For all my travels direction south of Europe I need to pass through Spain. I am now at the eleventh time I do the journey of about 2.500 km (including crossing France) direct and 3000 km if one does some sightseeing and chooses different paths than the direct one : Madrid-Cordoba-Sevilla-Cadiz.
Some parts in Spain are wonderful as far as nature is concerned but most of it is very boring full of fields with olive trees. So different from Portugal with its great variety of landscapes and its love of diversity in all fields.

Sleeping in the van is easy on high ways, service stations often stay open 24 hours a day.
I would not feel safe anywhere near villages or any isolated spots, even in the days that I drove up and down to Cadiz with my partner, but this is now the same for all countries.

One feels strongly the European laws for wheelchairusers, in Spain as well. They always have somebody serving those that can't fuel their own cars, personal service is a must for us.

Everey time I have to take the boat and have some time to spare I end up on the CAMPING RIO JARA in TARIFA, the most southern point of Spain. Excellent accomodation for wheelchairusers, lots of great travellers, some on their way to Africa and everywhere encouragement and kindness for my exceptional way of travelling. There they don't mind excentrics, on the contrary, they love it. They now have a free rooter so I can get on internet any time I get close enough to the bar or the reception with my laptop for which no cables are needed.

There are two fellow travellers here that I find when I come over. They both have an incredibly well equipped van ready for long and great travels, modestly they go their own way. One has astma and spends winters over here on the camping since many years, the other one has a "bad back" and is a bird watcher working anywhere to be of service of those studying behaviour of birds. He goes every year to Africa with his van and has more food to stock for his lovely dog than for himself. These people I call "normal".

Dave and his dog for whom he stores more food than for himself to prepare the jouney to Senegal.



Those that travel with huge mobile homes and put themselves always in front of the best vieuwpoints on the road and campings I find less "normal". Modesty in travelling is as important as inventiveness and courtesy.

IN 2008 March I discovered that the coast between Almeria and Malaga is the warmest area of the whole of Europe. When it was chilly everywhere else, South Italy, Baleares, Tunisië included it was warm and no wind, a great diversion from the constant winds on Canarian Islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

Camping El Pino, TORROX hosts many Northern Europeans of all languages, long residing guests that flee from their never ending chilly humid climate. The camping is reasonanbly well equipped but a hasard of steep hills to go to the bathroom and the bar makes it less charming.