Usually, when we have stayed in Benegéber the town is relatively quiet and we don’t see much of the locals. This time however, we were lucky enough to be there when the town was celebrating San Antonio.

The Essence of San Antonio Fiesta

San Antonio Abad (Saint Anthony the Abbot) is celebrated across many parts of Spain, but each town adds its unique flavor to the festivities. The event typically revolves around the middle of January, aligning with the feast day of San Antonio Abad on January 17th. One of the most heart-warming traditions of the San Antonio fiesta is the blessing of the animals. This ritual stems from Saint Anthony's role as the patron saint of animals and farmers. Residents bring their pets and livestock to the town square to receive a blessing, which is believed to protect the animals for the coming year. This procession features everything from dogs and cats to horses and sheep, we’ve even seen a goldfish! all lined up to partake in this ancient tradition.

Bonfires and "Las Hogueras"

The fiesta is also renowned for its bonfires, known as "las hogueras." These fires, lit in public spaces, symbolize purification and renewal, echoing pagan rituals absorbed into Christian traditions. The night before the feast day, Spanish towns comes alive with these bonfires, around which people gather to share food, stories, and laughter, basking in the warmth of community and fire alike.

We hadn’t even thought about San Antonio day, we got told about it while we had a drink in the one and only bar in Benegéber. So, that evening we had a walk into the town to watch the celebrations. We thought that we would watch from a distance as the town got together but that didn’t last too long as some of the locals invited us to join them. The town hall supplied drink for the hole town that kept constantly being poured out. They said it was Sangria but not! (in other words, drink slowly if you want to make it through the night). They also supplied the food for multiple barbecues, which consisted of lamb with more lamb. As the huge bonfire burnt brightly, it was a wonderful community atmosphere that we were delighted to be adopted into.

The Nice Surprise of Carcelén

From Benegéber we travelled slightly south to the equally peaceful and relaxing town of Carcelén. Carcelén wasn’t on our radar for a place to visit but we were looking for somewhere we could ‘park’ the caravan while we visited the town we wanted to visit for a little anniversary treat. Carcelén just happened to be the closest town with a motorhome parking area that was large enough for us to get into with the caravan. But we were instantly surprised with how charming the town is. The town is tiny but has a castle in its centre, the locals were very friendly and there were spectacular views from the many hiking routes in the area. We called the local town hall to ask if it was OK for us to detach the caravan, so that we could explore the local area by car, and in 10 minutes they called us back to tell us that the mayor himself had given us permission to detach the caravan so that we could go and explore.

Moving On To Our Wedding Anniversary In Alcalá Del Júcar

So as we could keep the caravan safely parked up the Carcelén it meant we could have a day in our desired town of choice, Alcalá Del Júcar. Alcalá Del Júcar, voted as one of the most beautiful towns in Spain. We only heard about it because of a local lady in Corral-Rubio told us that we should visit. After looking it up we decided to spend the day there for our anniversary. Unfortunately, there is no motorhome areas there that we could fit in with the caravan. (Although, motorhomes can squeeze in the parking there and it's 2 euros for 24 hours), which is why we had to park elsewhere in Carcelén. Alcalá Del Júcar is perched on a hillside, overlooking a sharp bend in the Júcar River. It has breath-taking views and a unique urban layout. The houses, seemingly defying gravity, are built into the cliffs, creating a spectacular sight. For its size the town seemed very touristy, there were a constant flow of cars arriving to wonder around this beautiful town. You start off in the towns ‘commercial’ area which consists of a small street filled with restaurants a small shops. You then come to the The Roman Bridge, despite its name, dates back to the Islamic period and is a testament to the town's historical importance. You can't really not walk over this as it's the only way into the heart of the old town, where you can explore narrow streets and discover hidden corners that feel like stepping back in time. We visited The Cuevas Del Diablo, the owner 'El Diablo' is a bit of a celebrity, as you enter you're surrounded by his life's pictures and old knickknacks. It's definitely not what you expect when you enter a 'cave'. The further in you go the more interesting it gets. Along the way you can sit in a pretty unique bar and enjoy a free beverage. Don't go in thinking 'it's a cave' and you'll enjoy it! After a tapas lunch we made the climb up to the Castle of Alcalá del Júcar, originally built by the Almohads in the 12th century and later modified during the Christian reconquest. This fortress, sitting atop a limestone crag, offers panoramic views of the town and the river valley.

The legend of Princess Zulema

The legend of Princess Zulema involves a tragic love story set around the castle of Alcalá del Júcar. In one version, Zulema is kidnapped by a Moor from Garadar, while another version tells of her as a Moor who falls in love with a Christian knight, fleeing her father's control. The narrative embodies themes of forbidden love, cultural clashes, and the dramatic choices faced by lovers caught between opposing worlds, highlighting the rich tapestry of historical and emotional layers that define Alcalá del Júcar's past.

Heading Back To Valencia (Again!)

For one final time we’re heading back up for an appointment in our home city Valencia. This time, it’s just to pick up Livany’s long term residence card…🎉. On the way we had a couple of days in a motorhome area in the town of Jalance, it’s another pretty little town. The parking area is a bit too close to a main road though. It was nice seeing the town and walking up to see the hill top castle, plus it had 360 degrees views from top. But it was just a quick stop on the way back up to Valencia.

Into The Unknown

From Valencia we still have no real plan. We think we’ll wonder south maybe even towards Morocco. It’s going to the first time that we have no fixed time to be anywhere so we’re looking forward to going wherever the road takes us. We’re sure we’ll have plenty of adventures and stories to tell.

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The first hidden gem we came across was the tiny town of Corral-Rubio. For the size of the town it had a surprisingly large motorhome area that we had more than enough space for the caravan, we also had it more or less to ourselves aside from one other motorhome. The town itself was very pretty, and the locals were extremely friendly, one of which we started chatting to outside the local bar and she told us about her dream of one day converting a van into a little camper to travel around Europe and beyond. We felt very relaxed in Corral-Rubio and we felt we could have stayed longer but the ache of exploration began to creep in and we were trying to get further south for Christmas as well as a warmer climate.

Birdwatching Paradise: The area around Corral-Rubio is renowned for birdwatching. It's close to several important wetlands and natural reserves, making it an ideal spot for nature lovers and bird enthusiasts.

Our next stop was in the town of Riópar, although we didn’t get too much of a chance to explore, if you like nice hikes into the countryside then Riópar should probably be on your list. With Christmas fast approaching, we realised that we weren’t going to get as far south as we initially intended for Christmas, so we decided to head towards Murcia, as it was the largest town that we were closest to, we thought we could see some festivities in a larger city. Between Riópar and Murcia was a long winding mountainous road that seemed to just keep on going. Luckily, we did have one more stop planned in another beautiful town, Caravaca de la Cruz.

Exploring the Town, Caravaca del La Cruz

Like many Spanish old towns, Caravaca de la Cruz offers a blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. The town's historic center is a maze of narrow streets, adorned with traditional houses and charming squares. As you wander through the cobblestone alleys, you'll discover hidden gems, such as the Castle of Caravaca de la Cruz, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.

Caravaca de la Cruz is renowned as a major pilgrimage site, drawing thousands of visitors each year. The town is home to the Basilica Shrine of Vera Cruz, which houses the distinctive Caravaca Cross and boasts a magnificent Baroque facade. Pilgrims from all over the world flock to this sacred place to seek blessings and spiritual solace.

The Legend of the Holy Cross

Legend has it that the Caravaca Cross, also known as the Vera Cruz, holds a piece of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This relic is believed to possess miraculous powers, and its presence in Caravaca de la Cruz has made the town a significant destination for religious devotees. Pilgrims come to pay homage to the Holy Cross and participate in the annual Jubilee Year celebrations.

Christmas In Murcia

After coming down from the mountains, we finally made it to the motorhome/caravan area in Murcia, although we did take a wrong turn which took on a little detour through some of Murcia’s city streets, which isn’t ideal when you have your home in tow!

The motorhome/caravan area in Murcia is located just on the outskirts of the city in a shopping area, which was ideal for a little Christmas shopping! It was also extremely busy with the motorhome area overflowing into the car park area of the shopping centre. We managed to get ourselves squeezed in on the end of the area and were able to unhitch the caravan and get the car tucked out of the way. We were, like many of these places the only caravan, albeit one other that kind of looked like they had been living there for some time, with their Christmas lights decorating the outside.

Just a five-minute walk from the motorhome area was a handy train station that takes you to the city center, which we took full advantage of. Murcia was dawned with the festivities that we had been looking for. With Christmas lights, festive stalls, and of course a Christmas tree or two! We enjoyed walking around the streets of Murcia, it wasn’t as large and crowded as some other cities we’ve visited, although it still had that large city vibe. We talk more about what’s in Murcia as well as its history, myths and legends on our website HappyLifeOnWheels.com.

Although we did enjoy our time in Murcia, the motorhome area was surprisingly quiet for Christmas. With all the different nationalities, we were kind of expecting more of a celebrative atmosphere. Instead, everyone kind of kept themselves to themselves, having their own cozy Christmases inside their motorhomes. We did learn that maybe we needed to be a bit more outgoing and sociable ourselves (in the list of our New Year’s resolutions). With many of the motorhome areas we’ve been to, people come and go so quickly, that you miss a lot of opportunities to start a conversation. That’s why we have created a group on Facebook called ‘Connecting Campers’, although we’ve not done much with it yet, we would like to turn it into a hub for fellow travellers to organise meeting points and socialise in general.

After a 3-4 days in a shaded area in Murcia, it was time to try out our new Ecoflow EV adaptor which allowed us to charge up our only source of power (the Ecoflow Pro) via a EV car charging station. A very handy device to have in the car for them overcast days.

As the Christmas time was a little quiet amongst the motorhomes in Murcia and we had to head back up towards Valencia, for another appointment early in 2024 we decided to head back up to Valencia for the new year celebrations. We decided on the coastal town of Pobla de Farnals. Again, as we arrived there we saw the area for the motorhomes and caravans full. But instead, people were using a piece of land as an overfill close by. It turned out to be a lovely little area. We kept the caravan attached to the car as we weren’t in an official place but we didn’t have any problems with the authorities, although that could have been because of the time of the year. Although not much was happening in the town for the New Year celebrations, as the clocks struck twelve, most people came out from their motorhomes to wish each other a happy New Year and to see the fireworks going off in the surrounding areas. The town itself is a pretty little town, everyone was very friendly and Chewie made lots of friends with other fur babies walking along the beach.

We have a few pictures of Pobla de Farnals and all the other places we’ve visited on our PolarSteps page.

From the coast, we were planning on staying in the campsite we had stayed in a couple of times while we were at appointments in Valencia, called Valencia Camper Park but this time round it was full. Luckily, our hometown of Turís has a motorhome area that had recently re-opened after some renovations. Which where we rather naughtily stayed for 10 days!!! … Usually, in the motorhome areas you’re allowed to stay a maximum of 72 hours. But, Turís is such a small town, nobody took any notice of us, plus we made friends with a nice French couple who spend six months a year traveling around Spain. They also stayed while we were there, actually, they were still there when we left.

We are currently in another motorhome area that we love in Benagéber, which we spoke about in another blog post which you find here: Day 185 - A Hidden Gem in Benagéber

Our Year Plan…Maybe!

• Up until April we will be traveling around Spain and if we have the opportunity we’ll cross over to Morocco and then maybe up through Portugal.

• We’ll need to head over to Barcelona in early April as we have good friends coming to meet us there so we can have a joint 40th birthday celebration.

• We’ll then head north into France and try to get to the UK for Reeds mums birthday on May 16th.

• Then we’ll be heading back to France because we’ll be pet sitting for a few days.

