Roaming About

A Chock-full July – Our Vario Inspection, Visiting Friends, and Being Tourists in Germany (And Our July 2026 Expenses)

July was one of the busiest months we’ve had in years. Mark and I barely had a moment to breathe. In my last (Vario) post, I mentioned that we finally managed to buy our future overlanding vehicle in the Netherlands.

We are a two-car family!

Our Vario progress

Unfortunately, it wasn’t and won’t be the easiest transition between campers for us, because we found ourselves in a complicated mess here in Europe. In the US, as US residents, the process has always been straightforward for us. We purchased a camper, registered it in one of the states, bought insurance, and were good to go.

Not so in Europe. But we knew this ahead of time, had researched solutions for every curve ball that might come our way (or so we thought!), and set out on our mission to legalize and personalize our 4×4 Mercedes Vario (technically a T2) from the moment we obtained it on July 1st.

First, we bought temporary export plates and insurance in the Netherlands. These would be valid for exactly 14 days. It started the clock and raised our stress levels immediately. Since we wanted to import and register this Vario in Germany—a country notorious for its rules and regulations but the only one where non-European residents can “easily” do this—we had no time to lose. Yet, I still thought we could take care of the entire process within a week and spend the rest of the month visiting friends and sightseeing in Germany. Ha!

Second, after buying motor oil with Duke and getting cash for the next step, the Vario was jump-started and we drove both vehicles to a battery shop, where Mark replaced the two starter batteries. The truck had sat unused for six years in a garage so lots of maintenance was due! Still, we had to prioritize because of our time constraints.

Third, Mark and I drove in tandem to a DIY garage, still in Zeeland, the Netherlands, to change the oil. Since it was our first time working on this truck, things didn’t go exactly as planned, but we did get the job done within our two-hour lift rental.

Driving the Vario on a tight lift in this garage was challenging.

The first time we changed the oil took a bit longer than expected. Many firsts now!

Filling the reservoir with oil, while Maya patiently waits on the floor.

We did all that on the same day, falling asleep exhausted at a free camping spot in an industrial zone. This would become the norm. Since the Vario box didn’t have locks yet, we parked both campers facing each other’s doors. Not that there was anything to steal yet in our six-year-old-brand-new habitat box.

Our first night with the Vario, which didn’t have locks yet.

The following day, Mark, Maya, and I drove in convoy to Much, Germany, which would become our base for the time being. With lots of traffic and everything being new to us (including a fuel gauge showing “empty” which was confirmed), it was another stressful day. We had to discuss a few things with our builder, Mirko, and he was leaving at 1pm. Needless to say, we felt rushed.

Filling up with diesel on the drive to Germany.

The Vario is parked in front of Mirko’s workshop for the time being.

I won’t report in too much detail what happened next, but suffice it to say that preparing our Vario to pass the German TÜV inspection—which, fortunately, was located across the street from Mirko’s workshop—did not take five days. We had to cancel seeing our first set of friends and delay visiting our second set.

Mirko was super helpful and generous, letting us borrow all his tools, giving us the keys to his workshop after hours, and allowing us to use electricity, potable water, and the bathroom facilities whenever we needed. What an angel!

Shopping at the Obi hardware store

Our TUV garage

Living in Duke while working on the Vario

Cooking our meals in Duke every evening

Sleeping in the industrial zone was impossible due to the noise of passing trucks and buses all night. Not sure why…

Using Mirko’s workshop whenever we needed

Our 4X4 Mercedes Vario Search – The Journey, the Setbacks, and the Outcome

July 22, 2026 / Liesbet / 36 Comments

Warning: This is a long, defining, and ironic story with a twist!

About a year and a half ago, our Vario episode started. A new quest. I don’t quite remember how it happened, but Mark discovered his ideal vehicle, our next home on wheels. It was autumn in the southern hemisphere, spring in the northern one. We were somewhere in Argentina in Thirsty Bella and had vaguely started talking about our next chapter, most likely in Europe.

