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NO GOING BACKAddict ion to motorhomingLeave Work to Travel in BenidormAfter a rollercoaster 16-month journey during which their motor home explorations took a turbulent turn followed by the arrival of Covid, the Leave Work to Travel trio are back in Blighty.Their surreal experiences have spanned being robbed, mad dashes across European borders and pandemic lockdowns.Now stifled with suburbia, they’re selling their house and on a countdown to hit the road again.If We Knew Then…To say we encountered far more than we bargained for when we set off from Yorkshire in our motor home on a cold and foggy October night in 2019 - is a wild understatement.Since then the world - as we and everyone else knew it - has changed beyond all recognition.At that point we were fairly- seasoned travellers across five contents, had lived and worked in HongKong and London, and enjoyed many years of UK caravanning.Our motor homing experience, however, was limited to a single weekend in Scarborough before tackling Europe.In high spirits we waved the white cliffs of Dover goodbye with Bracken, our overexcited golden retriever.First Week - Magnifique!Learning as we went, our first week was frenetic, fun and overall fabulous. A whistle-stop tour of Epernay and the iconic ‘Avenue de Champagne’ along with navigating height restrictions made parking challenging - as did the motor home refusing to start.Our first taste of wild camping was in a permitted council car park as the rain hammered down in picturesque Chablis with its medieval houses and quaint streets. Compensating for the cold and damp was ‘un peu’ de wine tasting and ‘beaucoup de’ piping hot croissants!More city centre height restrictions with parking deterred us from exploring medieval Perpignan. Instead we found the nearest seaside resort where we cheated and swapped camping for a bargain pet-friendly boutique hotel.Gorgeous GironaHome for the next two nights was a designated car park for camper vans and caravans in the heart of the Cat alonian city of Girona which boasts a rich and compelling history.Surrounded by tenement blocks of locals loudly and passionately discussing politics on their balconies while consuming copious amounts of wine, we drank in the sights.A highlight was Girona’s gothic Cathedral - the backdrop for season six of Game of Thrones complete with lookalikes of key characters including Daenerys the Dragon Queen.When Things Went DownhillTwo hours away we were wild camping in sun-streamed Sitges in a stunning beach location. Everything was going swimminglyWhat could possibly go wrong?Our rude awakening came at 4am when our motor home was broken into while we were asleep - and a bag with all our passports, credit cards and money stolen.Our first port of call was a local hotel - where we had eaten - who we asked to help us and contact the police. Despite our obvious distress they refused to assist.The next hours were a blur of police reports, navigating language barriers as the enormity of the nightmare sunk in.Having been on the road for just 12 days, our first inclination was to flee home and stay put. Up for a challenge, we stuck it out.Fortunately we had a small family flat in Spain which was not on our itinerary. A ten hour drive later, it gave us a bolthole to get back up and running.Alluring AndaluciaAfter a mountain of phone calls, copious emails, a trip to the British Consulate in Alicante, a flying visit to England for new passports we hit the road again…Our highs - of which there were many - included touring Andalucia - a glittering jewel in Spain’s crown.Our first stop was captivating town of La Iruela in the magnificent Sierras de Cazorla natural park.With spectacular countryside views, we saw an abundance of natural wildlife including a roebuck, deer and rabbits. The area’s 1,200 animal species include wild boars.Covering over 17 per cent of Spain’s territory, Andalucia’s charismatic cities, magnificent mountains and 500 miles of captivating coastline include beautiful white sandy beaches.Opulent ArchitectureRich in history is Córdoba - a former Roman settlement whose mesmerising mosque-cathedral (Mezquita) boasts over 800 original Moorish redand- white horseshoe-shaped arches. The city has always been prominent for its culture and its historic centre features on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.World Famous Royal HorsesAt the Royal Stables the breathtaking world-renowned Andalucian Horses can be seen in action.The magnificent animals were born of the passion of King Felipe 11 who set up the stables in 1570 to create and breeding the greatest purebred horse of all time.First bred from Arab stock and previously used as warhorses, we watched them exercising.We later returned to a magnify cent equestrian show infused with passion, colour and a rich heritage where the grace and rhythm of the horses intertwined with flamenco dancers in a dazzling display.SEVILLESensational SevilleLess than two hour’s drive from Córdoba is sensational Seville - Andalucia’s capital city.With its horse drawn carriages, the city exudes a zest for life and boasts an eclectic mix of architecture - influences include Gothic, Renaissance and Modern.The tomb of Christopher Columbus is said to be buried in Seville’s Cathedral - the world’s biggest gothic cathedral and a UNESCO site.Thanks to the pioneer, Seville’s port became the gateway to the New World when Columbus set sail for the Americas in 1492, heralding the Age of Discovery. Just 27 years later, Ferdinand Magellen also departed from the port to successfully circumnavigate the Earth.Seville’s bull ring is the oldest in SpainSeville’s 12,000 capacity bull ring is the oldest in Spain. During the lively annual Seville fair, which in normal times takes place in April, the site is the backdrop for the world’s most renowned bull fighting festival.A city of opera, Seville was also the backdrop for the creation of immortal classics such as Bizet’s Carmen and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.Among the scenic campsites we stayed cenat was the Puerto de Gelves located on the right bank of the Guadalquivir river which has its own restaurant.Seville was just a 15 minute bus ride away - and the bus stopped right outside the port. The friendly town of Gelves was also perfect for an evening wander and bite to eat.Romance of RondaRonda, another beautiful historic city, is renowned for its dramatic views over the El Tajo gorge and the stunning Serrania de Ronda mountain range.An 18th century Puente Nuevo (new bridge) spans a 120-metredeep chasm which divides