• Our plans then begin to get a little hazy! We’ll probably try to cover a few European countries during Summer, maybe going over to Holland and Germany to visit friends

• And then, who knows, but make sure to subscribe so you can keep track of where we are and the adventures we find along the way.

Indeed, the wheels literally fell off the wagon – well, one wheel, to be exact. But one is enough to bring things to a halt! Fortunately, the self traveling wheel got wedged in the wheel arch, avoiding a perilous bounce down the road. This mishap left us stranded on the roadside, signaling traffic to switch lanes while waiting to be rescued. As luck would have it, a wrong turn earlier had brought us closer to Valencia, our hometown. Thus, our 'rescue' concluded at a mechanic's in Torrent, a mere 20 minutes from friends who graciously offered us a place to stay during the caravan repairs.

Fast forward two weeks, we were finally on the road again, only to make a quick detour back to Valencia for some paperwork related to Livy's residency. We decided to linger in the Valencia vicinity, as RestaurantePulpo.es (for whom we handle online communication and marketing) was scheduled for a shoot with a popular American property TV show. It sounded like a fun opportunity to witness and be part of. Unfortunately, the filming was canceled twice at the last minute, leading the restaurant owner to drop the project altogether. This turn of events finally set us southbound... again!

First Stop South: Yecla

Yecla, in the Murcia region, was our intended destination before the caravan debacle. Initially a mere waypoint for our southward Christmas journey, Yecla charmed us unexpectedly. The motorhome and caravan area was spacious and accessible. Although we had to unhitch to fit into the parking lines, it was manageable. Located in a municipal area with parks, cycle paths, and ample space for Chewie to roam, it was mildly bustling with locals using the parking but was generally undisturbing. The area boasts some lovely (albeit uphill) walks, including one to the remains of the 11th-century urban Arab castle, Hisn Yakka, on Cerro Del Castillo's Islamic site. Discover more about it HERE.

Next Stop - Change Of Plan

Our southward plans, however, were again rerouted. Progress with Livy's residency application meant a new appointment was necessary. Here's the catch: securing an appointment through the Spanish government-run website is a Herculean task, as it releases only a handful of slots at specific times, and some unscrupulous individuals use bots to snatch them up, reselling them at exorbitant prices. Although arrests have been made, the problem persists, leaving us in a temporary limbo. But no worries – this region has plenty to explore, and we're in no rush.

A Change Of Plans Means A Chance Of Finding Hidden Gems

Instead of venturing south, we veered slightly north, stumbling upon a place not even on our radar. It seemed like a decent spot to park and get some work done. Little did we know, we were about to discover a hidden gem: Chinchilla. The motorhome parking area is nestled within this picturesque hillside town.

Join us as we explore the enchanting town of Chinchilla on our website. From its majestic castle to the intriguing cave houses, Chinchilla invites you on a journey through history, culture, and awe-inspiring beauty. Discover the secrets of Chinchilla and plan your next unforgettable adventure! Explore Chinchilla

Next time, we'll share our first Christmas on the road – a season of fresh adventures and discoveries with no fixed plans. Join us for our Christmas escapades in our next post!

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On the day of writing this, we are on day 229 of our Happy Life On Wheels adventure. We’ve managed to get a day counter working on our website (www.HappyLifeOnWheels.com) which makes it a lot easier to keep track of which day we’re up to. Reed was very pleased with himself that he was able to get it working. We’ve not done too much in the way of travelling with the caravan since our last post, although we have been to a couple of nice Spanish towns, which we’ll tell you about.

As there aren’t that many areas where we can park with the caravan in the Valencia area (especially on the coast), we decided to stop at another little campsite between the towns of Cullera and Gandia along the east coast. The campsite is called La Finca in the town of Tavernes de Valldigna. It’s only a small camping area, but it has more than we actually need. It sadly doesn’t have a swimming pool, but it’s literally on the coast, so the beach is only ever one minute away, which Chewie loves!!! Although it’s not really the time of year to be going for a swim, Reed did brave it on one occasion but then spent the rest of the afternoon shivering.

The reason why we haven’t ventured out too much is that we had another meeting scheduled with our new client. So we decided to stay in the Valencia area until afterwards. The owner of the restaurant, Nicolas, invited us to experience the restaurant’s new menu so that we could get a better feel of the restaurant to translate into the new website (sometimes our work gives us some very nice perks). It was definitely an enlightening experience for us. The food was amazing, and the invited guests were a pleasure to meet.

The best modern and retro campervans and RVs ever made (according to - msn.com)

Gandia

During our first weekend at the campsite, we ventured slightly south to the town of Gandia. We spent a day just walking by and taking in the town. Sometimes, part of our nomad journey is simply moving from one street to another without any plans, just relaxing and experiencing a different environment, following a church bell, or experiencing an interesting construction.

Thus, wandering through Gandia led us to a pier that reached far out into the sea, all the way to a lighthouse. There's over a kilometre of pathway where you can enjoy the stunning views of Gandia Beach from every angle, with the sunset views being particularly breathtaking.

After the Sunset, There’s a Sunrise

We also enjoyed the sunrise at Tavernes de Valldigna. It was cold, but worth it.

Cullera

Our second weekend we ventured slightly north to the town of Cullera. Cullera is where we had our second date, back in the beginning of 2016; we went to see the castle and the town and ended up having fish by the sea at the Poseidon Restaurant. This time, we tried the same restaurant, but it was sadly closed. No matter, we found an alternative, and it was equally as nice.

Another unpretentious day, just seeing the sea, parks, shops, streets, and neighbourhoods.

New To HappyLifeOnWheels.com

We’re thinking of creating blog posts on TheHappyLifeOnWheels.com that go more into detail about the towns that we visit. We don’t usually get a chance to experience everything a larger town has to offer, but we enjoy finding out about it and then sharing it with you. But we’ll stick with shorter and to-the-point blog posts here on SubStack, and once we have more details about a town, we’ll tell you all about it over at HappyLifeOnWheels.com.

Going South For Winter

From the campsite La Finca, we were planning on heading south. Indeed, we did try. Unfortunately, the left side of the caravan had other ideas…

But we’ll tell you more about that next time!

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www.LasIdeasMkt.com is the engine that drives the Happy Life On Wheels. We enjoy helping other small businesses with their online presence and designing beautiful websites and marketing materials. If you want to enhance your digital image, visit our website and shine bright with LasIdeasMKT.

For the size of the town, the parking service area was actually one of the better ones we have been to. It is an area where you are meant to pay for your stay via an app for 3 euros a night. For that price, they supply the usual water services, but they also have a toilet and shower block powered by solar, and they also offer electricity. There is also a barbecue and picnic area. Teechnically, you’re only meant to stay for 72 hours but if it’s not busy, you can ask in the town hall if you can stay for longer. The app the town uses is readily available for all the towns in the Valencia province to use. It made us wonder why not all of the towns have implemented this technology, as the areas available for ‘live-in vehicles’ in the province are very far and few between.

We actually went slightly over the 72-hour time allowance because on our second day, an older couple pulled into the area and their dogs made a beeline directly to Chewie, which meant getting into a nice conversation with the couple. It turned out they regularly visited the area with their friends and family for short vacations. It wasn’t long until the area started filling up with a range of caravans, motorhomes, and even a large tent! It made a nice change, as usually you don’t really meet people that use the service areas, as people tend to use them as quick stops; maybe stay one night and leave by the morning. They invited us to go on a small track with them and to their barbecue, we even went to play football with a couple of the men and the kids (Reed is still recovering).

As we said before, the ‘live-in’ vehicle parking area in Benagéber was one of the nicest we’ve been to. The only thing that could be an issue for some is the road getting there. It is very twisty and reasonably narrow; your eyes are nearly always on stalks, trying to see what is coming around the next bend. Although it does have some lovely views of a lake called Embalse De Benagéber. We managed OK, and our overall length is nearly eleven meters, so most shouldn’t have a problem.

We visited the lake while we were staying at the service area. The tracks are beautiful around it, although it did appear the water was very low. Comparing photos from Google Maps of the lake from last year, it was noticeable how much the level had gone down. The part of the lake we visited (by Camping Benagéber) had swings and ziplines that were once above the water, but now if you were to use them, you most definitely wouldn’t want to fall from them!

From Benagéber we wanted to head south, but there weren’t any ‘live-in’ vehicle parking/service areas that were particularly close. As we said before the areas we’re allowed to stay in Valencia are very far and few between. We noticed that we were relatively close to an area we had stayed in before at Requena and another that we hadn’t stayed in at Utiel, which we could use as a ‘stepping stone’ south. As we hadn’t been to the service area before, we opted to head towards Utiel.

Day 189 - Utiel - History and Wine

Utiel is probably best known for its wine production, especially the red wines made from the Bobal grape variety. Utiel has a long history of viticulture, dating back to the Phoenicians and Romans. Utiel also has a rich cultural heritage, with monuments such as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, the Castle of Utiel, and the Shrine of El Rehedio. Utiel is a town that offers a lot to discover for wine lovers and history buffs alike.

The parking area of Utiel was OK. It was a bit of a mystery as to where we were actually meant to park, although it was a quiet area, so we don’t think it mattered too much. The actual service area was a bit of a walk away, but it had all the usual water services. We enjoyed exploring Utiel as it was a town that we had often been to when we had to ITV (MOT) our old car, but we had never really explored the town.

We thought we were going south from there, but a day or two before we planned to leave, we received an unexpected message from a potential client for our website and branding services at www.LasIdeasMKT.com. It was the owner of a restaurant in the city of Valencia who wanted his website to be updated, as well as the design of the menu of the restaurant and all the marketing material. We were able to schedule an appointment to meet him at the restaurant in the following days, which was great, although it did mean we had to head back towards the city that we had left barely a week before, and we once again ended up back at the budget campsite of Valencia Camper Park.

Day 194 - How We Got Hooked on Pulpo

The meeting with the owner of the restaurant went exceptionally well, and he contracted us to take over all of the digital communications of the restaurant. The restaurant is called Pulpo. It specializes in octopus and seafood dishes; it offers a fusion of Mediterranean flavours with a touch of innovation and creativity. Pulpo has a chic and romantic atmosphere with a modern and elegant decor, which we plan to emulate on the new website. It also has exceptional reviews on TripAdvisor and is ranked 55 out of the 3,347 restaurants in Valencia. You can take a look at the current website here, but it will soon begin its transformation.

Something else that came from the meeting is that he wants us to attend the opening of the restaurant’s new menu, which will be an experience for us. It does mean that we won’t be heading south for another couple of weeks, although we have decided to head down the coast a little, currently between Cullera and Gandia which we’ll tell you about in our next substack post.

Camping News

On Wednesday evening, October 4, 2023, the annual Camping Industry Sustainability Congress took place at the Camping & Caravan Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. ‘TakeOff’ by Easy Caravaning won the ‘Most Sustainable Camping Device’ category with their foldable caravan. You can see more details here on their website but we thought it was pretty cool and worth mentioning.

HappyLifeOnWheels.com

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…so we can keep you updated with everything that’s new and any news we feel might be of interest to fellow travellers and digital nomads.

Our Day Job

www.LasIdeasMkt.com is the engine that drives the Happy Life On Wheels. We enjoy helping other small businesses with their online presence and designing beautiful websites and marketing materials. If you want to enhance your digital image, visit our website and shine bright with LasIdeasMKT.

It’s allegal to bring out table and chairs or any other equipment when you are parked or using the free motorhome aires in Spain with a caravan, motorhome or camper as that apparently means that you are ‘camping’.

But the novelty soon wore off after the first four or five days and we are very much looking forward to getting out and exploring again.

