Along roads you don't plan - Part 8

This is part 8 of a travel story from one of our customers. They were on the road for two months with the Outbase ID. Buzz through Portugal.

Juseu - a warm welcome and a swirling stream

In Juseu, our dear friends Attie and Meindert received us warmly. The table is set on the balcony with the most beautiful view of the Pyrenees, the mountains in golden glow. In the evening: violin music, stories, sharing.

The next day begins with rain and hail, followed by sunshine in the afternoon. We celebrate Meindert's birthday with cake and memories. The day ends with a dream come true: crossing a swirling mountain stream in a Suzuki Jimny, right next to their olive grove.

As we leave, Meindert's violin sounds northward to us.

France - a knife and good food

On Sant Jordi - the day when lovers gift books and roses - we drive along an unforgettable coastal road toward the French border. In Roses, we eat one last paella. Then we move on to a vineyard near Pézenas. The grass is freshly cut and fragrant, the Buzz is parked a little askew - it's part of the deal. In Pézenas we find a street concert, small workshops and a coutellier with a handmade knife, used in orchards, that goes home with us as a special souvenir.

We drive into the hills and find a secluded spot above the Salagou reservoir. Eco-toilet, hot shower with panoramic view. We cook, and most importantly, do nothing. For the first time, the awning comes out, and we read a compelling novel by Anya Niewierra.

The next day we visit Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, with its abbey dating from 804, surrounded by unspoiled nature. Rightly one of the most beautiful villages in France. We spend our last night in Saint-Satur, with friends Irma and Thiem. The Buzz in the driveway, us in a guest room with the smell of melograno, spoiled with "Michelin-worthy" meals from their kitchen and a botanical walk in Apremont.

At home in Hunsel

Back at the farm, the garden awaits and the chickens look at us cheerfully. Tomorrow we will mow the grass, rummage, exhale and begin the restoration of our vegetable garden. The journey is behind us - and lives on. Because every journey leaves traces. Some visible: olive oil and wine on the shelf, photos on the phone. Others invisible, but all the more powerful: regained peace, renewed love, new dreams, insights we carry as precious cargo.

Portugal, Spain and France showed us roads - and ways of life. Simple. Open. Warm. And one lesson stays with us: the greatest discoveries are made when you dare to deviate from the path. On to new adventures in life - especially now that retirement has begun so beautifully. The Argentine tango awaits.

Peter - and of course also on behalf of Hester