January 20–23: Our first three days passed very quickly — we drove over 2800 km all the way to Algeciras, where our ferry to Morocco departed.

On the first day, after driving 1300 km, we spent the night in Arles in an Airbnb on a barge, rented out by a lovely French couple. We chose Arles as our overnight stop by chance, as it was the cheapest accommodation we could find in France — but it turned out to be a very interesting little town. It has been inhabited since 533 BC, and there are many Roman-era relics in the city. Van Gogh and Picasso also lived and created art here.

On the second day, we made it to Valencia, a city that’s already very dear to our hearts. This time, though, we only had time for a few beers and a shared dinner with our friends — a big thank you to them for hosting us!

On the third day, we slowed down a bit and decided not to take the highway to Algeciras, but instead drive across the country. We passed through some fascinating places, with almond trees everywhere and semi-desert, hilly terrain. We stopped in a small town called Cruz de Caravaca, and learned that it is considered the fifth holiest site in Roman Catholicism — a fragment of Christ’s cross is kept there. We strolled through the narrow little streets and finally had a nice warm lunch. In the evening, we tried sleeping in the car for the first time, in a parking lot alongside other campervans heading to or coming from Morocco.

We were completely exhausted from this fast pace — in the next post, you’ll find out why we had to hurry so much.