We met a couple where the husband mentioned that he is retired, while his wife follows a unique work schedule of three months off, followed by one month of work. Every time their three-month road trip comes to an end, they look forward to some rest at home. However, after just two weeks at home, they find themselves eager to hit the road again. It seems that only those who experience this nomadic lifestyle can truly understand its allure, realizing that there's no turning back once you've embraced the open road.

Low-Cost ‘Valencia Camper Park’

So as we have appointments to go to we decided it was best to stay in a campsite rather than find camper parking areas and have to change location every three to four days. However, we didn’t have too much of a choice as the areas that we are allowed to park overnight seem very far and few between around the Valencia region. We decided on ‘Valencia Camper Park’ purely because of the positive reviews that it has on Google Maps, and it being ‘low-cost’ was a big influence as we knew we just needed a place to be able to ‘park’ for at least two weeks, we weren’t too concerned with what immunities the campsite has, as we’re pretty much self-efficient. *Edit… Another bonus was that Chewie was welcome for free.

A nice benefit of being at a campsite is the people you end up talking to. One evening, when all was quiet in the campsite, we were just leaving the shower blocks when we heard lots of noise and laughter coming from one large motorhome. Livy thought she heard Brazilian Portuguese voices, so as we were walking past, she said “boa noite” (good night)….and that was the end of what was going to be a quiet Netflix in-bed evening! As soon as they heard another Brazilian, they were inviting us to sit with them and getting out the beers from the fridge. There were three generations in one motorhome, ranging from eight to eighty-eight years old, travelling in a motorhome through Spain, Portugal, and Italy! After an hour or two of storytelling, beer, and jokes with new fond memories, we bid our farewell.

Being back in Valencia also means that we can catch up with some of our friends, one of whom is also a client of ours, with whom we used to have a ‘business meeting’ (dinner and wine with a ten-minute chat about the business) every Friday night before we started our ‘Happy Life On Wheels’ adventures.

Their website, created by us at LasIdeasMKT.com is a music memorabilia and art website called Rebel Rock Art. If you love music or art then you have to check out www.RebelRockArt.com - it’s pretty unique!

Can I Smell Coffee?

The best Launderettes on our way

After 168 days on the road, you might have guessed that we’ve gone through a number of launderettes along the way. So we thought that we would share with you our experiences with a couple of them.

This launderette in Zaragoza is not just the prettiest that we’ve visited; they also offer free books to the clients.

La Colada

Probably the best launderette we have come across so far is called La Colada. They have an app called ‘La Colada’ where you can find the launderette closes to you, see which machines are available, and follow the progress of your washing and drying. The best thing is that you can add credit/debit card and pay using your app. The trouble is that it is town-specific, which means you can add credit to use in La Colada but only in the specific town you’re in. We didn’t know this at the time, which means we have 9€ credit to use, but we can only use it in the La Colada located in Sabiñanigo!

They also have a pretty clever idea for your washing needs here at Valencia Camper Park:

Hospital Visits And Brexit Woes

So what brought us back to Valencia was a long-awaited hospital appointment. Reed was diagnosed with sciatica when covid first became a household name. We eventually found out (when we were allowed back outside) via an x-ray that it was caused by a herniated disc, and we were told that we needed to wait for a phone call for an appointment to see the spinal surgeon. The phone call never came. After a lot of waiting around and doctor phone calls, the doctor eventually gave us a note to take up to the hospital to try and make the appointment ourselves. After we handed over the note to the reception in the hospital, the appointment was made within five minutes! (not sure why we couldn’t have done that originally). So finally, we had the appointment that we had been waiting so long for, so we knew that we had to get back for it. Which brings us to the appointment that we crossed Spain for, which lasted probably less than ten minutes. Apparently, Reed needs another X-ray as it has been too long since the original one, which we were kind of expecting. The surgeon gave us a bit of paper to take to the x-ray department to get the appointment, and then straight after, make another appointment with him. So we thought we were making progress, up until we handed the paper to the x-ray reception and them saying that they couldn’t make an appointment but they'd call us!!!! So another week has gone by with no phone call and possibly another hospital trip before we hit the road again. *Edit…We did visit again to try and book the appointment for the scan. They took another photocopy of the paper and said they would call!!!

Another reason we came back was to re-new Livany’s family visa. This should be another simple process…right??? Well first is figuring out where to go, and the second is that originally Livy was able to get a family visa because she was married to somebody in the European Union. Of course, after Brexit, this is no longer the case. Although, before Brexit had happened, all of us Brits already living in Spain could get a TIE card, which was supposed to mean that we kept all rights we had before Brexit. Unfortunately, depending on who you ask in the residency department, there seems to be a difference in interpretation. Some say that as I declared residency before Brexit, all rights still apply, whereas others are saying all my rights are the same, but Livy is no longer married to someone in the European Union!!! Clearly, some things still need ironing out, but hey, no rush; it’s only our future that depends upon it.

Moving On To Pastures New…Finally!

So our time at Valencia Camper Park has come to an end and in our next substack installment, you’ll be finding out where the road leads us next.

So to learn all there is to know about motorhome and caravan living in Spain (and beyond) as well as all the sights to see and things to do, think about giving as a….

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Day 151 brings us to the coastal town of A Coruña. It’s a beautiful coastal town in the northwest of Spain. Looking on Google Maps, the motorhome area we chose didn’t particularly have great reviews, but the negative reviews were mainly from motorhome owners not being able to get level. We saw that it had beautiful sea views, so we decided to go for it. As soon as we arrived, we weren’t disappointed. We were the only ones there, apart from a little old caravan in the corner that looked as if it had been there for some time. It meant we could choose our spot, which was lucky as it took us three attempts to get ourselves level. We did end up having a beautiful view of the ocean, though!

We were soon unhitching the caravan and on our way into town to get some supplies. On our return, we found that we had new neighbours. A motorhome was parked right next to our home on wheels, partially blocking our sea view. We were a little miffed, but Chewie was soon introducing himself to their dogs, which meant we were soon in a conversation with our new neighbours. They were a nice youngish couple who also lived in their motorhome with their two dogs and a baby! They actually gave us a good tip, they said that they usually find a nice quiet area to work during the weekdays and do all their travelling during the weekend. It is something that we are trying to get into a routine of doing, but as we still have appointments back in Valencia that we need to get back to, we end up rushing to the places that we want to see, instead of taking our time and really appreciating our home on wheels. As A Coruña was sadly our last destination in Galicia before heading back towards Valencia, we ended up exploring the coastline and stayed for a while to appreciate where we were.

A Coruña coastline is a mixture of history, culture, and nature, where you can find ancient monuments, modern buildings, and beautiful landscapes. One of the most emblematic symbols of the city is the Tower of Hercules, an old Roman lighthouse that still works today. It is the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world, and it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The tower stands on a rocky hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and it is surrounded by a park with sculptures and gardens.

Even though we did spend three days in A Coruña we felt we could have happily spent longer there, exploring the town a little more. But it was time to move on, heading back across Spain toward Valencia. But we’ll go through our overnight rest areas because you might just find it useful if you’re planning a trip across Spain.

Livany has started studying with IEPP (European Institute of Positive Psychology) and thought it would be insightful to write about her learnings, so she has started her own Substack all about mindfulness, travel, and mindset. It even contains free guided meditations. It’s available in Portuguese and English, so take a look and subscribe!

Cafetería Mindfulness da Livy

Bem-vindos ao Substack da Livy! Sou jornalista e adoro falar sobre mindfulness, mindset e viagens. Aqui, compartilhamos histórias e ideias sobre esses assuntos. Welcome! I'm a journalist who loves talking about mindfulness, travel, and mindset.

By Livany Salles

Day 155 - First Stop Guitiriz

There wasn’t too much to see at Guitiriz, although, we weren’t really there to explore. We did end up spending two nights here. It seems a nice area if you’re into walking, there were lots of tracks going off into the forests and countryside. The motorhome area was really good, there is even free electric…although, we might have made that trip off by accident (sorry to anyone who visited just after us). It had everything you’d expect in a service area, with water filling and emptying, etc. The big bonus for us were the two big “guard” dogs that lived in the field next door. Each morning they come up for some love, so if you visit this area, make sure you give it to them!

Day 157 - Next Stop, Los Vados

This area was a little ‘fun’ to find. Again, our navigation seemed to take us a bit of a scenic route through a charming little town with charming ‘little’ streets! Although we did eventually find the motorhome parking area, there weren’t many parking places available, so it could get a little busy in the summer, but we think it’s worth a visit. In the area, they supply the usual water services, but the location is pretty good as well. First off, it is next to the municipal swimming pool. Usually, municipal swimming pools are pretty basic, but this one has a small pool for young kids with a water play area, water slides for larger kids, as well as a pool for the older generation. The other side of the area had a large park that contained a tennis court, table tennis, BMX track, and children’s park. Just on the other side of the park, there is a lake that has steps built into the sides, which means you can get in and out easily. Annoyingly, we didn’t have the time to ‘play’, and we were soon back on the road the following day.

Take a look at the motorhome parking area HERE.

Day 158 - Next… A Petrol Station

Sometimes, along the road, you just can’t find an area that will accept a caravan. The rain clouds were coming in, and we just needed a safe place to park for the evening. That’s when fuel stations save the day. We’ve slept in a few on our journey, and to our surprise, none of them have been awful; some, in fact, are better than some of the campsites we’ve stayed at! As long as you don’t have a freezer truck beside you!

If you want to find it on the map, it’s by the town of La Bañeza, with a restaurant called La Hacienda.

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Day 159 - Nuevo Baztán Was Our Next Stop

This is our second time visiting Nuevo Baztán. You can read about our first visit HERE. We did get a little longer there this time around; we got to walk around the very old little town, although it does have a few clever modern changes, like the old street lights that look as if they’ve been there for centuries but have just been slightly adapted to make room for the more eco-friendly LED lights, still keeping their charm.

And this time around, Livany got to visit the local Bodega (winery).

You can see the Nuevo Baztán motorhome parking area HERE. Someone has said that there aren’t any services, but there are. They now have signs pointing you in the right direction.

Day 161 Brings Us To Requena

We just spent one day at Requena; we did, however, do an unexpected ‘hike’ around the town, visiting the different churches. After a little research (Google), we can tell you about:

• Santa Maria Church: This is the largest church in Requena, and it dates back to the 14th century. It has a Gothic and Baroque style, and a highly sculpted portal with angels and floral motifs. It also has a tower that offers a panoramic view of the city and the sea. It was declared a national monument in 1931

• Church of El Salvador: This is another 14th century church, located in the historic quarter of La Villa. It has an Isabelline Gothic style, with images of virgins and angels on the façade. It was remodelled in the Baroque style in the 18th century, when the Communion Chapel and the bell tower were added. It is the only church open to worship in La Villa

• San Nicolás Church: This is a medieval church, located in the palace of El Cid. It has a Romanesque style, with a single nave and a semicircular apse. It also has a Renaissance altarpiece and a Gothic baptismal font. It is one of the oldest churches in Requena, and it has been restored several times.

The motorhome parking area was pretty good. There were only around five spaces but they were relatively large and within walking distance to shops like Mercadona, Lidl and Consum.

You can see the area for yourself HERE.

Day 162 - Back Home?

Day 162 of living in our caravan brings us back home to Valencia. But can we really still call it home? Apart from a few friends, we have very little still in Valencia. Our doctors and ‘technically’ our address is still Valencia, which means it’s the place that we come back to if we need assistance or appointments. Obviously, it’s a beautiful city, and we would recommend it to anyone to visit. We also have a lot of memories here, but the more we travel around in our ‘Home On Wheels’ the less homely Valencia is becoming.

We are currently staying in a very comfortable campsite by Bétera which we tell you all about next time, when we will hopefully be back on the road again!

