Tag Archives: Motorhome with kids

Adventure, Camping, Travel

Summer Camper Trip – Playa de Aquilar, Spain.

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After four nights in the Picos de Europa and a day of hiking it felt like time to move. When we first started camper vanning the ‘how long should we stay?’ was always a question … slowly we found our groove. And, as we let go of the feeling that unless we were exploring or moving we were wasting the opportunity we found our own pace. Slow days, hanging around the campsite are just what we need sometimes. Just like pajama weekends! Now we move when the call to move comes. Of course on this trip we don’t know our destination and nothing is booked so we have the freedom to.

After a few days for the kids to potter and play as Greg and I hiked solo hikes today was a (very) slow day for me. We started the day heading out to walk into the Cares Gorge but I didn’t even make it out of the village! A stumble on an uneven piece of road and I was in all sorts of agony. Deep down I knew it. The fall in the mountains had done some damage. I’d need to sit a few days out, maybe even see a Dr – except of course I’m stubborn. While I’d have loved to see the gorge, I have been to King’s canyon in NT and I know I’ll see other amazing sights in my life. Heck! I sat out my slow day amongst the mountains whilst I read it away.

I have a stash of books on board courtesy of my friend Lix. Last year after camper vanning in Europe she left her stash with me … and some beach towels, shopping bags and linen which we also have on board. It feels pretty cool to be sharing gear! Funny story … I met Lix and co on IG while we were both traveling and they ended up staying with us (in The Netherlands) at the end of their adventure. Our two families got on like we’d know each other forever. They’ve become life long Tassie mates and Lix is one of my greatest confidants. Meh to the nay sayers who think being ‘online’ ain’t the real deal. Plenty of deep friendships start in the online space.

Although in saying that I must admit I’m feeling the need to make a shift in my online presence as I begin to think through how I want life beyond this adventure to look. You know that feeling when it’s time to move on or change things. To honour what’s needed or to commit deeply to something new, I find letting go of something else is always necessary. Particularly those situations, thoughts, things, stories or people that aren’t serving our growth – towards what is moving us towards our future selves. I notice myself getting annoyed rather inspired on IG of late. Why so many ads and sponsored posts?! Of course I know (business and Facebook) but I never seem to see the accounts I want to see. And I don’t subscribe to ads. I have taken to going in purposefully and catching up on where people have been.

It’s the same place I found myself at after last year’s travel adventure. The way life is ‘sold’ and the fakery that comes with it. I get it. Of course IG is a business for many. And I absolutely applaud the ability to create something. But I’ve already bought the idea of life and travel and I want to live it not be ‘sold’ it. I want to see every day life. Actual candid hiking and walking, friends, groups, meals, books, art, thoughts, homes, gardens. You know – Life! Walking, traveling, challenging the norm and adventuring in every day life. And yes I know it’s my issue. It’s not how others use SM but how I use it so the adjusting (movement) needs to come from my end. I’m not the same person that needed to find a way to connect with the world, when I started my own adventure into opening myself up with an IG account. I like/need the way IG connects me with people I don’t find in every day life.

And how I do love my index cards (the little squares), my photo album of these last few years of my life. Behind each photo there’s a story, memory, emotion, growth … I can tell you exactly where I was or how I felt on each day in each moment. My personal journal that unexpectedly brought so many wonderful people into my life. What a ride it has taken me on this coming out of shyness in a public space. And the discovery of my need for creativity, a need I didn’t know existed or more to the heart of it one I’d forgotten to honour. And let’s face it keeping albums, journals, meeting interesting people, keeping up with friends and being creative – it’s kind of a precious (easy) way of fitting it into one space. It sure has been one mammoth adventure. But perhaps I want a deeper way or is it that where I want to share depth has shifted? I’m pondering my intention as I guess we all do from time to time.

Obviously I’ve had a lot of think time here while I sit out this back injury and begin manifesting where to for me. It’s a place that feels like the end of one life phase and the beginning of another. There’s a lushness in creating think space with time out. I’m enjoying opening my mind to some deep thinking about what I feel whilst I’m planted in amongst the trees and the birds. And the dreaming that comes from reading books – both what’s nice and what’s confronting. It’s one of the gifts of travel and time out … the chance to re-evaluate. Better to feel a transition and understand it rather than miss it, in my experience it’ll bite later if ignored.

