Imagine if we finished everything we started! Gosh we’d be busy wouldn’t we. Nah, busy is not for me … never has been and especially not when it comes to travel. Active – sure. But checking off a ‘to see or do’ everything list, nah not interested. Now that we travel with kids I think I’d go mad if I tried. So when we leave we often know there will be another time or perhaps even another place.

That ‘another time’ in San Sebastián came these past few days. We passed through here on our trip last year. Last year as we wandered along the cobblestones, drank the sangria, ate the tapas and even got hair cuts* … we knew in our hearts we’d be back as we fell for this city and it’s inviting city beach. La Concha. Yes – we’d be back to swim and play here.

*we often do every day get organised kinds of things like get hair cuts when we travel! Seriously, it’s so much easier with four to get a haircut at the time you just happen to walk past one together.

We arrived at the motorhome park we stayed in last year (€7.90 per night) where everything is in walking distance. After dealing with the facilities, (more on that in camper tips) we realised the park up was full. We knew there was another one out of town but as we left we noticed there were many campers parked on the surrounding streets. A 7m house on wheels needs a long car park but if there is enough footpath and it’s low we can back right up and fit into one spot.

Last year I’m not sure we would have considered parking up in the street! But now we’re a lot more adventurous. Gosh I remember the first time we ‘wild’ camped in Portugal last year in a beach car park I was so nervous. Wild camping is the term for ‘free’ camping, generally in a non camping spot. And doing it in a city is a first for us. We even slept with our windows open! Seriously my levels of fear have shifted significantly. That’s practice though isn’t it. It’s the same with anything right, the more we do something the better we get at it. It’s nice to be able to measure yourself a year later and see how far you’ve come.

Gosh kids are adaptable … in a manner of a few days we’ve gone from exploring world war 1 trenches, to climbing mountains to a day playing with kids from around the world they’d never met and now a city street park up! And the first thing they did when we parked was to start playing down ball against the available concrete wall. My kids sink so freely into exploring and travel as long as they can play!

After a night parked ‘wild’ we found a spot in the motor home park and settled ourselves in between a van of young German lads and a Dutch van. The German lads tended to spend a lot of time over at a van full of young German girls! No surprises there. We bonded easily with the neighbors after one of our boys let a loud fart rip (much to his embarrassment, the littlest ;)). The Germans all thought it was hilarious and said it sounded like their van.

We’re still sticking with one pot, one plate meals when we can … wraps work as a brilliant plate. And the afternoon chop and snack type foods! Oranges are the best in Spain – as you would expect. Most of the food in Europe is grown here I imagine.

We ended up staying three nights in SS and enjoyed a magical day playing at La Concha. I finally test rode my SUP. I was a bit wobbly, but with a month up my sleeve to practice I hope to be cruising into the the spring on the canals back in The Netherlands. Z was a natural. It was brilliant to visit again and to have swam in the picturesque harbour. I swam out to the pontoon and managed to talk myself through the deep water dread I sometimes get in the Australian oceans. No sharks here! We spent an afternoon strolling in the old town (bugger the hairdresser was closed) and as the sunset on the third night we decided it was time to head out next morning.

After camping in a tight city park up it felt like the right time to move on and seek some space. This is the great joy of the campervan, the freedom to move with our moods and needs. The Dutch campers next to us and the subsequent Dutch van that camped after them were so ‘night’ noisy. Both coming home at late night and reorganizing and sorting their vans for a morning departure. It’s part of summer camper vanning there are more people around! We were so spoilt last year traveling in the off peak season between March and July. Although I have been pleasantly surprised how easy it is to park up without hordes of people out of the cities. Motor home parks are transient places not full of month long ‘set up house’ type campers.

So we say good bye to San Sebastián. We both decided this would be a weekender place for us now if we were to return. A place to sneak away as adults or with friends to enjoy the cobblestone streets with its bars of tapas that spill with fun and conviviality out into the late afternoons.

Buen camino friends we’re off to Bilbao,

Fran xx

Camper tips:

The facilities! No hiding from it … it’s got to be done.

Have the chemicals! Don’t run out. They can be purchased at service stations, supermarkets and camper parks. I once read a story of a family who didn’t realise you need chemical in a chemical toilet!!!

Gloves get some heavy duty ones! Greg likes to wipe with detail wipes after each empty.

Empty as often as you can. Filing the facilities is risky.

Get used to sending everyone off to the toilet when there is one available – even just in case they can go.