Andorra will be our 6th Country in Europe… we can’t believe it!!🚐😍. But on the way we found some hidden Spain gems!!  Starting with Islares…….Even the high winds & chill can’t keep the surfers away from Playa Arenillas!  It almost blew us over, can’t even imagine surfing!!😱.  Look at this adventuresome young lady making her way down the rocky cliff with her board! 😜We joined several other vans wild camping up on the cliff with Flybye & a knock out view!! 🚐. 😍. Spain is the sunniest country in Europe,  but we are enjoying this Northern region known as the rainiest ☔️. We thought this was just a great stopover spot with everything….even a cozy cafe for a pastry & a coffee to warm up with on this stormy day!👍🚐🏄‍♂️🍰🍮👌 We hope you like it too!😍

 

Playa Arenillas, Islares…….Gotta LOVE this Surfer!!😍. Great wave, great ride….wind whipping at appx 30 mph!!🙌👌👍🏄‍♂️🌊😎 And look at that ROCKY CLIFF he is headed towards! 😱.  We were wild camped right above this beach!!🙌

 

On to Lleida….Looks like a Painting!!🤗. We started our hike from Flybye here along the River Segre to the Mighty Hilltop Fortress & Cathedral way up in the top right!  The 12C La Seu Vella ……Lleidas “old cathedral” is enclosed within the commanding 9C Fortress towering above the City!  Check out the massive Cathedral & Bell Tower which is 197 Feet tall! ( Sally looks like an ant😂). The Cathedral is an elegant blend of Romanesque & Gothic styles through the ages making it quite the sight to behold…..If you like these styles, you might love this one!😍. Next are the stunning views & if you look in the top left corner you can see Flybyes great Park4night spot down there! 👌🚐. This app will help you find great overnight sites all over Europe!  Special thanks to  @hymertravelblog and @sky_the_van who reached out to help us with this app & more when we arrived!🙏😍. Lastly, we hiked back down to the lovely plaza, old town & this beautiful Fountain of Lleida!  There is an elevator partway up that wasn’t working, but it’s well worth the hike!!👌. Well….we fell in love all over again with Spain🇪🇸❤️… next is Andorra!  What will it be like???🇦🇩🤔. Hoping  you enjoyed this last stop as much as we did!👍🙌🇵🇹😍🚐➡️🇦🇩❓

 

And Now ANDORRA…. this COUNTRY is full of Surprises! !🇦🇩🤗……Non EU and landlocked between France & Spain in The Pyrénées Mountains , it is 1/3 the size of London & has one of the Worlds longest  life expectancies !!👌. Who knew?…Also, Andorra la Vella is  the highest Capital in Europe at 3,356 Feet & boasts the largest mountain spa  in Europe , The Caldea Spa Complex!  Here you see the Romanesque 12C Church of Sant Esteve  next to the Andorran Parliament Building  in the charming Old Quarter! Look at the pretty flowers 💐 which are EVERYWHERE & next is the backside of the Church, flowers, town, & more snow capped mountains.☃️ La Borda Pairal 1630 restaurant is a typical Pyrenean “Borda” built out of wood & stone serving up traditional Andorran cooking.  Next is the beautiful  flowering tree lined Gran Valira River flowing through town ! 🌸. Andorra is known as a tax free shoppers haven but also offers beautiful scenery & miles of skiing!! Flybye was quite happy at Camping Valira right downtown for easy walking but if you have more time there is awesome wild camping!  We found Andorra absolutely breathtaking , including The Madriu- Perafita-Claror Valley full of glaciers, pastures & mountains …It’s a UNESCO Site & 9% of the Country!  Trying not to write a book here 😂….hope you enjoy this glimpse!👌🇦🇩😍🚐👍

 

Girona…..WOWSA!! 🤗. No wonder it is one of the Worlds  most photogenic towns with its  famous colorful houses lining The River Onyar!! And the stylish red Eiffel Bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel in 1887 just before the Eiffel Tower! (Remember his other bridge in Porto?). That massive Cathedral  is the 11C Girona Cathedral used in the 6th season Game of Thrones filming & just beyond is the castlelike 10C Esglesia de Sant Feliu!! 🙌. Swipe left⬅️ for a closeup of the infamous Cathedral & stunning views from  the medieval 9C Passeig de la Muralla or “The Wall Walk,” with some of the longest stretches in all of Europe!  Also, great views of El Call , one of the Worlds best & well preserved Jewish Quarters with its tiny alleyways, secret archways & tunnels dating back to 982. Paul went on a sit down strike(again😂) after hiking all over…But  we made it back to the Parc de la DeVesa & managed a stroll thru the 40 hectares of forests & pathways to our Park4night spot right across!

 

This was our last European stop for now on our way to store Flybye till we return in August and saying goodbye is so hard to do…Flybye took us 28,000 miles around most of the U.S. and Canada when we shipped “him” across the Ocean to England.. with equal amounts of excitement & anxiety!!🚐🙌😜. Still can’t really believe we did that!! Now, after 6000 miles through 6 Countries having the time of our lives, & so many fond memories …Flybye feels like part of us!💞. These are our last photos of him in Europe & Paul keeps reminding Sally it’s just till August. 😢🚐. Thrilled to see family & friends at home also…..but we get attached  to our Vans, right? 🚐😍. Swipe left ⬅️ to see one more of Spain’s lovely beaches  near Barcelona Airport & Capt. Paul’s pilot heart.👨‍✈️✈️❤️. Next is yet ANOTHER medieval town our Nav led us to that is IMPOSSIBLE for Flybye.  Took some maneuvering to get out of THAT one!😬. And lastly the pretty drive to Flybyes storage!  Then we took a train  to Barcelona Airport & got a very fun reflective video!

 

Barcelona Airport bound…. The train reflected us with our bags packed & ready to go….soon to be leavin on a jet plane! 🎶 A selfie we didn’t even know we took😂….but captured a fun memory! We haven’t ever seen that before!🙌

 

After 6000 European miles & 6 Countries , Flybye is safely stored till August, and our next blog will be from the USA!!  🇺🇸   We have LOVED our time in Europe and now it’s time to catch a plane to family and friends until we come back in August!  Thank you for joining us on this adventure of a lifetime and we have sailing & more travel times coming up next!!  Till then Happy Trails & God Bless!🚐🙏