One evening, Mark showed me a few photos and ads of different built-out Mercedes Vario 4×4 campers in Germany and warmed me up to this new idea. But they were expensive and it was too early to commit to anything yet anyway.

Example of a cool Vario converted into an overland camper

Vario vans are reliable, basic (without modern electronics or complicated diesel systems), can get fixed everywhere in the world, and last forever. They can take some abuse and offer a spacious living area—smaller than in giant overlanding trucks (which I vetoed as a new camper) and roomier than in Sprinter vans (which Mark thought were too small for a couple and a dog, despite us living in one for four years, namely Zesty). Roomy Bella spoiled us! We were adamant about 4WD and high clearance as this would be required for the adventures we have in mind.

And here I thought we would fly to Europe in the spring of 2026, buy a decent European camper, and hit the road again before the summer. Ha! That illusion soon crumbled when the Vario idea took root…

First, there was the empty Vario van in Peru with some of the components already present but not installed. It had been an abandoned dream, as there are many. Weeks of communication and research taught us it would be impossible to export this van to a different country, like Chile, to register and convert it.

The 4x4 Vario in Peru that started our interest in building out our own van

The 4×4 Vario in Peru that started our interest in building out our own van

Back side of the empty Peru Vario

Parts included with the Peru Vario

Insulation that came with the Peru Vario

Roof fan included with the Peru Vario purchase

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Many months later, after other failed attempts, we even revisited this “still-for-sale” Vario in Peru, had our friend Jeff (who happened to be in Cusco, Peru) check it out in person while we were on a video call, and contacted customs agents to confirm that we really couldn’t export the vehicle as non-residents. We were getting desperate, but to no avail. This one remained a loss.

There was the built-out Vario campervan in Bahrain—yes, we seriously considered exporting it by boat to the US to register it there (since it was over 25 years old) and shipping it to Europe. After many weeks and conversations, we bailed on this one since the insulation used was too thin.

There was the built-out one in northern Chile that looked nicely done and that a Chilean acquaintance was supposed to have a look at. But this one was also marked off due to the insufficient insulation. Since that step is one of the first conversions in an empty van, it is impossible to improve it without tearing out the entire interior.

And the most promising 4×4 Vario was the one in Pichilemu, Chile. The conversion was very crappy and unprofessional and initially we weren’t interested, but then we had the genius idea to rip out the interior and start over.

The first Vario van that was supposed to become ours was located in Pichilemu, Chile.

This Vario took months of thinking, planning, researching, contacting van builders in Santiago and in Paraguay, being emotionally invested, and asking the owner a lot of questions, since we were located in Paraguay at the time. According to the owner, “everything was perfect.” The photos he texted us didn’t raise any flags.

We had a plan in place, skipped a bunch of destinations, drove across northern Argentina in one week, and sent a so-called mechanic over for a report. You can read that story here. Spoiler alert: it all turned out to be a waste of time. The vehicle had been misrepresented. The rust and mechanical issues (there was even a hole in the transmission) would cost many thousands of dollars to fix, so the price we offered for it was unacceptable to the seller. He will be sitting on that van for many more years of neglect.

An Eventful Second Month in Belgium (And Our June 2026 Expenses)

July 7, 2026 / Liesbet / 28 Comments

While May had a handful of quiet days, in June we could barely breathe – literally and figuratively.

This was our second month staying in the little house of my parents, in Berlare, Belgium. I mentioned in a previous post that we had to consider Plan B as June approached, and that’s what we did. Not finding – or better, not buying and owning – a 4×4 Vario, the vehicle we’d been pursuing for a long while, put us in a bind. We needed to be mobile again. And when a prospective Vario deal fell through (more about that soon), it was time to take action.

So, the main priority (other than continuing our search for our “forever camper”) was to… buy, register, insure, equip, and load another camper. I wrote about that process here. Duke was to become our temporary home.

Ready for new adventures in Duke!

It took about a week to search online for the right vehicle – potential cars, campers in Germany, vans in Belgium – before we settled on the Fiat Ducato Bürstner. During that busy first weekend of June, Mark, Maya, and I also used my mom’s car to check out another Vario chassis truck in the middle of Germany.