the city.Marvelling at the stunning scenery from viewing points at the cliff edge, the region’s potent culture were becoming more addictive by the day.Party Time in CadizOur timing was perfect as we headed to Cadiz - another famous seaport - in anticipation of one of Europe’s biggest carnivals.Home for the next four nights was a car park right on the seafront in the old city overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.Located just 14 kilometres from Africa, Columbus set sail from Cadiz on his second voyage to the Americas.We explored the Moorish streets, absorbing the sights and sounds of the effervescent ‘joie de vivre’ before the carnival got underway.Overlooking the Atlantic is the resplendent 18th cenat tury cathedral which took more than 116 years to complete.In streaming February sunshine, a busker enraptured café crowds in the cathedral square with a rousing rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallejulah’ - its poignancy brought tears to my eyes.Two days later the square and the rest of the city were transformed into a profusion of colourful costumes as locals and visitors flocked from far and wide.A spectacle of singing and dancing, the streets came alive with music, singing and dancing - and every day ended with a stunning sunset.Covid StrikesWithin the next few weeks the party was well and truly over in every aspect.By March 13 Covid cases were reported in every one of Spain’s 50 provinces. The next day the country was immersed in one of Europe’s most draconian lockdowns and the state of emergency lasted until June 21.Three weeks into the Spanish lockdown the escalating cases and risks associated with supermarket shopping, lack of restrictions and too many people, we did not feel safe.We embarked on a 2,000 mile marathon journey home taking 80 hours.With Spain and France in lockdown, the endless stretches of empty motorways reinforced the pandemic’s severity.Continuing on B roads through farming villages, the uplifting sight and grace of storks, an eagleand flocks of small birds were poignant reminders that this brutal pandemic cannot destroy the force and magnificence of nature.Our journey took us underneath the Pyrenees and through a cluster of picturesque French villages on the way to the city of Le Mans - home to the iconic 24 hour motor race.With all Aires and campsites shut, we were forced to park overnight in garages alongside lorries and other heavy vehicles, always mindful of trying to keep a low profile. Our first Eurotunnel crossing was smooth and uneventful and we breathed a collective sigh of relief at being back on English soil.Little did we know what lay ahead…You’re Not Welcome HereOn returning to the UK, we had no house to go to - ironically ours had only been rented out in Mid February - just weeks before the pandemic struck. Forced to find somewhere to rent - as in Europe there were no camp sites open - we were ostracised by locals who treated us like we’d bought Covid from Europe. Saddened by such behaviour, we moved to new rented accommodation after less than two weeks.In August we loaded up the motor home again and set off to explore Scotland’s spectacular scenery while closely monitoring the evolving situation in Europe.October saw us back on the Eurotunnel bound for Portugal.Our highlights in France included stop offs at an eclectic mix of towns and coastal resorts including Bayeux, the D Day beaches in Normandy, La Rochelle, Ile the Re, Cognac and Bergerac.The enormity of the crowds in party mode in Biarritz was horrifying so we gave it a wide berth.As we crossed the border to Spain - still intent on going to Portugal - regional restrictions were introduced on a daily basis as Covid cases started to creep up again.Four hours after checking in as the only guests at a very weird site in Asturias, the region’s borders were shut down at midnight.After a sleepless night worrying we would be trapped there, we were thankfully able to hit the motorway and made a mad dash to the Alicante region before neighbouring Murcia’s borders were also closed.Portugal remained a distant dream as the country went into a stringent lockdown and banned all wild camping.Making the most while complying with the Covid rules, we did, however, motor home up Spain’s beautiful North Costa Blanca coast for the first time. Exploring Albir, Altea, Benidorm, Calpe and Javea, we were bowled over by its beauty.Christmas in Benidorm - minus the crowds - was wonderful as we climbed up to Le Cruz de Benidorm which was built 1961 to cleanse the town of its sins.Villagers carried the original wooden cross on their shoulders as an annual day of forgiveness addiwas commemorated to show the town was able to redeem itself.BENIDORMTowering over 430 metres above sea level at the top of the Sierra Gelada Natura Reserve, the views are indescribable.Homeward Bound - AgainFast forward to February 2020 when a combination of Covid and Shengen restrictions post Brexit saw us again head back to the UK.This time we left from the bustling port of Santander where we lined up in the eclectic queue of motor homes, caravans, lorries and cars.It was particularly busy because of fears that Spain would be added to the ‘red list’ of countries with Covid variants. If this happened, travellers would have to abandon their motor homes and caravans, fly to a designated airport in England then quarantine in an outrageously expensive Government allocated hotel.Full Steam AheadExcellent Covid protocols ensured a relatively smooth crossing and disembarkation followed by a long drive to Yorkshire.Our 10-day quarantine included a further two Covid tests. This was in addi tion to one we took in Spain (all were thankfully negative) - which gave us the green light to return to England.Looking back, who could have forecast the advent of a deadly global disease when we set off in a carefree climate where personal and travel restrictions were too trivial to merit a mention?The things we have learnt along the way have been priceless and warrant a separate article.Our experiences have also highlighted how we’re at a crossroads and unable to return to our former lives.Our sense of restlessness for new explorations intensifies daily.Poised for new discoveries, we’re pinning our hopes on our house being sold so we can set off again into the great unknown.Having survived and thrived an unprecedented Covid climate and its copious challenges, surely the next lap is bound to be plain sailing?Sharon CainLeave work to travelwww.leaveworktotravel.comwww.instagram.com/leaveworktotravel/www.facebook.com/leaveworktotravelwww.twitter.com/sharoncain