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Can We Smell Coffee?

Day 142 - Thermal Waters of Barbantes

Our second stop in Galicia turned out to be one of our favourite places we have been to. The Thermal Waters Of Barbantes (also known as the Baths of Barbantes or the Baths of Ourense). They have been used since Roman times, and were visited by famous people such as King Alfonso IX of León and Queen Isabel II of Spain (and now Happy Life On Wheels). They are said to have temperatures of 60°C (140°F) but we can confirm that they are definitely not that! Although Spain was still under a heat wave, we were more than happy to have somewhere to cool off. The waters are rich in minerals such as sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and iron and are said to have healing properties for skin, respiratory, and rheumatic problems.

Added bonus was the bar that was right next to the thermal waters!

Another bonus was the motorhome and caravan parking area located near the thermal waters. It meant that we could stay in this relaxing area in the middle of nature for a period of time, recharge, and take advantage of the waters.

Day 143 - A Town Desapearing With Time

We had a nice walk by the River Miño, the longest river in Galicia, which shares its border with Portugal and has a length of 340 kilometers. Just 5 minutes after starting our journey, we began talking with a lovely couple who live nearby. They're from Santiago de Compostela, but they have lived in this town for a long time. They showed us the river and told stories of the wineries and the families that had factories and shops for years. However, like many others, these didn't survive through the generations. They also told us that the town once had a restaurant and about 5 or 6 shops. Today, there are no restaurants or shops. The last restaurant shows a sign of “To Rent” and the last owner is in his 80s and doesn’t want to keep with the business. No one else to go forward. The fisherman drives by twice a week, and the baker comes and goes in his car at a certain time of day every day. We missed him every day that we stayed there. But this couple said that they have everything they need. And I quote exactly what the man said: “We have the necessary: a little orchard, a pharmacy nearby, a health centre for blood tests, a cemetery, and a mortuary.” It seemed like a joke, they laughed and we gave back a smile as well. But that left us thinking. The town is slowly dying, and I wonder how such a place, which attracts so many tourists to the thermal waters of Barbantes, is witnessing the decline of its population and hoping for a better future. It's barely surviving, but so alive at the same time. We absolutely loved this place.

From 40 to 25

In 3 days, we experienced the weather going from 40 degrees to 25, making us feel more comfortable and the nights more pleasant. It was a slight shock to the system, especially during the night when we had been doing anything to keep cool. All of a sudden, we needed the duvet back!

The heat also took its toll on our water pump. The night before we were planning on moving on from the thermal waters, our water pump decided to come to the end of its life. Which meant a frantic search on our phones, trying to locate somewhere that might sell 12-volt water pumps. We couldn’t find any definite places, but there were plenty of maybe’s in a larger town not too far away. So, the following morning, we went on a search. We didn’t have to search for too long, though, as the first shop we asked in, the shop assistant went straight to a water pump that was randomly placed amongst other random objects. Luckily for us, it was exactly what we needed. We were soon back in the caravan under our bed (it’s where the water deposit is located) swapping out the old for the new, and we were soon back with water and ready to move on to our next destination.

Day 146 - Santiago de Compostela

So while in Galicia we obviously wanted to visit Santiago de Compostela. We are very much thinking about doing the Camino de Santiago. For those that don’t know, the Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage walk starting from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a town near the border between France and Spain, and crossing the Pyrenees mountains. It then continues through the regions of Navarre, La Rioja, Castile and León, and Galicia, passing through many historical and cultural sites along the way. The total distance is about 770 km (478 mi). At the moment, though, we’re not quite ready for such an endeavour! So, for now, we decided to drive! 😝. We unfortunately couldn’t find a motorhome or caravan parking area that we could easily fit into at Santiago de Compostela but we did find one in a smaller town not too far away in Caldas de Reyes which allowed us to detach the caravan, which meant we could drive up to Santiago de Compostela.

The city’s main attraction is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, where the relics of St. James the Apostle are said to be buried. The cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture. The cathedral is located in the Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you walk around the town, you see lots of ‘pilgrims’ walking by heavily loaded with their rucksacks and walking equipment, and you see them gathering at their final destination, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. You get a sense of joy, relief, and maybe a little sadness that their adventure is over. Santiago de Compostela is a place that combines history, spirituality, art, and nature in a unique way. It is a city that welcomes visitors from all over the world with its charm and hospitality.

Do I Smell Coffee?

Day 148 - Velga

For our next stop, we were looking for somewhere nice and quiet to catch up on a little work. We found it in the small town of Velga. Getting to Velga was a little on the tight side, our navigation decided to take us through the narrow town streets, just wide enough for the caravan to squeeze through.

After some questionable 50/50 decisions on whether we would fit, we did eventually get to our destination. The destination was a nice, large motorhome area on the edge of a fast-flowing river and a train! Luckily, the train only passed by once in a while, and it was a pretty small train. It turned into a bit of a game, waving at the passengers and trying to get a good photo of it whizzing by.

Other than the train, the area was nice and quiet where we could get some work done. We ended up staying for the 72-hour limit, well, we don’t know if that was the limit, but most of the areas that we’ve been to have a 48-72-hour limit, but we probably could have stayed for longer if we had a little more time.

We spent two nights with one or two neighbours close by, and another night just by ourselves.

What do you think? Would you spend the night in an empty place on your own?

Day 149 - Super Moon and the Night Train

We were in the area when the so-called ‘super moon’ was meant to be in the night sky. We were in a good location for it, as it did get pretty dark in the area. We stayed awake to see it and it was amazing! But we were also in the middle of the bridge that the train passes under as the night train just passed by and it was a nice experience seeing it pass by underneath us, it nearly felt like we were on top of it. We took note of the time, as we thought it would be a nice idea to try and get a photo of the night train from above. So the next night we were again on the bridge, looking down to the train tracks, waiting for the train to come. We eventually heard it coming and saw its bright light start beaming down onto the track, and we got our cameras ready to get the shot.

We wonder what the train driver must have thought, seeing two strange people on the bridge in the middle of nowhere in the dark!

We’ll let you decide if you think we were successful with our photography skills!!!

Next up we’re heading up to A Coruña, a lovely coastal town to finally see the sea in Galicia and we will tell you all about it in our next adventure…

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Travel Apps

Polarsteps: is an app designed to help travelers track and share their journeys. You can track us on Polarsteps:

https://www.polarsteps.com/HappyLifeOnWheels

Park4Night: This is a community-driven app that helps travelers find parking spots, campsites, and overnight stays, often including user reviews and photos.

Roadtrippers: is a website and app designed to help travelers plan road trips. You can map out the routes and discover interesting places to visit along the way, such as attractions, restaurants, etc.

https://roadtrippers.com/

CoPilot GPS Navigation: is a very handy app that offers offline maps and tailored routing for any vehicle, especially the big ones. It provides real-time traffic updates, multi-stop trip planning, and driver alerts. - This is the navigation system that we currently use. Do you have an alternative we could try? - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alk.copilot.mapviewer

Summer In Teruel - Day 136

It was definitely a different experience being in Teruel during August. We didn’t actually get a chance to visit the town centre as we wanted to get back on the road and get to the places we couldn’t get to with our old car, but the motorhome/caravan area was ideal. If you’re parked up in a motorhome, there is a bus stop close by where you can get to the town centre or if you’re in a caravan like us, we believe you’re allowed to detach and drive into the town. There is also an Alcampo shopping centre next door, so it’s easy to get supplies, as well as a mechanic!

Lets Have A Coffee?

Revisiting Medinaceli

When we left Teruel we decided to re-visit one of our favourite places that we visited last time we were on the road, the beautiful medieval town of Mediaceli. It’s around 2 hours from Teruel which would have been impossible for us to do in our old car especially as towards the end there is a long winding road that goes up to the town. Last time out, we barely made it, but this time around, it was a breeze. However, last time we were the only ones up there apart from the locals, and we knew that being August, it might be a little busier than last time, but we weren’t expecting it to be THAT busy! As you enter the town, there is an entrance for the caravan/motorhome parking area on the right, but as we arrived, it seemed blocked by cars. We knew there was another slightly smaller entrance just further on, so we thought we’d just use that entrance, but as we drove up to it, we realised there would be no way through with our home on wheels, which left us with a bit of a dilemma! Any further forward and we would be in the town’s narrow streets which cars barely fit down. We had no option to turn around, so the only real option was backwards. By this time we had realised our mistake; we were indeed meant to have used the first entrance, and we had arrived in the town when there was a medieval-themed fair, which it seemed everyone had come to at exactly the same time. Every time we tried to reverse, more and more cars came up behind us. Luckily, a group of motorcyclists came up and after Livy explained the situation to them, they very kindly blocked the road, letting Livy guide me backwards with a few apologies to the locals along the way! We eventually managed to reverse enough to squeeze into the first entrance, and we were able to grab the last of the parking spaces for motorhomes and caravans…Phew!!!

⬆⬆⬆... Little look at one of the small local shops in Medinaceli …⬆⬆⬆

Medieval Fair In The Medieval Town

Medieval markets are relatively popular in Spain but we have yet to see one quite as impressive as Medinacelis. All through the streets, there were different medieval-themed banners hanging from the walls, locals all dressed up, and even the stalls were mostly made from wood. There were street performers and medieval dishes. The atmosphere was superb.

Heat Wave

There has been a bit of a heat wave throughout Spain for the past couple of weeks. We have been struggling a little bit to keep cool during the day. The air conditioning does give us a little bit of a break from it, but it’s not something that we can run continuously. As soon as it turns off, the heat soon rises. The temperatures have been reaching 40+ Celcius (104+ Fahrenheit) which has made for some interesting situations:

Arrived At Our Destination in Galicia - 141

After 141 days of our Happy Life On Wheels adventures, we have finally made it to our first original destination!!! 🎉🎉🎉

We have finally made it to Galicia. As soon as we crossed the province border, it did feel different somehow. The land around us was a lot more of a darker green and there are more large boulders and stones around. It’s hard to explain, but we’ll try to get some photos for the next post.

Our first stop in Galicia was in an area offered to motorhomes and caravans by a restaurant named Cazador. It’s in the South of Galicia not long after crossing the border. We ended up going into the bar to begin with, just to cool off, of course! But after finding out the restaurant was actually pet-friendly, we decided to see what they had to offer. A three-course (large) meal with a ‘jug’ of wine for 26€ euros—we most definitely were not disappointed!

From there (the following day of course), we travelled to the thermal baths in Barbantes.

This is where we’ll begin our next post and tell you all about them.

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We were offered a stay at the house of some friends of friends while waiting for our car. We had originally planned on going up to the caravan in Avíla while we waited for our new car to be ready to collect, but after the ‘friends of friends saying it was ‘pointless driving all that way’ and that we ‘should think of Chewie’ we decided to take them up on their ‘kind’ offer.

Once our car was ready, we said our thanks and were on our way. However, when it came to going back to collect our last few bits, we were told that we should have left a ‘contribution’, When we asked how much of a contribution, they said ‘whatever we thought it was worth’ So, after giving a contribution, along with a few translations, fixing their solar, and a car trip, it is needless to say that what we thought it was worth and what they thought it was worth was completely different!

Perhaps, if they had given us a specific amount beforehand, instead of saying ‘give what we thought it was worth’ ourselves! The unpleasantries could have been avoided!

How do you measure that? Have you ever been in such a situation? How do you determine the amount? We based our contribution on what we thought we had used on electricity and water during that time.

Livy Residence Renewal

Livany started with a student Visa, renewed it every 3 to 6 months for 2 years, and then her last visa was the “familiar de ciudadano de la unión europea”, or translated as a family of a member of the European Union, which lasted 5 years (Before Brexit). But now, of course, after Brexit, nobody seems to know if that still applies. So, if the people who write the rules don’t know, imagine us!

