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| What we drove in 2025 |
Goodbye Italy
The ferry from Sardinia to Barcelona was a calm 12 hours across a flat Balearic Sea. We got to pet some dogs onboard the big vessel as we baked beneath the Mediterranean sun.
We hid that first night in the overpriced parking lot of a hospital. The madness that is Barcelona in June is a velocity that I can no longer match. The next morning, we made a rhumb line for a small village we had stayed at 2 years ago just so we could stock the freezer with Pastis de Xocolata. It’s the most sinfully delicious thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. If the Catalonians ever secede from Spain, you will see it on their flag.
Andorra
And that was it for Spain. 2 nights only due to the abrupt pain in the ass that is the damn Schengen Zone.
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| But we aren't crazy - we did sample the delicious food |
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| And we bought a Jamon Iberrico!! |
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| Andorra La Vella (the capital of Andorra) essentially follows a river as it tumbles through an alpine valley. Really pretty. |
We entered Andorra, and we loved it. I think of it as the Singapore of Europe. Surrounded by the big boys but surviving through malls, casinos and duty-free offerings. That’s where the similarities end. It’s a microstate landlocked in the Pyrenees Mountains sandwiched between Spain and France. Other examples of a microstate include: Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City.
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| We stayed at this campground so long they gave us free shirts! |
So many Colombianos in Andorra
A Rush To The Alps
From the Pyrenees to the Alps on a single tank of diesel. I was pushing it. We pulled into the service station on fumes but I wanted to type the previous sentence. We spent only 2 nights in transit on this long drive from Andorra to Le Bourg-d’Oisans. There was another Euro heatwave and we came here to hide from the furnace that is the South of France in the summer.
Heatwave Ends
With the heat wave in remission we made a stop as we headed south in a jewel called Grignan.
And another called Florac
Matthew Evert
Remember this friend of mine? We sped from the Alps back to southern France and scooped him up in Toulouse. We had a camping and “small-town France” experience and then dropped him in Bordeaux. Ask him to tell you about the treasure hunt we orchestrated for him while he was in Andorra. Oh the silly things we do.
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| One must admit - he has perfected his Viking look! |
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My afternoon nap extinguishes my daytime buzz and
reinvigorates me for my nighttime buzz. 2 buzzes per day is the goal. Any more
and your cutting corners and showing off. Stay humble. |
Bordeaux
If you like red wine but have no idea what to buy – play the odds and get a Bordeaux. It’s hard to go wrong in this region of France. We parked on the vintners’ fields and sampled along the way.
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| Most of the following pix were taken in or around St Emilion, which is the epicenter of Bordeaux' wine culture |
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| The remnants of an ancient structure on their property allowed them to charge a premium |
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| The real dream is parking on the property of the vintner and sampling their wines among the community of fellow mohos. Utterly charming with wonderful dogs to choose from |
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| Ancient medieval relics Bob? - But of course! |
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| Aubeterre-sur-Dronne. You know AB has gone native when you see the Aperol Spritz |
Brittany
It’s a massive peninsula that was its own country and only united with France in 1532, while Francisco Pizarro was conquering the Incas.
We’d never been before. It was new and wonderful and check out these little quaint villages.
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| Rochefort-en-Terre |
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| Rochefort-en-Terre |
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| Rochefort-en-Terre |
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| Lyons-la-Foret |
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| Saint Suliac |
My Mom Broke Down
My brother lives in Tokyo and flew to Phoenix to visit our mother on July 1. The next day she awoke in screaming pain to a back ailment. 2 urgent care visits, plus a trip to the emergency room, and an ambulance ride to the hospital later it turns out she has 2 bulging disks and sciatica. Not unusual for an 88-year-old but extremely painful. We changed our return tickets.
Europe – The Height of Civilization
France is good at nearly everything. You already know about the food, wine and architecture, but there is another underlying element that sweetens daily life – their commitment to small detail beauty. My video tribute:
It’s not just France. It’s Europe in general. (I need to give credit to Aleja for the following) - Disney, who is the inventor of the Magic Kingdom, used Europe as a template. So, if you need any convincing that Europe is the magical place on Earth. There it is.
A Huge Life Change
Your satisfaction level is a simple formula: Quality of Life Divided by Envy. I had an extremely high quality of life for the last 20 years as I wallowed around the world in my retired state of constant travel. Envy – not me. I had it made and I knew it.
Find what makes you feel more alive, grab it firmly with both hands, and throttle it while pulling it closer. For me that’s travel. When I got on that plane home, I didn’t know the travel would take a 7-month hiatus. No one is ever going to cry for me and my situation but I’m complaining a little none the less. Humans don’t deal well with change, and yet, I don’t deal well with the lack of change. However, things are improving and one of those things is my mom. She’s off the pain meds and back to walking around the block. She just keeps surprising us all. And because she is back on her feet…Aleja and I are returning to Europe…Tomorrow!
Your man on point,
Capt Bobby
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| What we've driven in 4 years, color coded by year |
