«Happiness travels with you»: Venice all to yourself

Corona and free travelling go together about as well as Hubba Bubba and bratwurst. So you could say that the timing for our endeavour was pretty unfavourable.

For the time being, we are stuck for months with a lot of uncertainty about how everything will continue and we need our family safety net far more than we could ever have imagined.

During the hard lockdown in the south of France in late autumn 2020, we are not allowed to leave the house for more than one hour a day, not to move more than one kilometre away from it and only with a form that justifies the purpose. At this point, we could hardly be further away from the dream of time off.

The tide is turning

It's March 2021, almost a year later than planned, when we finally set off with our home on six wheels.

Still very unsure at first, we venture across the Spanish border and drive through Catalonia with our heads down, where tourist travel is prohibited at the time. However, the campsites in the province of Valencia are open and we receive a friendly welcome. From here, the tide turns.

We hate travelling, but love arriving.

Looking back, the coronavirus crisis has opened many doors for us. It is inextricably linked to our adventure and, unlike many other families, it brought us many positive experiences.

Europe without mass tourism

The general protective measures have little impact on our everyday lives, as they take place far away from institutions and crowds. The most striking thing, however, is that we can experience Europe without mass tourism. A unique experience that we will never forget.

From Valencia, our journey takes us to Andalusia. Via Portugal, we continue along the Atlantic to Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and back to France. We spend the second corona autumn in Italy and Sardinia. Having campsites, beaches and cultural sites almost to ourselves becomes a habit.

Are we even tourists?

«But you're not tourists, this is your life!» José says to us as we talk about our guilty conscience for travelling when almost everyone else has to stay at home. The Spaniard and his family camped next to us for a few days at the start of our journey. With his encouraging words, he helps us to see our travelling identity with different eyes.

The country in which we live our everyday lives has no influence on world events. In addition, more social distancing and fresh air than we have would hardly be possible. So our life as a travelling family is developing into a new normality, completely independent of Corona.

An everyday life with more time

Compared to our previous life, our everyday life has slowed down considerably. Barely 15 square metres of living space can be cleaned quickly, and we no longer have a garden that needs tending. The hours you can spend working on a laptop are limited and nobody has to travel to work or school. So there is simply more time left over to make the days more cosy.

Busy travelling days

There's a lot to do on travelling days: We have to pack everything up, get the caravan ready for travelling and make sure that everyone's bellies are sufficiently full so that the big hunger pangs don't coincide with the arrival at the new destination.

When we finally arrive, everything happens roughly in reverse order. It is rather difficult to work or do school properly on these days.

If we are travelling a long distance with many stages, we like to stay in one place a little longer to re-establish a school day and a routine.

The itinerary at a glance:

What can we expect?

Arriving at a new campsite is always exciting. Photos of campsites on the internet conjure up images in your head that don't necessarily correspond to reality. Sometimes the surprise is nice, sometimes the disappointment is great.

Travelling without a fixed plan is an indescribable gift.

After choosing a seat, the most important things are clarified first, which are often the most mundane: Where is the toilet? How many amps does the electrical wiring supply? Can you open the box yourself if the fuse blows?

If so, you can experiment a little more and see whether it can cope with the quick kettle or whether you need to use the one that takes ages to boil.

The best arrival meal

Every member of the family has their own tasks to get everything ready again and soon the stomachs are growling. Spaghetti with tomato sauce becomes the tried and tested arrival meal on travelling days. Full and satisfied, we are then ready for a short discovery tour.

Where are we here anyway? Where can we get bread rolls for breakfast? It's nice that everything stays the same as soon as the caravan door closes.

Our travel motto

Travelling without a fixed plan is an indescribable gift. Being able to stay when you are particularly satisfied, travelling on when you have had enough, the weather is bad or the wind changes direction and carries pollen across the land.

This freedom to look to our own happiness gives us all a sense of self-efficacy that we have never had before in our lives.

«I hate leaving, but I love arriving!» This quote from one of the children becomes a motto. It often makes us a little sad to say goodbye. However, every departure is also the start of a new adventure with beautiful new places, interesting acquaintances and exciting experiences.

Find out how learning works in the caravan school in part 3. This will be published in mid-July.