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Day 136 - Catsitting ended; back on the road…

All the reasons why we had to head back towards Valencia are over, we paid the last tribute to Reed’s dad, were wedding photographers for a day, and babysat Main Coon fur babies. So now the time has finally come to hit the road again!

We’re still trying to head north towards Galicia; for those that don’t know, that was our ‘original’ plan before finding out that our previous car didn’t like going up hills! We have already made it halfway to Zaragoza, which took us nearly 2 months in the old car! But we’re still not planning on rushing too much; we still need to work during the week like everyone else! We do, however, want to get to Galicia relatively soon; for one, it’s ten degrees cooler than our current location, which is currently sitting at 36 Celsius, and secondly, we do actually have to head back to Valencia once again, in mid-September. This time, it’s a hospital appointment to see the doctor about Reed’s back. It’s an appointment that we’ve been waiting nearly two years for, so it’s definitely one we want to get back for. But first, let’s enjoy the time we have in our home on wheels.

Our first stop is Teruel, a place that brings back a lot of good memories. It was our first travel together. It was also the place where we got engaged. So, it’s a very familiar place, and we highly recommend exploring this region, which is only one and a half hours from Valencia, heading towards Zargoza.

You’ll find the towns of Mora de Rubielos and Rubielos de Mora. We don’t know who invented the names, probably in a rush haha. Sierra de Gúdar is the exact place where we got engaged; it's a beautiful mountain. In the winter, even when Valencia is facing 14 or 17 degrees, Teruel is under a blanket of snow with its ski resorts open. We’ve been to Javalambre (we recommend it if you want to watch a breathtaking sunset) and Valdelinares.

Although this is our first time visiting this town during the summer, we’ll explore it a little bit over the weekend and tell you everything in our next post.

Explaining Why ‘Teruel Exists’

"Teruel exists" is a well-known humorous phrase in Spain. However, many don't realize it represents a grassroots political movement from 1999, advocating for improvements in the neglected Teruel province. In 2019, this movement surprisingly won seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate during a tumultuous election. Teruel is also one of Spain's least populated provinces.

That’s all for now. Safe journeys"!!!!!

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Not too much in the way of travelling over this past week, unfortunately, although, we have been looking after 12 adorable Maine Coon cats. It has also given us more time to get a little more prepared.

New Ecoflow Gadget

You might have read that while we travel with our caravan, we use a solar generator from Ecoflow as our main source of power. We use their big 400-watt foldable solar panel to charge the unit, which is quite practical as it folds away and fits nicely into the back of the car, along with the solar generator.

The problem we faced was that the joins in the solar panels started to lose connection internally, which left us physically squashing the joins together to try and get them to connect, which wasn’t so practical. I should add that it wasn’t all down to the quality of the panels, we maybe could have looked after them a little better and the wind might have nearly blown them off of the roof of the caravan a couple of times….😬.

Anyway, on our travels, we stopped off in a couple of large service areas that all had EV charging points, which were normally completely empty. As it turns out, our solar generator can be charged using these EV charging points—if only we had the adaptor to do it! Instead, we were stuck squashing the panel joints together (usually in the sun) on top of the caravan, trying to get sufficient power to charge the generator.

So that being said, introducing our newest piece of tech to our Happy Life On Wheels Family, the EcoFlow EV X-Stream Adapter

Kitten Weigh-In

Maine Coon cats are very loving and cute, and the kittens are so cute!!! From time to time, we need to check to see if these fur babies are growing properly which involves trying to weigh them, which sounds simple enough, but have you ever tried getting a kitten to sit still long enough for the scales to register??? Sometimes a quick photo works best!

Livy Starting Her Positive Psychology and Mindfulness course

Let’s back in time. When I was 15, I loved reading books about self-knowledge. But before that, when I was only 12, I used to read tarot cards at school. Strange? Once, even my teacher asked me to read her cards!!!!

Well, ten years later, I discovered Yoga and Satsang, which is a meeting to sing mantras. It was such a wonderful experience. And I liked it so much that I ended up singing mantras in a band called Sidarta. We even made a CD. It was a great experience for more than 5 years. Here's a video of our song "Quem Somos Nós", which means "Who Are We?":

Through Yoga, I met a lot of people, including the best teacher ever, Adriana Vieira. Her classes were so fluid. Once, we did 108 sun salutations without even realizing it. When she said this, the entire class was surprised.

I've attended three spiritual retreats and wish I'd experienced more. One was "Yoga Sem Fronteiras", which translates to "Yoga Without Borders". It had over 300 people in a monastery in Rio de Janeiro, including Christians, shamans, Buddhists, and spiritualists. Truly, it was magical.

And a few years after that, here I am. I began studying positive psychology and mindfulness this week at Instituto Europeo de Psicología Positiva (European Institute of Positive Psychology). I think diving deeper into this will give me more skills and maybe a new career path. We'll see.

On my well-being journey, I also did Hypnotherapy with the amazing Dr. Anne from "My Freedom To Thrive". It helped me understand the root of my issues, see clearly when unhealthy behaviours began, and let go of the negative feelings from those times. Just one simple example, I let go of the anxiety of having/eating chocolate, and it all started when I was a child. It’s really transformative.

Another helpful experience was the Family Constellation with Paulo Hernandez. It gave me tools to understand my family's past and understand/ heal old wounds, from my ancestors.

Now, as I approach my 39s, I feel like my spiritual journey is just beginning. I hope it never ends. I want to keep evolving, transforming, adapting, and trusting the process above all.

Minute Meditations

As the wheels of our journey continue to turn, we've come to realize the immense power of taking a moment to breathe, to center, and to reconnect with oneself. It's not always about the long yoga sessions or the deep spiritual retreats. Sometimes, it's about that one minute in your day where you can pause, reflect, and rejuvenate.

With the bustling sounds of life on the road and the myriad of experiences we encounter, we wanted to gift our wonderful community something special. Introducing our 1-Minute Guided Meditations - a series of short, soulful sessions designed to fit right into your adventurous life. Whether you're watching a sunrise from your van, taking a break at a rest stop, or simply winding down after a day of exploration, these meditations are your pocket-sized companions for peace and tranquility. 🌅🧘‍♀️

We're thrilled to offer these as free downloads on our shop page. It's a little token of gratitude for joining us on this incredible journey. From tarot cards in school to singing mantras in a band, and now, to sharing these meditations with you, the journey of self-discovery and well-being is ever-evolving. And just like the open road, it's filled with endless possibilities and beautiful horizons. 🌍❤️

What’s Next?

To be honest, your guess is as good as ours. Next week, we are going to start heading towards Galicia from Valencia, which was our original plan, which didn’t go to plan! We’re looking forward to getting the caravan back on the road and seeing where we end up. We have no schedule to stick to, so we’ll take one day at a time and see what we find along the way.

Come and join us!

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So, yes, we had a meeting in Ávila before going back to Valencia and going to the UK. But we’ll get there. Before, just a thought that we want to share with you.

After 2 months of not actually meeting people or making any friends, we were wondering if caravaning life would be kind of a lonely journey. In most of the places that we’ve stopped, we’ve seen caravans, motorhomes, and campervans stop late at night and leave early in the morning, without even exploring the town. And some of the towns, like Medinacelli for example, are breathtaking and worth spending at least a day.

Anyway, apart from small conversations here and there, mostly because of Chewie, on day 72 we actually met a Brazilian couple and a Spanish couple in a car park just south of Madrid. The conversation went a long way, and the Brazilian couple once did a journey back in 2008 that we have to add to our plans. They went from Ushuaia (It lies on the main island of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the southern tip of South America) to Alaska… YES! A journey that crosses 14 countries and sounds like a life adventure for all the caravaning people… You can find their blog here: http://jarbasecleusa.blogspot.com/

So, again, it’s not about the destination or the journey, it’s about the people that we meet on the way.

Avila was refreshing, tables out, everybody sharing food, drink and good laughs. We needed this community sense after 3 months on the road. So, yes, there are a lot of groups organizing meetings around Spain and you can just join to be part of a really nice community.

Talking about community and caravaning people, that’s part of a new project that we’ll share with you soon… Exciting!

Day 82 - UK - A Wedding and a Funeral

We had 10 days in UK before returning to Valencia. It was very intense, as we paid the last tribute to Reed’s dad and his ashes are now resting where he wanted, in Hadleigh Castle, Essex.

Also, we went to the wedding of friends Lisa & Ian and took the official pictures. It was beautiful at Downhan Market, a very charming town in Norfolk, England.

We wish you both a lot of happiness!!!

Day 113 - Paradise with Goats, Chickens and Veggies from the garden…

… And the lovely couple André and Cris.

Well, we finally got back to our homevan. After almost 40 days. Damn, the days are passing so quickly. Anyway, we drove from Valencia to Santo Domingo de las Posadas, 15 minutes from Avila. We stayed for 4 nights and enjoyed life in the campo. Well, enjoyed the looking and not having to work on! Goats, chickens, veggies from the garden and nice walks around the countryside.

On our last day, they took us for a walk which made us realize that we need to exercise more. Not a long way, we only walked around 7km, but I don’t know if it was the heat or the hill (we got so used to not going up hills, haha), but we struggled a little bit, like our old car. We did, however, come back to a traditional Brazilian barbecue!

Day 117 - First drive with new car towing the caravan

From Santo Domingo de las Posadas to Valencia. We stopped in a lovely little home-on-wheels service area in Villarejo de Fuentes. It had only four or five spaces (although, it had room if you wanted to wait for a space to become available). The spaces came with all the usual water services as well as free electric! Just across from the area was a swimming pool, which was free to use, as well as a nice little bar with Paellas on Sunday for only 10€.

If we had more time, we would have loved to have stopped for longer, as the area was actually better than most of the paid campsites that we’ve stayed in so far!

We’re also happy to report, our new car towed the caravan with ease. It was much more of a relaxing experience. Instead of keep staring down at the engine temperature gauge and having to plan for emergency stops, we could relax with the air conditioning and enjoy the ride.

Day 119 - The Solar Panel Arrived

OK, so for those that don’t already know, we use a solar generator as our main source of power to give us electricity in our caravan. The solar generator we chose was the Ecoflow Pro which gives us sufficient power to use even the most power-hungry appliances (if needed). To charge the solar generator, we had Ecoflows 400-watt foldable solar panel. It worked great to begin with, but after folding and unfolding it multiple times every day (as well as maybe a couple of knocks), the connections in the folding seams of the panel gradually became disconnected, meaning every time we unfolded the panel, we had to mess around (in the sun) trying to get it working properly. While we’ve been back in the Valencia area looking to buy our car, we got in touch with Ecoflows customer service. Occasionally, it took them a while to reply to emails (which they always apologized for), but it turned out to be a great experience, and they were very polite. As the panel was still under guarantee they were happy for me to send the broken panel back to them, and they sent us a new panel completely free of charge.

(We’ll try to take better care of this one.)

So for us, Ecoflow gets a big thumbs up!

Day 120 - Pet Sitting For 12 Mainecoon Cats

Lastly, the other reason why we came back to Valencia. We are currently pet-sitting 12 adorable Maincoon Cats for Clients/Friends. We’ll be with the furbabies until the 15th August and then we’ll be back in our Home On Wheels heading towards, what was meant to be our first destination, Galicia.

OR if you’re feeling very generous and want to help keep Happy Life On Wheels turning, you can Donate A Subscription. We would very much appreciate the assistance.

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Any Questions?

Do you have any questions about the nomad life, caravan living, pet travel, or anything travel-related? Then ask away!