It’s not all thinky think! That friends would get exhausting. It’s also about opening these thoughts and desires and throwing them to the wind so they can find their way home. Home in the form of a lesson, story, person or coincidence that makes sense to me – that show me which direction to travel forward in.

After their 15 km hike into the gorge my little (big) family arrived back tired and proud with stories to share. My little adventurers had been to a theme park today and they got there on their own little legs, together. In my day of pondering I had tidied the van ready for our next adventure. After a big rehydration drink and a snack we decided to hit the road … to get the mountain driving done tonight.

During our night of story telling with the kiwi travellers we learnt that they had free camped right across Spain. They shared a new free camping ap with us and with our preference for this style of campering we left without a destination. We knew Foz was our next longer stop but we would drive tonight until it was time to stop and camp.

At around 9pm (after a stop for dinner on the road) we chose a beach car park and plugged it into the GPS. Arriving at the car park was all kinds of adventure cosy. There were a few other campers parked for the night. The sky was illuminated by the stars but wandering outside the van was pitch black with a refreshingly cool on shore breeze. It struck me in that moment how precious this time is. This time where I can still tuck my children in and take them off the grid and away from the pressures and influences of modern life. It’s so much more valuable than the big car I used to drive or the investment property we once aspired to own. All that worry I had before we left about what I should do about a career seemed so pointlessly insignificant. In fact, worry almost always is. Something that has smacked me in the face all year. It would work it self out with action, time and trust – not worry.

I cosy’ed myself in bed with my newest (second hand) book Travelling with Ghosts. It was then I heard it. The siren call of the ocean that would be lull me to sleep, her soothing, crashing waves. Spoiler – this book will become a catalyst in helping me unravel how different I have become since living in Europe and why I appreciate it. Something that has been circling in my consciousness for a while.

I had scary dreams during this night, ones that I had to wake myself up from. But I also awoke to the most spectacular surprise, the ocean that lulled me to sleep. Yin and yang. Dark and light. Negative and positive. Seemingly opposite but actually complimentary. There was a time I tried to sit in the middle of my extremes but today in this brief moment on the Northern Spanish Coastline I realised that was never the right path for me. I’ll never sit in the middle but I do know peace exists floating between them. And perhaps I need to examine at which end of the all or nothing is right for the time.

Now, onto Foz.

Buen Camino dear readers, a long one for a 15 hour stop over!

Fran xx

Camper tips:

I’ve mentioned before the camper contact ap we use but this new gem in park 4 night. Seriously will open the wild camp world for you.

Adventure, Camping, Travel

Summer Camper Trip – Posada de Valdeón, Spain

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‘And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.’ – Pico Lyer

My love affair with travel extends far beyond the beauty of new places and people. I have no bucket list. I have a lust for the affair. And it’s no wonder I’ve created a life that has revolved around this affair. Without it my soul is starved – without adventure there’s no oxygen. However, the great climax of this affair is the never ending path it opens up. The next adventure. The return to life with new perspectives and motivations. And let’s face it most of us still need to return to a routined, stable life. We do! With four kids, two of high school age, a mortgage and retirement to think about.

It has always felt indulgent and privileged to write about and experience travel in the way I do. I’ve decided to not allow that to hold me back from exploring it in writing. In the past I have. And I believe I must because I’m all about living life (everyday life) as an ongoing adventure filled with exploration and growth. To ignore the influence travel plays in my life is not the whole story, not my story. I never want to contribute to a landscape of encouraging people to lust after something, but rather to find their own way. Yet, so much of who I am comes from my need to wander and why. My desire to wander daily with love and lust for the beauty of life. All of life.

These past few years have been quite an expedition. Mostly, I’ve embraced the notion of finding freedom, of removing the shackles of expectations. And of releasing myself from what I thought life would or should look like. In these mountains – the Picos de Europa I leapt froward. I hiked on my own (which I do) and as I was enraptured by the wild beauty, scared (of the wild boars) when I started walking through a bracken covered dense trail, hurt when I fell on my back descending the mountain and strengthened when I navigated the map – I was also completely at peace. At peace with the joy, unknown, fear and pain.

I was as close to myself as I could get out there in those mountains. And I didn’t sleep that night … rather, I lay awake. Not awake over analyzing thoughts but excited by new thoughts and ideas. Excited about what comes next for me. This next transition as I choose to leave doubts behind and become a stronger woman. A warrior woman who hugs fear. On that mountain fear become my mirror and for me, staring at fear is as honest as it gets.