It went something like this: get up at 6am, split six hours of driving between the two of us, scrutinize a rust bucket for an hour, declare it a lost cause, turn around, drive the six hours back to Berlare, and be home in time for bed. All while dealing with an anxious dog in the back, who doesn’t like car rides anymore. Yeah… The amount of time, energy, and money invested in this search has been adding up.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

A rusty orange Vario chassis truck in Germany

It didn’t take long to figure out that this one was too rusty to convert.

Week two contained a lot of research and figuring out logistics related to RVing in Europe and owning a European campervan. The international propane filling situation is a headache in itself; every country has different bottles, adapters, and/or rules!

These gas cylinders are super expensive, so wouldn’t work for us.

Comparing gas bottles and their prices – These are swappable ones, but only in Belgium…

The best thing to come out of our efforts to plan the next chapter of our lives that week was a friendly neighbor allowing us to park our future camper on his empty plot next to the little house. Really great news! And there was an ironic twist, which caused us extra stress, but that’s for later as well. The weather was cold and rainy, and once, I got soaked while biking home from my parents.

Mark is underneath Duke to remove the tow hitch. The van is parked next door.

Removing the heavy hitch to save weight

Of course, we had to stay on top of some chores as well.

Cutting the nettles across the street from our driveway in order to make the turn with my mom’s car. Nobody lives there anymore.

Washing and vacuuming the car of my parents on Father’s Day

One of the chores we have at the little house is getting potable water from a spigot two blocks away. With two jugs of 5 liters each, we only have to fill them every two days.

June’s third week was taken up by all the administrative tasks and logistics of picking up the camper’s paperwork after its second-hand inspection, dealing with the insurance, registration, and license plates, picking up our new home on wheels, making some changes, and taking it to a weighing inspection.

Following Mark and the camper with my parents’ car, after we picked it up

Getting a second license plate made

Filling the Burstner up with diesel for the first time in Dendermonde

Waiting in line at the inspection station to get he weighing done. We later discovered we actually didn’t have to wait for this routine check.

Ready for the campervan to get weighed

Mark put in a better battery and converted a few more things to make living in the Bürstner (which we called Duke) a bit easier without staying in expensive campgrounds. We would use most of this gear in our future Vario. More online shopping to equip the van also had to happen, since we left most of our belongings in Thirsty Bella, which we sold in Chile. We had to start from scratch.

Mark replaced the battery with a lithium one and changed some other electronics.

Tools and gear at the ready to make some adjustments in Duke

My job was to clean the interior of Duke before we left in it.

By then, the heatwave had arrived. It would last ten days and made equipping, cleaning, and organizing our new camper harder and sweatier than it should have been. We had to limit those tasks to the early hours of the day because, even at night, the temperature didn’t drop much.

Tiles are great for a hot dog in summer!

One night, a massive storm brought hurricane-force winds, hail, and rain, which damaged properties and trees. No Belgian around us had ever experienced something like this before. (Mark and I sat through a couple of hurricanes before.) The last part of June brought sleepless nights.

Meet Duke, Our Temporary Camper in Europe

June 29, 2026 / Liesbet / 38 Comments

Surprise!

Ready for new adventures in Duke!

No, this is not a Vario. But it will be our home until we find one – and build it out!

When you don’t have a residency anywhere and you’re in between travel chapters, life can get tricky. Especially when you sold your last camper in South America after a three-year journey. We never planned to ship Thirsty Bella to Europe – where we intend to spend the next few years exploring – because it would be too expensive and it was not the right vehicle for that continent.

Thirsty Bella, the camper most of you are familiar with

As many of you know by now, Mark and I are looking for a particular camper, van, or chassis truck to turn into our “forever” overlanding vehicle. Indirectly and directly, we have been looking for this 4×4 Mercedes Vario truck for over a year, first in Chile, then worldwide, and now in Europe. We never thought it would take this long to find anything suitable.

