It was a round trip of 4,875 km over four months, from Breuillet to Almería and back. With Several stops along the way, this “winter migration” had one main goal : to get away from the cold, gray winter of northern France and find the warm and sunny weather of southern Spain.
Indeed, Karmavan and I found what we were longing for! From our departure last November, to our return, in March, we experienced deep blue sky almost every day with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius on some sunny afternoons. After last year’s winter season in the Alps, this felt like paradise.
Spain in contrast felt like living in a balmy oasis.
Below is a map of all the places we visited along the way, influenced by the location of friends and family, the availability of libraries and swimming pools or merely depending on the mood. Barcelona and Almería were two planned destinations, related to my Spanish roots (I lived eight years in BCN and my father was from Andalusia). Totally unplanned, but yet pleasantly surprising, were the Alicante and La Manga (Murcia) visits. Two regions I never thought of going before. That’s the magic of the #vanlife: Total improv!
Karmavan and I are now back in our hometown (Breuillet, south of Paris). After four months riding the sunny roads of Spain, it feels good to be back home at this time of the year: Spring is around the corner, temperatures are warming and trees are blooming.
Thus I can proudly say that our mission has been accomplished: This year, Karmavan and I had no winter.
isabelle garcia 