What a delightfully endearing town this is. A place where the children could play in our €10 per night camper spot surrounded by mountains. The children were invited to play soccer with locals. A place where we met a camper family from NZ who had been on the road for 17 months! We were so enthralled by their stories, particularly their love of Sardinia and their generosity in sharing their experiences. I finished reading a manuscript written by a friend, what a sacred privilege, it had me inspired and dreaming of possibilities in my own kitchen and garden. I was taken with the locals working and playing with their hands. And that strikes me as something we need to consider – what we doing with our hands. One thought I’ll be taking forward with me.

Buen Camino lovelies,

F xx

Camper tips:

Cosy! Don’t forget COSY. You can have movie nights, snuggle and make TUE popcorn. Sometimes if you’re lucky and there’s a restaurant in view you can leave your kids to watch the movie and dine out on scrumptious, local fare. Of course the first setting isn’t until 9pm – because Spain!

Adventure, Camping, Travel

Summer Camper Trip – Bilbao, Spain.

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I don’t actively seek the scallops or the yellow arrows but as we settle into this month long trip along the North coast of Spain here they are again! Of course it’s not surprising given that the Norte Camino route towards Santiago weaves it’s way along this part of the world. I do like the reminders though … to follow the ‘way’.

When we first landed in The Netherlands we had an experience in the ‘expat’ housing system that led me to an unfamiliar place. A place where even though you do what’s right you can still get hurt. Sometimes no matter what you do a situation just can not be fixed, your decision has turned into a bad one. I like to live in a trusting world and so feeling like I’d landed in a mistake because of my trusting nature was a tough one for me to navigate. Even with all my wildness I still follow rules … so when a party doesn’t play fair it’s a challenge for me. The whole situation had me re-evaluating every decision I’d made in the past few years it shook me hard.

It’s a situation we moved away from but for a while it stole something from me. Trust. Thankfully I had the camino for One Girl to anchor me. Without the connection to One Girl it would have been easy for me to walk away from walking the camino. The trust I lost is the kind that is rooted in my core (my soul) … trust that the universe would be kind as long as I’m kind and honest. Perhaps it messed with my pre-conceived notions of karma.

Now, with some space between the darkness of that time and the light the of the camino and all the acts of kindness* along the way. I trust the ‘way’ I’m living and wandering about in this life again. And I’m enjoying this dip into uncertainty that always comes when I step into a new adventurous experience. The unchartered new perspectives and thoughts that are sparked by my curiosity and love of unplanned travel. Clarity, will in time unfurl the ‘way’ for me so long as I surrender to trust.

Without trust it’s easy for fear to win don’t you think? And when fear wins we don’t dare. Dare to try, dream, believe – to trust in ourselves and the universe. It’s easy for the beasts of fear and doubt and modern day expectations to hold us prisoner but I’m not surrendering to them. I’m not going down the garden path of fear, expectations and complacency without a fight. As my sister says … ‘those who take risks and live adventurously always end up ok’. I will forever be walking my own camino and embracing that I have a choice in how I tread that path. Even when it requires re-writing old stories and always by creating new ones.

Bilbao – home of a Guggenheim museum. It was a stop we didn’t manage last year. We were hightailing across Spain to escape the Portuguese heat waves. City stops in a camper are not always the easiest and for us they’re often the first thing we cross off our ‘where we want to go’ list.

As with any museum there were exhibitions that appealed to us and those that didn’t. I’m glad we visited … although if you have kids the staff aren’t shy about shaming you if they step anywhere near the art (be prepared). It’s definitely not a museum you can let a toddler loose in because you can get up close to amazing pieces of work and in our case the Joana Vasconcelos exhibition. No photos as it wasn’t allowed. If you get a chance and this exhibition makes it to your country I’d love to chat about it with you if you see it. I’m still thinking about it.

Then we basically just wandered, got soaked, ate the best tortilla (ever), enjoyed a picnic baguette and spent our own time back at camp sinking into the freedom and space that comes with #vanlife. The view was a €15 per night postcard. We also wore through all our clothes as there wasn’t a one stop shop** with washers on the way in to Bilbao from San Sebastián. Not like France.

We stayed two nights and left with three bags full (of washing and contentment). Seeing our kids as themselves is the most beautiful gift. Even running out of smalls can’t dampen our spirits … we are in our travel and family element (and we can hand wash). So with a car loaded after a big old food shop (can’t speak highly enough about stocking up) it’s onwards. Towards the beach for the luxury of that salty smell, a surf for the grommets amongst us and a washing machine!