And there was a very unfortunate turn of events during our search, which made us lose a lot of time and develop Plan B. But more about that in a future blog.

Another intricate matter is Mark’s immigration status. He can only stay in my home country of Belgium (where we arrived at the end of April) for 90 out of every 180 days. His annual health check-ups in the US take place in early August and Brussels would be the best city for him to fly out of, because I want to stay in my parents’ little house in Belgium with Maya during his absence. This meant that we needed a decent buffer out of those 90 days for him to return to Belgium. Therefore, we needed to leave the country for a few weeks in July.

Can you still follow?

But, how to leave Belgium and stay away for a while without a vehicle? Traveling by train with a dog and our belongings wasn’t the easiest of solutions, as we’d experienced in Portugal, Spain, and France this past winter. But, more importantly, how could we keep checking out potential Varios throughout Europe without our own transport?

So, in early June – since we needed time for all the red tape concerning vehicle purchases in Belgium – we had to start our search. Should we purchase a car (easier, more convenient, cheaper in gas, and the most affordable solution, but we’d need to rent homes again for who knew how many months) or a temporary camper (a hassle to purchase, expensive, poorer fuel economy and pricier diesel, and using funds needed for our Vario, but we’d have a home again and could hopefully save money on accommodation)? Which option would you pick?

That discussion didn’t take too long for us and soon we found ourselves scouring the web for second-hand campervans. I had always thought we’d go for something small and not too expensive. We did jump on an ad about a grey Fiat Ducato Chausson, borrowed my parents’ car for the hour-long drive, and checked out this low-quality build with a rusty engine block. Mark couldn’t stand upright in the van and the living space felt super tight. Yup, we got pretty spoiled with our roomy, well-prepared, and “condo-like” Bella in South America.

(As always, hover over or click on the photos in galleries to read their captions.)

A small Fiat Ducato we checked out a few weeks ago

Mark checking the mechanics of this small van

It was a bit tight inside.

We looked for something slightly bigger and I contacted an owner during our 12-hour wasted drive to Germany the following day, to check out another rusty Vario chassis. My questions were answered by 9pm that night and I found out there was urgency to looking at this van. A phone call was in order at 9:30pm, exhausted as I was from the long car journey that day.

Non-European residents can’t buy, register, and insure a European car, except in Germany. This will be the route we take with our phantom Vario, but for this temporary solution, we involved my dad to deal with the Belgian logistics.

So, that Sunday evening, you can imagine the look on the sellers’ faces when, at their front door, appeared a woman, her husband who didn’t speak Dutch, a big dog who was addressed in English, and a dad… ready to look at their camper.

Our First Month Back in Belgium – Dog Walks, Family Time, and Research (And Our May 2026 Expenses)

June 11, 2026 / Liesbet / 32 Comments

To say Mark, Maya, and I were exhausted after three months of high-intensity sightseeing and traveling in Southwestern Europe is an understatement. When living in our past campers and sailboats, we’d usually do something “interesting” once a week, but during our time in Southwestern Europe this winter, our pace was much higher and we visited sites and attractions about every other day.

Entering Belgium from France

We arrived in Belgium on April 26th, but couldn’t rest yet. My generous cousin lent us her car for a week and after one day of settling into “the little house” of my parents, our trio set off for Germany. The idea had been to check out two empty 4×4 Vario vans, hopefully commit to one, and visit with a van builder. We’d been planning and anticipating this trip for weeks.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

My cousin’s car was ours to use for a week. Nice!

Maya on her back seat

I’ll provide more details in the future, but suffice it to say that this effort was a disappointment. The first van (white) was too rusty and in poor shape, the owner of the second van (yellow) was abroad and couldn’t see us, and our chat with the builder was brief because he was super busy after a long weekend. Eventually, someone else beat us to the yellow Vario and bought it on the spot. We found out on our anniversary, which ruined the special evening I had planned.

The rusty Vario in Germany

Mark checks the engine bay

Just one detailed photo

When we returned to Belgium, it rained for two weeks straight and it felt like winter had come back. We even had to turn the heat on! We do have plenty of computer, admin, and research work to keep us busy, though. And the occasional translation job for me. Plus, as you might have noticed, I’m determined to catch up on all my blog writing.