We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP

Your Places

The link below should show the caravan friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

Caravan & Pet Friendly Places

You can also visit us at www.lasideasmkt.com for all your website, social media and branding needs. (Our Day Job)

LasIdeasMKT

Sigüenza

We went to Sigüenza merely because it had a motorhome service area we could fit into with our caravan. As it turns out, we had the parking area to ourselves most of the time, except on one occasion which we’ll get into a little later.

To our surprise, Sigüenza turned out to be a lovely little town with views of the town’s castle from the parking area.

Sigüenza: A Journey Through Time

Nestled in the province of Guadalajara, Sigüenza is a town that beautifully blends the old and the new. Its history is a fascinating narrative of different cultures and epochs, from the Bronze Age to the present day. The town's past is etched into its architecture, from the ancient medieval castle to the grandiose cathedral, each structure tells a story of a time long past.

Its story begins in the Bronze Age, with archaeological evidence of early settlements. However, it was the Romans who truly left their mark, establishing a settlement that laid the foundation for the town's future growth.

The Castle of Sigüenza, now a Parador, is a testament to the town's medieval past. The Cathedral of Santa María de Sigüenza, a grand structure that blends Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles, is a testament to the town's religious devotion and artistic heritage.

Day 63 - Travellenium Falcon To The Rescue

Yes, we have called our caravan The Travellenium Falcon! As we have our pom Chewie (aka. Chewbacca) it seemed like a good idea at the time!

Anyway, on a very overcast evening, just as we were getting ready for a little Netflix in bed, I thought it best to take Chewie out for his evening toiletry needs. Next to our caravan was a park bench, where I noticed a couple of cyclists trying to cook pasta on a little camping stove. Luckily Chewie soon did what he needed to do and we were just on our way back to the caravan when the heavens opened up. Just as we were walking past the cyclists (still trying to cook their pasta), they stopped us and asked if they could take shelter in the caravan. Obviously, we couldn’t say no but thought it best to tell Livy before two soaking wet, 6-foot-tall guys came walking into the caravan.

All of a sudden, our Netflix and chill evening turned into a dripping wet, cramped-up night with two random strangers! However, they did turn out to be really nice young German guys who had decided to cycle from Germany all the way down to Morocco! Livany ended up finishing cooking their pasta for them and turning it into a proper meal. The rain didn’t subside, so we ended up folding down the lounge and turning it into a bed (for the first time) for them to spend the night. The next morning, they were very grateful and were soon on their way to continue their journey.

Day 64 - Continuing Our Own Journey: Nuevo Baztán

Wish we had had more time to explore this charming little town. The caravan area we used was inaugurated recently with the help of the "La Peka" association, which we're associated with. La Peka works alongside local police and town halls to aid in the understanding and improvement of the laws for ‘housing vehicles. They were also influential in the creation of the ‘housing vehicle’ parking area in Nuevo Baztán. Unfortunately, we had a lot of rain, and we were still getting over the colds we received in Zaragoza (link below)! But, we at least got a chance to relax, knowing that we were very much welcome in the town. It was the time that we needed before heading towards Madrid.

Day 67 - More Decisions in Madrid

Day 67 and we arrive in Madrid. We love small and charming towns, but we can't ignore how impressive Madrid is, its streets, its architecture, and how alive it is. Ok, at first, when we left our campsite, caught the metro, and arrived at Gran Via, it was a crowded place with no place to escape and breathe. We had the feeling that we had seen Madrid; it was time to escape and return to relax at the campsite. Things did, however, get better. Little by little, Madrid convinced us that its charm was worth it. After seeing the Puerta del Sol, Plaza del Oriente, the real palace, the Cathedral de Almudena, and the Plaza Mayor, we realized that Madrid has a lot to offer. Our second day in Madrid was even more impressive, visiting the iconic Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen, in English). It deserves a separate post!

Think we’ll go into more detail about Madrid once we’ve visited more of the major cities and create a ‘Major Cities of Spain’ blog post or something along those lines.

The decision for us to make while we were in Madrid was to head back to where our journey had begun in Valencia, as we had a flight booked for the UK the following week, or continue on to Avíla, to a meeting of fellow motohomers, campers and caravaners. We chose the latter in the hope that we could find somewhere to store the caravan so that we could get back in time for our flight.

Day 74 - Avíla: Meeting Of The Travelers

We had a great time at this small event. The organisers had managed to get permission for us to use the local sports center as a camping ground. We lined up our caravans, motorhomes, campers and even tents in two lines facing each other so that once all our awnings were opened up, it kind of produced a roofed area that gave us all some shelter from the sun. We had food, drink, walks up into the surrounding mountains, tours and a lot of laughs. We made some nice friends at this event so we were pleased that we had decided to go along. On the final day, we even found someone who was happy to let us use their rather large garden to store our caravan which is currently sitting there waiting for our return.

A Little About Avíla

Avíla, a city nestled in the rolling hills of the Spanish countryside, is like a time capsule that transports you back to medieval times. As we parked our caravan in the city's designated area, we were immediately struck by the city's well-preserved medieval walls, a sight that took our breath away.

Avíla is known as the 'Town of Stones and Saints,' and it's easy to see why. The city is home to an impressive number of Romanesque and Gothic churches, convents, and monasteries, each with its own unique charm and history. The city's spiritual heritage is also deeply connected to Saint Teresa of Avíla, a prominent mystic, writer, and reformer of the Carmelite Order.

The city's crowning glory is undoubtedly its walls. The Walls of Avíla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are among the best-preserved medieval fortifications in Spain.

It is said that the stones used in the walls of Avíla were created wist the ashes from fallen soldiers.

The News

We are excited to announce that we have a new car on the way!!! We will finally be about to head uphill without the need to pull over every ten minutes.

It’s an unusual make but it has everything we needed. It’s shorter than our current chariot, so we should be able to squeeze into more parking areas, plus it has a surprising towing capacity of nearly two tons.

Spain and Beyond

So there we have our first 78 days of our new Happy Life On Wheels. Where we go from here, we have no idea, but it’s bound to be full of adventure and discovery.

OR if you’re feeling very generous and want to help us continue with our Happy Life On Wheels. We would very much appreciate the assistance.

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Any Questions?

Do you have any questions about the nomad life, caravan living, pet travel, or anything travel-related? Then ask away!

We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP

Your Places

The link below should show the caravan friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

Caravan & Pet Friendly Places

You can also visit us at www.lasideasmkt.com for all your website, social media and branding needs. (Our Day Job)

LasIdeasMKT

Medinaceli is a town that we come across purely by chance. From Zaragoza we were struggling with where to go next—well, more like where the car could get us without overheating. While looking on the map, we came across a motorhome area in Medinaceli that looked beautiful, although, at nearly two hours away from Zaragoza, it was a little too far to get to in one go. Therefore, we decided to make a couple of stops along the way.

The first stop was in the very small but charming town of Alfamén, which had beautiful art throughout the walls of the town. Next up was a Repsol service area, which had surprisingly nice views and walks into the countryside. We then had the final stint up to Medinaceli. We were a little worried as it did require us to go uphill, but the car managed, and we were soon greeted with beautiful views.

Medinaceli, is another town that received the title of one of the most beautiful towns in Spain. It is a small town in the province of Soria that is a hidden gem that has managed to preserve its historical charm while embracing the modern world. As we parked our caravan in the designated area, we were immediately captivated by the town's serene atmosphere and picturesque views.

The history of Medinaceli is a rich tapestry of different cultures and epochs. Founded by the Celtiberians, it was later a Roman municipium, an Islamic medina, and a Christian frontier town. Each of these periods has left its mark on the town, creating a unique blend of architectural styles and cultural influences.

The Roman Arch of Medinaceli, the only three-gated Roman arch in Spain, is a testament to the town's ancient past. Walking under its grand arches, one can almost hear the echoes of Roman legions marching through the town. The arch, standing proudly on a hill, offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape.

The town's Islamic past is evident in the layout of the old quarter, with its narrow, winding streets and traditional houses. The Ducal Palace, although now in ruins, still bears traces of the Moorish architectural style.

But Medinaceli is not just about the past. The town has embraced the present with open arms. The local cuisine is a delightful fusion of traditional recipes and modern culinary techniques. The town is also known for its vibrant festivals, such as the Toro Jubilo, which add a touch of modernity to its historical charm.

Every corner of Medinaceli has a story to tell, and we were eager to listen. We might have still been getting over the colds that we picked up from the rainy walks in Zaragoza, but the experience was worth it!

Medinaceli, with its rich history and modern vibrancy, is a town that engages both the heart and mind. It's a place where every stone has a tale to tell, where every street echoes with the laughter and lively chatter of its inhabitants, and where the past and future coexist in harmony. A visit to Medinaceli is not just a journey through a Spanish town; it's a journey through time, taste, and discoveries.

Something To Try

If you visit Medinaceli we highly recommend the sweet butter that is made locally. The taste is beautiful, and it’s very addictive to tear off a chunk of bread and cover it in sweet butter, maybe with a nice glass of vino. If you want to try it at home, we did manage to track it down online HERE.

Next Up…

Next on our travels, we have a triple header - Sigüenza, Nuevo Baztán & the city of Madrid. Each is unique and has its own charm, history, and culture to explore and enjoy. If you are looking for a diverse and exciting itinerary, you can’t go wrong with these three destinations. You will discover the beauty, creativity, and diversity of Spain in every corner.

OR if you’re feeling very generous and want to help us continue with our adventure. We would very much appreciate the assistance. (Especially with the car only wanting to go downhill!!!)

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Any Questions?

Do you have any questions about the nomad life, caravan living, pet travel, or anything travel-related? Then ask away!

We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP

Your Places

The link below should show the caravan and pet-friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

Caravan & Pet Friendly Places

You can also visit us at www.lasideasmkt.com for all your website, social media and branding needs. (Our Day Job)

LasIdeasMKT

Zaragoza is a veritable treasure trove of ancient and modern culture. From the stunning "Basilica del Pilar" to the dramatic remnants of the Roman Forum, Zaragoza is a city where the stories of centuries past still echo through its beautiful streets.

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The History

Unravelling the tale of Zaragoza is like opening a beautifully crafted, centuries-old book filled with stories of diverse cultures, powerful empires, and monumental events that have left indelible marks on the city's character.

The birth of Zaragoza dates back to 25 BC when it was established under the name "Caesaraugusta" by Roman Emperor Augustus. Imagine the Roman legions marching through the grand city walls, with majestic temples, bathhouses, and the bustling forum bearing testimony to a thriving Roman city.

However, the page turns, and the narrative shifts in the 8th century when the Moors took control, transforming Zaragoza into a grand Islamic city known as "Saraqusta". This period left Zaragoza with its stunning jewel, the Aljafería Palace.

Zaragoza's story took another dramatic turn in 1118 when it was reconquered by the Christian King Alfonso I of Aragon. The city bloomed during the Middle Ages, becoming a prominent cultural, economic, and political center of the Kingdom of Aragon. The magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, still standing proudly today, pays tribute to this era.

The city has also witnessed darker times, notably during the Spanish War of Independence in the early 19th century when Zaragoza's denizens bravely defended their home in the legendary Sieges of Zaragoza.

In more recent history, Zaragoza hosted the International Exposition in 2008 focusing on water and sustainable development, further cementing its status as a global city.

The story of Zaragoza is a chronicle of resilience, diversity, and transformation. It's a tale etched into the city's Roman walls, Moorish palaces, Gothic cathedrals, and even the modern, innovative structures. It's a city that remembers its past, celebrates its present, and looks eagerly towards its future.

