing through Peniche and another very beautiful town called Ferrel, I went to Nazarè where, with optimal conditions, you can see the highest wave in the world. This time around, I wasn't lucky because the weather conditions weren't there. , I would still like to go back to see it

I spent a few more weeks in Portugal to visit cities such as Coimbra, Porto, Aveiro, the Sanctuary of Fatima, Esposende and Vila Praia de Ancora and after saying goodbye to Portugal I returned to Spain, to a wonderful region, Galicia

A truly splendid region, very rainy and very humid, in the woods and even on the roofs of some houses there is a lot of moss. It has immense forests and is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean

I also visited the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, which in addition to the cathedral has a beautiful old town with restaurants and other monuments. Along the narrow streets you can see the numerous pilgrims who have arrived after the long journey.

I spent several weeks in Galicia and I really liked it, I saw many villages and many natural places, many fishing towns and numerous Eucalyptus forests. With the Magic Van I slept among the tall trees of the Spanish woods and we were lulled by the sound of the ocean waves.

Around January 2023 we set off towards Italy, from the city of La Coruña I drove to Bilbao, the Northern Spanish coast is magnificent and the roads are perfect. After going through Bilbao I went to Pamplona and then to San Sebastián. From there I returned to France and then crossing the border from Ventimiglia I entered Italy.

It was a good experience, seasoned with a few unexpected events but also with nice surprises, the Magic Van went great, six months without ever connecting to the current thanks to the solar panel and always sleeping freely. I won't forget the long breakfasts in a Van facing the ocean, the first time I went into the water with a surfboard, the dinners in Spain, the long walks on the beach and many other things. And while writing, I felt a lot of nostalgia, because I had dreamed of this trip so much and it was nice to make it happen. Hello Magic Van, a big kiss!