The front of the “little house” – The entrance door is to the right.

The dining and kitchen area of the “little house”

Looking towards the living room of the “little house”

Our bedroom for the time being

Based on the size of the house, this bathroom is huge.

A nice perk about living in this little house by the lake is our daily walks. Mark’s ankle has been sore and swollen, so I took Maya by myself every morning. We try to go for a steady, one-hour walk before breakfast, which is great exercise.

Walking Maya along one of the lakes near us

Pretty swan

Taking Maya for a short afternoon walk

Canadian geese and their chicks a month ago – the babies are much bigger now!

Maya keeping an eye on two resting swans by our lake

Another walk along the main lake

Ducks and their ducklings

Walk along the bike path when it’s not busy

Rainbow on one of our main routes

Three Months of Rentals in Southwestern Europe – Thoughts and Conclusions

June 4, 2026 / Liesbet / 35 Comments

If you’ve followed our blog for a while, you know that Mark and I (and our respective dogs) have always lived and traveled in campers and sailboats, with a three-year hiatus of house and pet sitting. We’ve been doing this worldwide as “digital nomads” for 23 years.

After selling our last truck camper in Chile, South America, we were homeless again. Or better, “in between” travel chapters. We wound down our three-year adventure on that continent with a few weeks in an Airbnb apartment in Santiago de Chile, before visiting Mark’s friends and family – and celebrating his mom’s 90th birthday – in icy Massachusetts, USA. That’s where and how we started 2026.

Without a home on wheels or any prospects, and not being fans of the cold, we came up with a plan, which was a twist on our usual lifestyle since we had few belongings left and no moving home. We booked a rental car in Portugal for two months, arranged two-week rentals throughout the southern Iberian Peninsula, fitted in a couple of city trips, traveled by train with our dog to get to Southern France, and rented three lodgings in that country as well. For the last stretch to Belgium, my cousins gave us a ride.

Entering Spain

Our rental car at the gas station – Fuel is cheaper in Spain than in Portugal

Driving through the countryside in Spain.

Maya was often panting and uncomfortable in the car.

Maya on her back seat

Returning to Portugal

(As always, click on or hover over the photos in the galleries to read their captions.)

How did we fare? Did we like this kind of traveling? Was it costly? What were our favorite parts? Would we do it again? How about missing our own home on wheels?

Maya learned to stick her head out of the window. This was never possible in our campers before.

One of the train rides to France

Last train ride to meet up with my cousin and her husband

Maya ready for another train ride

An Introduction to Burgundy in France (And Our April 2026 Expenses)

May 27, 2026 / Liesbet / 19 Comments

My cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, decided to join us in France for their eleven-day vacation. Of that time, we spent a wonderful week in the Dordogne, and we needed two solid days of driving back to Belgium. For the three nights and two days that were left, we hunkered down in Burgundy. One day was dedicated to more cute villages and the other to natural settings.

Burgundy in France

Our attractions in Burgundy

Gien-sur-Cure

For this short stay, we opted for a house in a tiny village surrounded by countryside. Despite being located along a main road, it was quiet at night and we managed to keep enjoying the beautiful weather on the patio whenever we were home.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to see their captions.)

Our part of the house for three nights in Gien-sur-Cure

Frittata dinner at home

The mattresses hurt everyone’s backs, but the bathroom was modern and the kitchen sufficed. There was an antique washing machine, which, surprisingly enough, Mark and I already had experience with in Argentina. It came in handy as I wanted to wash all our clothes before arriving in Belgium, where we don’t have our own laundry facilities. Of course, the machine broke on our second day, but we lucked out because a neighbor could fix it immediately. The owner of the home lived next door.

Our living room, right before packing the car

Our kitchen, seen as we were packing up

Mark, Maya, and my bedroom was located on the back side of the house, since we are light sleepers (unlike my cousins).

