The Next Chapter
The good thing about living full time in a van is that everything is with you so you don’t have to pack!
It was now early Dec 2023, we had our new van and we were ready to go but our registration document for the van hadn’t arrived yet! We couldn’t go anywhere without it!
Turned out it was at the post office and had been for almost 2 weeks! It was only when a friend suggested going and asking at the sorting office that I went to see and ‘Yes” it was there! We booked a ferry for the following day.
We were on the ferry 7th Dec 2023 and we were now on a mission to catch our friends Cat and Chris AKA Florry the Lorry whilst they were in mainland Spain. They were there for about another week!
Crossing the channel and our first 2 days
It was great to be back on the move again. We spent our first night an hour south from Dieppe in a car park
The following day we just drove until Dee was tired. We did the tolls just to get there faster. Our 2nd night was spent an hour north of Bordeaux at Ruffec.
San Sebastián (Donastia)
The following day we made it into Spain! It took us 48 hours from Dieppe!
San Sebastián was somewhere I had been wanting to go for a while. It is called Donastia in Basque, a stunning coastal city not far from the French border.
We stayed at an aire on the outskirts of the city and caught a bus to the old town (Parte Vieja). It was very busy and vibrant filled with bars and narrow streets. As you can see from the photos we did get a bit of rain but it wasnt too much and it was very mild compared to the UK in December!
The city is renowned for its culinary scene, often called the “food capital” of Spain. It boasts more Michelin-starred restaurants per square metre than almost anywhere else in world after Paris of course.
We went out to try some of the local pintxos (Basque tapas). Pintxos are usually on cocktail sticks or bread and you can usually see them on display in glass cabinets.
On the way back to the catch the bus we saw a band stand and a whole nativity scene which was very well done
Although San Sebastián has some stunning beaches we didn’t actually see any as the following morning we needed to get moving again so that we could meet our friends.
Alfranca
We made it to meet our friends at a park up that was close to Zaragoza, just outside at a place called Alfranca.
Our friends found this lovely park up that was close to Zaragoza but also quiet and away from the city which meant we pretty much had the park up to ourselves which was so much nicer than a crowded aire or car park. As well as Florry ( their converted lorry) they had a car with them so Cat was happy to drive us to Zaragoza for the Christmas market.
It was a lovely park up and a great place to chill before hitting the busy city of Zaragoza
It was complete with a maze, a castle and even a stone circle which is believed to be quite rare in the area
Zaragoza
Zaragoza is the capital of the Aragón region in northeastern Spain. The city’s most iconic landmark is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, a stunning baroque cathedral that is said to be the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Zaragoza is known for its vibrant local culture, traditional cuisine and lively festivals.
We were basically going to see the Christmas market.
Zaragoza transforms into a magical winter wonderland during the festive season.
At the centre of the celebrations is Plaza del Pilar, where a large Christmas market, known as “Mercado Navideño,” comes to life. This market offers a range of traditional crafts, holiday decorations, local delicacies, and unique gifts, all set against the backdrop of the stunning Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar.
Although neither of us are Christmas fans it was lovely to have a wander around and take in the atmosphere. We also quite liked the mulled wine!
Monegros Desert
After doing some shopping and sorting a few bits out we headed in convoy with Chris and Cat into the Monegros desert.
The Monegros Desert is in northeastern Spain, a unique and arid region in the province of Zaragoza. It covers approximately 2,700 square kilometres.
Monegros is well-known for hosting the annual Monegros Desert Festival, an annual electronic music festival in July that attracts visitors from around the world.
The landscape is quite unusual and is characterised by dramatic rock formations that create a striking, almost otherworldly appearance. It is often referred to as a “semi desert” due to its arid climate and sparse vegetation
It was so peaceful just spending some time there chilling out together with no one else around. We arrived on Monday 11th Dec and stayed until Weds morning as it was so nice there.
Cat and I swam in the river nearby, Rolo also jumped straight in!
The boys collected fire wood for the fire pit in the evening and after swimming we cooked brunch on the barbecue .
On Weds morning our time came to an end! We were sad to leave as we had all had such a lovely few days. We were heading south and then onto Morocco and Chris and Cat had a ferry to catch back to Menorca.
We were heading to Valencia and then Moraira so will only briefly touch on these as there is an existing post covering both places.
After Moraira we head to La Zenia which will also be in our next new post
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Our Life on the Road 
hi zoo, it worked this time yay!! Made the photos look even more amazing
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Ooh what worked? Sorry I’m confused lol
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