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A City of Remarkable Architecture

For architecture aficionados, Zaragoza is nothing short of paradise. The city's crown jewel, the "Basilica del Pilar", sits grandly by the banks of the Ebro River. With its ornate baroque exterior and lavish frescoes by renowned painter Francisco Goya, this iconic basilica is a testament to Zaragoza's unwavering devotion to its faith and art. There is a museum that carries Francisco Goya’s name, but unfortunately, we didn't have the chance to visit it this time. Hopefully, we'll see some of his art when we visit the "Museo del Prado" in Madrid in the coming weeks.

You can also step into the past with a visit to the Aljafería Palace, an 11th-century Moorish fortress turned royal palace. Its intricate Islamic geometric designs, lavish courtyards, and towering arches transport visitors back to an age of sultans and caliphs. In stark contrast, the building also houses the regional parliament of Aragon, thus representing a sublime confluence of the past and the present. Unfortunately, this was another place we ran out of time to visit for ourselves, but we’re sure we will be passing by again one day soon.

Modern Metropolis Amidst Ancient History

Zaragoza doesn't just rest on its historical laurels. The city is a dynamic hub of contemporary art, design, and innovation. The futuristic Zaragoza Delicias train station, designed by renowned architect Carlos Ferrater, serves as a perfect symbol of Zaragoza's stride towards the future. The city's dedication to sustainable living is apparent in its eco-neighborhoods, well-planned bike lanes, and abundant green spaces. Just across from the caravan and motorhome service area is a tram station that runs the length of the city for only 1.50€ which we took full advantage of.

It was a bit of a wet and rainy day when we did decide to visit the city. That didn’t stop us from exploring as much as we could, although we did both come down with colds not too long after this video was taken!

Zaragoza, with its rich tapestry of history and culture, interspersed with modern vibrancy, is a city that captivates the heart and engages the mind. It's a place where every cobblestone has a story to tell, where every plaza echoes with laughter and lively conversation, and where the past and future intertwine in a beautiful dance. A visit to Zaragoza is not just a journey through a Spanish city; it's a journey through time, taste, and endless discoveries.

Our website is starting to take shape at www.HappyLifeOnWheels.com - It’s very much still under construction but if you want to see what we’re getting up to, feel free to take a look.

Next Up…

We’re heading uphill again! Heading to another contender for the most beautiful town in Spain, the town of Medinaceli.

OR if you’re feeling very generous and want to help us continue with our adventure. We would very much appreciate the assistance. (Especially with the car only wanting to go downhill!!!)

Donate Subscriptions

Any Questions?

Do you have any questions about the nomad life, caravan living, pet travel, or anything travel-related? Then ask away!

We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP

Your Places

The link below should show the caravan and pet-friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

Caravan & Pet Friendly Places

You can also visit us at www.lasideasmkt.com for all your website, social media and branding needs. (Our Day Job)

LasIdeasMKT

A Bit Of History

Aínsa has a long and rich history, dating back to the 11th century. It was founded by Sancho Ramírez, the king of Aragon, in 1085. The village was originally built as a fortress to protect the Kingdom of Aragon from the Moors.

In 1124, Alfonso I, the Battler, granted Aínsa a charter of privileges, which made it a free and independent town. This charter gave Aínsa the right to hold its own market, mint its own coins, and build its own walls.

Aínsa played an important role in the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of Spain from the Moors. In 1149, the town was besieged by the Moors, but it was successfully defended by the townspeople. This victory helped to secure the future of the Kingdom of Aragon.

Aínsa continued to grow and prosper in the Middle Ages. It became a major trading center, and its population grew to over 1,000 people. The town was also a popular destination for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

Aínsa's fortunes declined in the 16th century. The town was hit by a series of plagues and famines, and its population declined. The town was also damaged by the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.

Despite these setbacks, Aínsa has preserved its medieval charm. The town's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is one of the best-preserved medieval villages in Spain. The narrow streets are lined with whitewashed houses, and the village is dominated by a 12th-century castle. The castle offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the village below.

Our Thoughts

We loved everything about Aínsa. We are so glad that we decided to leave the caravan at the campsite and take the drive up into the mountains. As you walk through the town, you can almost feel the history seeping into your bones. We would definitely recommend visiting the church tower. The original narrow passage stairway leading up to the bell tower is an experience in itself, but the views from the top are truly magical.

Fast-Food

The next motorhome/caravan parking we found (going downhill) was in a small town called Zuera. It was a nice, comfortable area; the only minor problem was that the shops were a bit far away and we couldn't detach the car. To make up for it though, we had our first takeaway delivered directly to the caravan.

Not so lucky for us; they were building a funfair in the exact location where we were parked. We asked the organisers, who said we were not in the way. But after a police officer asked when we were leaving in the morning and then another in the afternoon asked the same and said that we couldn't be parked there while standing by the big panel with the rules, which explained that we could, we decided to leave. Not far down the road, we found a Cepsa service area, which had a large, secure parking area with services for emptying our grey and black water, fresh water that we could top up our tank with, and free electric point so that we could get everything fully charged again. We ended up staying there for the weekend as we just felt so comfortable there, plus the weekends came with a promotional price of Friday to Monday parking for 22€ with all the services. To be honest, it was better than the campsites we had been to so far!

Next Up - Day 51 - Zaragoza

Next time we will tell you all about the city of Zaragoza. Located on the banks of the Ebro River, it is the capital of Aragon, a region that was once a powerful kingdom. Zaragoza boasts impressive monuments, one of the largest baroque churches in the world and stunning examples of Islamic architecture.

OR if you’re feeling very generous and want to help us continue with our adventure. We would very much appreciate the assistance. (Especially with the car only wanting to go downhill!!!)

Donate Subscriptions

Any Questions?

Do you have any questions about the nomad life, caravan living, pet travel, or anything travel-related? Then ask away!

We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP

Your Places

The link below should show the caravan and pet-friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

Caravan & Pet Friendly Places

You can also visit us at www.lasideasmkt.com for all your website, social media and branding needs. (Our Day Job)

LasIdeasMKT

Almunia De San Juan - 1st time camping

Day 24 brings us to our first time in a campsite since we left Valencia. We decided to stop until after the bank holiday (1st of May). The camping Almunia was only a small campsite, but we had good chats with the lady that runs the place. She's from Germany but chose to live in Spain 13 years ago. Like all of us, she's still getting used to it and is surprised by so many holidays and siestas in Spain. The "tranquilo" life is really fascinating. The campsite was really comfy, quiet, beautiful, and very clean. The town doesn't have a lot to do, but 10 minutes away is the town of Monzón. We decided to go and visit the town to get some supplies and to see its impressive, spooky, and huge castle. Why spooky? Well, let's say that we found a cave with some kind of white material rolled in a very specific way and some herbs and other stuff altogether, like someone arranged it with a purpose. Livy didn't want to get near or take any pictures. Energetically speaking, she didn't feel a good vibe. So we left. But we have pictures of the entrance of the cave. That's enough!

Monzon

During our day trip to Monzon, we discovered that they had a motorhome service area that was large enough for us to fit in with the caravan, so that became our next stop. The must-see in the town is the castle. Actually, you can see the castle from almost any part of the town. It's kind of a reference point, so as not to get lost. Another attraction is the monument to an import politician, educator, and personality who was born in the town, Joquim Costa. Also, for a nice night walk at Parque de La Azucarera, with a huge 80m tall chimenea from a sugar cane mill. It was built between 1923 and 1925. If you want to have a look at the view from the top, you can access the webcam installed on the chimenea at the website mimonzon2030.com

Next Stop - Barbastro

The next stop along the road that had conquered us in our previous post was the delightful town of Barbastro. We stayed in a free area with all the services, plus a water fountain. Getting there was a little bit of a squeeze. The area was positioned close to the centre of the town in a public car park, and as we arrived, the car park was already filling up. We originally parked the caravan and then parked the car in a normal parking area, but after a quick phone call to the tourist information, we were told that the car and caravan had to fit in the same space, but after some jostling of the car and caravan we just about managed to squeeze in. A huge plus of the parking area was the stunning view and its proximity to the town center. We really enjoyed our 72 hour stay in Barbastro. We visited the historic center and tried a traditional cake made with almonds. One of the things that we are enjoying most on our travels is trying the local food. Delightful.

Repsol Area 62 El Pueyo and The Lost Ring

We spent the night at Repsol El Pueyo. No services in terms of grey and black water disposal, but an area that’s reserved for caravans, which is very welcome. Showers are available for 3€ and the toilets are very clean. More than that, the staff were really nice, which we found out by, well, I’ll let Livy tell the story…. In Livy's words: So, from the series 'Things that happen to me'... All I wanted was a nice and relaxing shower. But I ended up losing my wedding ring in the shower, so the lady responsible immediately sent a message to the WhatsApp group, letting everyone know about it. It was late, so she told me that the next day, the other lady would take care of it. And she wrote my number on a piece of paper: "La chica de la ducha", translating as "the shower lady". So, the next day, I went there to say hello, buy some bread and introduce myself, all I had to say was that I was "la chica de la ducha", she called the person responsible for the maintenance, before even getting back to the caravan I had already had two missed phone calls from the maintenance guy, letting me know that he had already been able to retrieve my ring…phew!

Day 36 - Siétamo

As there wasn’t any motorhome or caravan service area between the Repsol Area and Husesca we decided to stay in a "Area de Descanso" / Resting Area off the main road. It didn’t have any services or water. But, in compensation, there was a really nice picnic area. Our night was a little bit noisy, as we had a truck neighbour with the engine running almost all night. But it didn’t particularly stop us from sleeping most of the night anyway. The next morning we got our work done, had a walk with Chewie, and then moved on to Huesca.

Day 37 - Huesca

We stayed in another free area in Huesca, within walking distance from the city centre. It's really a charming city. It’s a city that has a rich cultural heritage, and the Gothic cathedral is a must-see. The cathedral was built between the 13th and 16th centuries and combines Gothic and Renaissance elements. Unfortunately, pets aren’t allowed to enter the cathedral, not even when they are in a pet carrier. Apart from the Cathedral, there are lots of little streets to explore and get lost in. The motorhome area was really busy, but we managed to get the only spot available for our caravan. We called the local police to make sure that we could actually park there, but for some curious reason they couldn’t tell us if we were allowed to unhitch; they just told us to read the rules that were displayed, which didn’t say anything about unhitching. To keep on the safe side, we stayed connected anyway, as everything was pretty much within walking distance from the service area. The only trouble we had was that our space was in the shade, so after 3 days with no charging, the battery of the Ecoflow went to less than 20%. But, on Friday morning, we went to a local shop, Fabra Electrodomesticos Fasat, and the owner was really nice and let us charge our EcoFlow at his shop for free!

Day 40 - Plan: North To Sabiñánigo - Reality: South to El Timple - Campsite No. 2

From Huesca we had planned on heading a little way north to the town of Sabiñánigo and from there to Aínsa, which is said to be ‘one of the most beautiful towns in Spain. This plan, however, didn’t go according to plan. The roads just started edging a little too close to the Alpes, which meant inclines, which the car just doesn’t like. It wasn’t long before things started to get a little overheated. So instead of going upward, we pointed the car downward. As we were heading down, Livy found a small campsite we could stay at to replan. The campsite was a municipal campsite called El Timple. It was really quiet and full of small vacation bungalows. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, which was nice.

Being that we were in a camping ground meant we could unhitch the car, so we decided to have a road trip up to Aínsa to see what one of the most beautiful towns in Spain had to offer….which we’ll tell you about next time.

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Day 18 brings us to Kucavanasfest. Kucavanasfest is a caravaning festival that takes place in Tàrrega, Catalonia, Spain. It is the first national festival of its kind in Spain, and it brings together caravaners from all over the country to celebrate their love of the open road.

