NEW HORIZONS oct2024
From The Netherlands to Spain
THE START
We love Europa, so to start our trip through this beautiful continent is not a punishment. Every 100 km the landscapes and the cultures change. We Europeans take this for granted but we shouldn't. The different cultures and people make this continent a paradise for travellers and for European citizens. So we make the best of it and we decided to play the tourist....and we loved it.
GERBEROY
If you use Google to find out which are the most beautiful villages of France you end up with Gerberoy. We’re too late. From the first of October there is no tourist train anymore and we have to see the village on foot! Such a burden. Takes us a lot of time and taking pictures doesn’t help to speed things up. We will never get to Africa if we keep on enjoying ourselves.
THE LOIRE
This is how a castle should look like. Big? Glamorous, over the top. We love it. Let’s call it home. Now we only need a couple of servants and we should be ok. Chateau Amboise on the Loire river in the middle of beautiful vineyards. Now let’s remember, why do we want to travel any further?
SMUGGLERS ROUTE
To get from Andorra into Spain you can drive ‘Ruta dels Contrabandiste’. What a great name. We can’t help ourselves to descend from the mountains in Andorra to Spanish warmer climate. We need sun!
It took us a large part of the day to cover just 30 kilometers. But what a great route. Wouldn't recommend it for larger vehicles or inexperienced drivers. Being nervous or having problems with height is also not a good combination.
HIKING & RUNNING
If you want to go fast, you go by truck. If you want to have adventure, you go by bike. If you want to explore the country in detail, you go on foot. So that's what we do. Hiking and trailrunning. The more we hike and run, the easier it gets. Our muscles get used to the difference in elevation and before we know it we're standing on the 'top' of the world!
WHY OFFROAD?
It's bumpy, it's uncomfortable, you have to change the tire pressure all the time, it costs lots and lots of diesel, it's dangerous. You get lost and if you find the right track the track stops in the middle of nowhere and not a chance you can turn around very easily. Your truck gets damaged. Within a couple of days your truck has scratches everywhere. When you get stuck it takes a lot of time and effort to rescue yourself. Every tool is big and heavy. Nothing is easy.......
Tommorow again?? :)
MONTANAS VACIAS
The empty space of Spain. Also called Spanish Lapland. The countryside around Albarracin is covered with endless tracks. So we leave our house on wheels and set up for an adventure by bike. In the night it's freezing cold and the first day it's raining cats and dogs. So if one day is wet and cold you should take another day, and another, and another....The result is a great bikepacking adventure through central Spain.