Buen Camino,

Fran xx

*Kindness. Yes, I’m talking to you lot: the messages, the crystals, the artwork, the sage sticks, the spells and mostly the trust. The trust you put in me to do something that mattered and by encouraging me with all your support. It was everything, it kept me tethered.

** if you’re reading this and planning to Camper … we found a big carrefour in the industrial part out of town (Bilbao). The Repsol (petrol station) had an eco laundry attached to it.

Camper tips:

City stays!

We’ve done a few. The easiest ones are the ones that have a metro, bus or train station close by. If you’re lucky you can find a park up within walking distance (San Sebastián and Girona – awesome ones). Mostly for the big cities we have stayed in caravan parks. Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon all convenient but be prepared to transport in. We made it all the way to Madrid only to decide we’d give it a miss. The caravan park (the only one) was pretty gross and it was a bus and tram away … and in 40 degree heat, not fun with kids. There is a freedom in embracing flexibility and spontaneity, in not ticking every box and in choosing easy – the possibility of something even more wonderful. Freedom from stress, isn’t that one of the things we go away to remember?

Adventure, Camping, Travel

Summer Camper Trip – San Sebastián, Spain.

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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.

Adventure, Camping, Travel

Summer Camper Trip – Bayonne, France.

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We arrived in time for the Paella and what a fabulous treat! Not just the food but the entire 24 hours. We popped in on our favourite French family who are the family of friends we made in Sydney. This wonderfully warm family who do everything with great love! A gathering that flowed with a genuine passion for the dining experience. And luxuriously elegant in its beautiful simplicity. Have you ever watched a French family sit down to eat? It’s truly a inspiring experience.

We landed here during the Fètes de Bayonne. A five day summer festival. A festival that celebrates with music, street performances, traditional dance, parades and fireworks. Local Bayonne’ites from this Northern Basque Country wear the red and whites, the colours of Pamplona. We didn’t make our way into the festival but couldn’t help but be swept up on the excitement.

There were tents pitched on nature strips and on vacant lots. It appeared there were no restrictions for this weekend of fun and frivolity. We camped up on the street of our friends house. We did so without incident … although we were awoken by the singing of a few loud partygoers returning home! We have now managed to stay in France for 8 nights for a grand total of €34 euros and I don’t think we’ve made any compromises in doing so. So far we are blissfully contented and in the flow of adventure and joy.

A gathering where both the adults and children communicated in the languages of English, French, Spanish, food, wine, cheese, fun, play, laughter, culture and tradition. Our hosts are the purveyors of home made Pavlova’s in France so we were treated to Pav’s for dessert. There is nothing humble about a home made pavlova, topped with cream and whatever seasonal fruit is available. Divine. One of the guests also baked the gateaux basque – perfect on the day and perfect the next morning with coffee. It was cherry flavoured and made from a recipe handed down from a grandmother (as I’m told these recipes are) … not an easy one to replicate.

The evening ended with the kids playing The Game of Life. Do you remember this from your childhood? It’s a nostalgic one for me, I loved this game. My cousin had it – I always looked forward to playing it when we visited. There’s something special about being able to rock up with four kids and seeing their day end like this. My tribe of wanderlusters skipped contentedly back to the van once the evening concluded.

And now we leave to make our way towards San Sebastián our first stop in Spain. A beachy, foodie city and one we fell in love with on our last camper trip. It will be the last of the towns we know before making our way across the Nth of Spain. We knew last time we wanted to come back to swim in San Sebastián’s spectacular picturesque harbour one day. Here we are on the way. I never travel to see and do it all … that’s just not possible. Will we love it as much? Let’s see shall we.

Buen Camino,

Fran xx

Camper tips:

It took us months the first time around to switch on the gas! Yet when you do you are instantly more free in your choice of park ups. Camping on the street was possible for us because during the day we could switch our fridge to gas. If you’re reliant on electricity you always need a caravan park or motor home park up that supplies it. Filling gas bottles is not technically allowed but everyone does it and no one asks when you go in to pay. Most campers have the adapters for each country on board. Ask when you pick up the camper. And if unsure, You Tube how to fill the bottle if you’re comfortable doing it. That’s what greg did (among other camper things!). Not all service stations have gas so you need to plan for that. Or, alternatively you can buy new bottles along the way.