Our roomy and modern bathroom in this traditional village home

Châteauneuf-en-Auxois

This tiny village on a hill oozed medieval charm, attractive buildings, and peace. We felt it was built in a different style than the beauties of the Dordogne, but it was cute nevertheless.

View of the countryside from Châteauneuf

Historic buildings in Châteauneuf

Timbered house in the small downtown

Charming house in Châteauneuf

The Château de Châteauneuf is a 15th-century fortress

Close-up of Château de Châteauneuf

Medieval building in the center of town

Our small group strolled around Châteauneuf for about an hour, skipping a visit to the picturesque castle. We had a busy day planned.

Strolling through this medieval village revealed a lot of charming houses.

This cute dog desperately wanted to greet Maya!

Another typical home in Châteauneuf, which is also known as Châteauneuf-en-Auxois

I like the look of these plant-covered homes.

Exploring the Dordogne in Southern France with Family

May 24, 2026 / Liesbet / 23 Comments

While our week in Libourne was a positive first taste of Southern France, our week in the Dordogne sealed the deal about us really loving this area – and being surprised about that!

The Dordogne region in France

Our perceived notions steered us towards Andalusia, Spain, to gauge it as a potential place to grow roots one day. France had never been on the radar, because we didn’t know much about this country (despite it being next door to Belgium) and encounters with French people around the world hadn’t been pleasant, generally. We obviously should reconsider and look forward to exploring more of France in the future!

Main towns in the Dordogne

Medieval towns we visited around the campground

Périgueux

But let’s get back to the middle of April, when my cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, picked us up at the train station of Périgueux after our one-hour ride with Maya and the luggage. To our surprise – but not theirs – all our belongings fit next to their vacation gear in the magical trunk.

(As always, hover over or click on the photos in galleries to read their caption.)

All our belongings in Southern Europe

Our last train ride in France

Maya relaxes at our feet on the one-hour train ride from Libourne to Périgueux

Train station in Périgueux

And, like magic, my family showed up by car – and all our luggage fit in the giant trunk!

Since this was the start of our Dordogne travels, we began with a walk through the region’s capital Périgueux itself, hitting some of the highlights and chatting with friendly locals.

Timbered house in Périgueux

Strolling the historic streets in Périgueux

The cathedral of Périgueux

I really liked the colorful shutters in French towns

One of the old towers that was once part of the wall around Périgueux

We didn’t have a lot of time, but strolled through some of the narrow streets, discovered a nice park, and photographed historic buildings.

A lone tower in a pretty park: Tour de Vésone. This Tower of Vesunna is the vestige of a Gallo-Roman fanum dedicated to Vesunna and was built in the 1st or 2nd century.

Château Barrière

Ruins of a church

The many domes of the cathedral, which could be seen from our parking lot

Saint-Avit-de-Vialard

The four of us had rented a small mobile home at a campground in Saint-Avit-de-Vialard, which is a popular way to vacation in France. There are a lot of facilities – bathrooms, swimming pools, laundry, a restaurant, and a shop – of which we only used the bakery section in the store.

Arrival at our small cabin: time for a drink!

Our tiny bedroom – I couldn’t even walk along my side of the bed

Maya gets spoiled by Griet!

Griet brought a bunch of awesome bones for Maya. She loved them!

This is not really our style of accommodation, but when you’re in good company, the place you stay in doesn’t matter so much. Plus, this last cabin on the property was in a great location, far from the entrance and the commotion and next to nature.

Our cabin was very small, but in a great location.

The pond near our cabin

This campground must have been built on the property of a former farm.

We really lucked out with the sunny weather during our time in the Dordogne! We ate every single meal outside on the patio and managed to explore the region in depth and in shorts.

Cheers!

The ice cold pool area, which we never used

Our patio was half covered, despite us paying extra to have a fully covered deck.

Grilling food at the cabin

A dinner feast outside

Maya gets some cuddles.

Limeuil

Our first afternoon excursion took place in Limeuil, another picture-perfect historic village. It swiftly became our favorite one in France.