The festival takes place over three days in April, and it features a variety of activities and events for caravaners of all ages. There are talks and workshops on caravaning topics, as well as live music, dancing, and a market where caravaners can buy caravaning goodies as well as locally made products such as honeys and soaps. There is also a children's area with activities and games, and even a dog agility course for your furry friend.

Feeling Hot

Our travel to Tàrrega took slightly longer than perhaps it should have. The trip should have taken around 2 hours if all went according to plan, however, things didn’t go according to plan and instead took us closer to 6 hours! All seemed to be going well until the road started going uphill and the temperature dial in the car also started to go up. We soon started to frantically look for somewhere to pull over, but the road just continued to go upward. Just as the car’s temperature was reaching a critical level, we were able to just about pull off the road to let things cool off. While we waited for things to cool down, we looked at places where we could stop along the route, just in case we had any more problems. We waited for around an hour before setting off again. We were only on the road for around 10 minutes before the temperature of the car was on the rise once again. So, again, we were at the side of the road waiting for things to cool down. This continued the trend for the remainder of the trip. We had originally planned on getting to Kucanavanasfest by lunchtime to catch the beginning of the festivities, instead, we arrived a little after 6 p.m., which felt like a very long drive. But at least we eventually made it; we could forget about the car and enjoy the weekend.

Enjoying The Weekend

We were one of three caravans that showed up at Kucavanasfest amongst around 450 motorhomes. To say we felt a little like the odd ones out is an understatement, especially as it appeared we were the only non-Spanish people there and everyone seemed to know each other. On the other hand, everyone was welcoming, and there were lots of dogs, which Chewie loved. After being in relatively quiet areas, being around so many people was a bit of a welcome change.

Our first morning didn’t exactly go according to plan as we had to locate the local vets. Chewie had woken up with a very irritated ear, which turned out to be an ear infection, which we believe he picked up at the beach in Playa del Trabucador. We soon settled into the weekend afterwards and started to enjoy the festivities. Chewie even took part in a little agility training, which he was surprisingly good at (amazing what he would do for a piece of frankfurta).

During the days, we walked around the different stalls and listened to some of the talks that were held about fellow travellers experiences (we envisioned one day sharing our own advice and experiences). In the evenings, we listened to live music and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Time To Relax

It was soon time to start packing away after Kucavanasfest and we started to think about where the next destination would be. We knew it couldn’t be too far as we didn’t know how the car would behave, although we did know that we wanted it to be somewhere quiet as all the festivities had taken it out of us, including Chewie.

We found a very rustic service area out in the countryside, in the little town of Vallverd.

It was a very calm place to hear the sound of the birds and relax. It was a beautiful area to walk in and take pictures.

Nothing was particularly close by; the nearest supermarket was 15 minutes away, but it was a beautiful place to spend some time and recharge our batteries. We had the perfect spot under two large trees with views all around.

Where To Next?

Well, as the original plan of heading towards Madrid and then up to Galicia changed within the first week of our travels, we didn’t really have much of a plan after Kucavanasfest. We decided to try and get to a place in the area of Zaragoza. We didn’t think it was wise to try to get there until we knew if the car was capable of longer travel, so we decided to do a smaller journey to another service area to give the car a little test. We moved on to a service area in Binaced which was around a 127km trip. The car did surprisingly well, even through very rough roadworks.

The service area was a little bit of a strange one. The area itself was great, nice, open field for Chewie to play, very quiet, they even had electric there which was free to use. But for some reason, the rules stated that we weren’t allowed to unhitch the caravan or put down the supporting legs, which is a little sad as it meant we couldn’t visit the town as it was too far from the area to walk. We would have preferred not to have electricity and be able to drive into town and maybe spend money in the community.

We stayed in the area for the maximum amount of time allowed (48h). As the car did so well doing the 127km to Binaced, we looked to go to the motorhome service area in Zaragoza, but looking at it on Google Maps, it didn’t look like we would be able to fit, so we chose a service area just north of Zaragoza, in the town of Zuera, which should have been a 130km trip. It looked like it was going to be motorway most of the way. We weren’t expecting the motorway to have such a consistent incline, however, which again, the car really didn’t appreciate. We were soon having to stop in a motorway service area for things to cool down. We soon realized we weren’t going to be making the journey to Zuera, so instead we headed back downhill to the first campsite of our adventures in the pretty little town of Almunia De San Juan, which brings us to Day 24, which we’ll tell you all about in the next post.

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We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP

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The link below should show the caravan and pet-friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

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This place is called Playa del Trabucador. It’s a beautiful and unique beach located in the Ebro Delta Natural Park in northeastern Spain. The beach is a narrow strip of land that separates the Mediterranean Sea from the lagoon of the Ebro Delta. It’s approximately 6 km long and varies in width from 30 to 100 meters.

The views from here are amazing, it’s definitely our favourite place that we have travelled to so far.

The Ebro Delta Natural Park is one of the largest wetlands in Europe. It’s home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including rice fields, salt pans, and marshlands. It is a haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers, and visitors can explore the delta on foot or by boat. It’s also rich in history and culture. The region has been inhabited since ancient times, and there are several historical sites in the area, including the Roman city of Dertosa and the medieval town of Tortosa.

Where We Stayed

Although there is plenty of free parking at Playa del Trabucador (you’ll need to prebook your parking during the summer, which you can do here: www.turismelarapita.cat ) you aren’t allowed to stay overnight. Instead, we were able to find a free service area in the reasonably local town of Sant Jaume d’Enveja (view it on the map). The area was large with no parking markings, so it was nice and simple to park. All the usual services were available, including wastewater emptying and fresh water. An added bonus was the dog park just next door, which meant Chewie could go off and be with his doggy friends. It was even an area from which we could detach, which meant we could explore the town and surrounding areas a little bit.

One of the areas we explored a little bit was the medieval town of Tortosa. At the time, we didn’t know much about Tortosa, we just knew it was relatively large and had ‘proper’ shops, which, after two weeks, we very much needed. We mainly went into the town to use the launderette, which is where Livy met a fellow Brazilian who happened to be the lady that worked there, which meant they could both have a good chat using their native tongue….2 hours later, we thought we’d have a quick bite to eat (as we missed lunch), but it soon began to get overcast, so we promptly made a retreat back to the caravan.

One interesting fact about Tortosa is that it was the site of one of the most important battles in the Reconquista, the Battle of Tortosa, which took place in 1148. The battle was fought between the forces of the Christian Kingdom of Aragon and the Muslim Almoravid dynasty, and resulted in a decisive victory for the Christians. The conquest of Tortosa allowed the Aragonese to expand their territory in the region, and the city became an important stronghold for the Christian Kingdom of Aragon in the centuries that followed.

The following morning in our area, we woke up to a bit of a mud bath just outside the caravan’s door. Which made getting in and out a bit of a spectacle.

Luckily, this was the day that we decided to go and explore Playa del Trabucador.

Due to it’s location near the Ebro River mouth and the Mediterranean Sea, Sant Jaume d'Enveja is a popular spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing. The constant winds in the area, combined with the calm waters of the Ebro Delta, create ideal conditions for these sports.

Golden Sunset

There wasn’t too much to see in Sant Jaume d’Enveja, the town that we stayed in. We did, however, discover this bridge that joined the town with the neighbouring town of Deltebre where we stayed to see this breathtaking sunset.

Next Up We Have Kucavanafest

A weekend-long annual festival that celebrates motorhomes and campers in Tàrrega with events, including live music, food and drink vendors (plus, our first real hiccup).

As our journey continues, we look forward to updating you on our latest adventures and the surprises that lay ahead. Stay tuned for more updates from our Happy Life On Wheels!

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The link below should show the caravan and pet-friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

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We arrived in the picturesque town of Peñiscola on day 9. As Peñiscola is a touristic town that we knew we wanted to explore, so we decided to stay in a secured parking area called La Brisa. The area provided a sense of safety, complete with a shower and toilet facility. Although it was a paid area, our five-day stay cost under 50€. It meant that we could leave the caravan in the safe compound of the parking area without fear of anyone trying to break into our home on wheels.

The first couple of nights in Peñiscola we slept with the caravan swaying in the wind. The days were no different. As there is either visiting the beach or visiting the old town in Peñiscola, under the circumstances, we decided to do the latter and explore the old narrow streets up to the historical castle.

The castle is situated on a crag overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, at an altitude of 64 metres (210 ft) above sea level. The current form of the castle is essentially that developed by the Knights Templar, who planned to develop a kingdom centred on Peñíscola. James II of Aragon gave the castle to the Templars in 1294, together with the nearby castles of Pulpís and Xivert. The Templars began work that year, demolished the Muslim fortifications, and completely rebuilt the castle; the work was completed in 1307. In common with other Templar fortifications, the castle was laid out around an inner ward and possessed a chapel. Architectural features included barrel vaulting and round arches.

The castle was taken over by the Crown of Aragon in 1319, and was later used as a papal palace by Pope Benedict XIII (a.k.a Papa Luna), who lived there from 1411 until his death in 1423.. After Benedict XIII's death, the castle was used as a military garrison and a prison. It was restored in the 19th century and is now open to the public and now known as Castillo Del Papa Luna (Castle Of The Papa Luna).

The castle offers stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. It is also a popular filming location, having been used in several films and television shows, including Game of Thrones.

Unfortunately, going inside the castle wasn’t pet-friendly, but the narrow streets leading up to the castle are a winding maze of cobblestones and whitewashed walls. The streets are lined with shops selling souvenirs, tapas bars, and cafes.

As you walk up the streets, you can feel the history of the place. The walls of the castle loom over you, and you can imagine the knights and soldiers who once defended it. You can also imagine the pilgrims who once came to the castle to seek the blessing of the pope.

As you reach the top of the hill, you are rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean Sea. The castle stands on a promontory, and it offers stunning views in all directions. You can see the city of Peñíscola below you, and the blue waters of the sea stretch out to the horizon.

The narrow streets leading up to the castle are a magical place. They are a place where you can step back in time and experience the history and culture of Spain. They are a place where you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea.

Luckily for us, the wind soon subsided for the following days, which meant we could visit Peñiscola’s vast promenade, which stretches out as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately for us, it was surprisingly busy for the time of year, which meant Chewie couldn’t get a photo by the beautiful and eye-catching Peñiscola sign, which he was very upset about.

The promenade in Peñíscola is a beautiful stretch of coastline that offers stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, who come to relax, swim, sunbathe, and enjoy the fresh air. The promenade is also home to a variety of restaurants, bars, and shops, making it a great place to explore and find something to eat or do. It is lined with palm trees and benches, and it offers stunning views of the castle. The promenade is also home to a number of bars and restaurants, so you can stop for a drink or a bite to eat while you enjoy the stunning views.

Next Stop

With our minds eager for more exploration, as much as we enjoyed Peñiscola, we soon started planning for our next stop. Ever since seeing it on the map, I’ve wanted to visit this place ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

So that is where we’re heading to next, on our way to Kucavanasfest! So if you want to join us for some beautiful sea views, fun, and frolics, subscribe to get our adventures in your inbox.

As our journey continues, we look forward to updating you on our latest adventures and the surprises that lay ahead. Stay tuned for more updates from our Happy Life On Wheels!

So why not come and join us by subscribing? & Hit the like button!

Subscribe now

Any Questions?

Do you have any questions about the nomad life, caravan living, pet travel, or anything travel-related? Then ask away!

We also want to hear from seasoned travellers. Do you have any places you recommend? Especially caravan and pet-friendly places! - Put it in the MAP

Your Places

The link below should show the caravan and pet-friendly places that we have personally been to. Obviously, new places will be added regularly as we continue our adventure.

Caravan & Pet Friendly Places

You can also visit us at www.lasideasmkt.com for all your website, social media and branding needs. (Our Day Job)

LasIdeasMKT