Arriving in Limeuil, which is located at the meeting point (confluence) of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers

Maya enjoyed wading in the Dordogne River

Old building with pretty shutters

Wouldn’t you want to hang out in this courtyard?

The five of us climbed the hill and strolled through the medieval streets, taking in its beauty and cleanliness. We seemed to be the only tourists around on this weekday, which made the experience extra special.

Stunningly restored historic buildings

Limeuil has prehistoric roots – I took this photo for Jacqui Murray.

Our walk uphill revealed attractive buildings.

Reaching the top of the hill in town

Photogenic house

Checking out the church of Limeuil, which is perched atop the hill

Another house with character in Limeuil

Village Life in Southern France – Our Week in Libourne, Saint-Emilion, and Bordeaux

May 19, 2026 / Liesbet / 22 Comments

My cousin, Griet, and her husband, Wim, were helpful and accommodating as ever, when they suggested joining us for a ten-day car vacation in Southern France and then taking us home to Belgium afterwards. All we had to do was slow down until they arrived on April 16th.

Initially, we had grand plans to explore northern Spain during that time, but when we found out that big dogs are not allowed on trains in that part of the country, those ideas shattered. Instead, we rented an apartment in Libourne, France, for a week, not too far from where we’d meet Griet and Wim.

Route Porto – Libourne

The only task at hand still was to get there from Porto, Portugal. Because of the above-mentioned issue, however, Maya was not allowed on the international train from Porto to Vigo (Spain) either. This resulted in Mark and me taking different train journeys north on April 8th. He rode all the way to Vigo with three pieces of luggage, while I took Maya and the two smaller bags on a full train to the Portuguese town that was closest to the border with Spain, namely Valença.

Waiting for our train in Porto

Not much room for Maya in this busy train from Porto to Valenca

Driving along the Portuguese coast

I finally found a better seat with more floor space for Maya (who paid full price) towards the end of our journey.

Mark picked up a rented cargo van in Vigo and drove it back across the border into Portugal to pick us up at the Valença train station around noon. A cargo van was the most affordable way to rent a car one way, for one day.

Our small cargo van

The next 24 hours consisted of lots of driving, with Maya in the closed-off back part, which she didn’t like. The electronic dashboard broke and the data disappeared, so we needed to get a speedometer app for the phone and place it in a secure spot. We ate sandwich lunches underway, stretched our legs once in six hours, and checked into a mediocre hotel two-thirds across Northern Spain. Hunting for a crappy take-out dinner in the middle of nowhere concluded this exhausting day.

(As always, click on or hover over photos in galleries to read their captions.)

Back in Spain, in the north this time

Driving from Portugal into Spain

Boring scenery in Northern Spain

Our hotel for one night

The following morning was more of the same, except much worse. After skipping breakfast and a few hours of driving, Mark dropped Maya and me – and all our luggage – off at the train station of Hendaye, just across the border in France. Then, he backtracked by car into Spain and dropped the one-way van off in Irun. This chore was supposed to take half an hour, including the Uber ride back to me. We had a high-speed train to catch to Bordeaux around 1pm.

An early start to drive to France

Entering Southern France, where Mark dropped Maya and me off at the train station

After not hearing from Mark after an hour, I got worried. Luckily, train stations in France offer free WiFi (my phone doesn’t have a SIM card) and I found out the cargo van had incurred damage within those 24 hours we rented it. We had no idea how it happened – and definitely never heard or felt something when we were inside – but there were scratches along the driver’s side.

All we had done was drive and park three times. Someone must have run into the van when it had been parked. Or scratched it up on purpose. We figured our credit card insurance would take care of it. But we found out a few days ago that they didn’t. Apparently, cargo vans aren’t covered. Lesson learned: only rent passenger cars. This unfortunate event that wasn’t even our fault cost us $650!!!

After dealing with the damage report at the rental office, Mark failed to find a taxi and had to walk/run the hour back to me in France in order to make our reserved TGV train. Needless to say, this was another bad day.

Libourne and surroundings

Libourne

Mark and I finally had good seats on this comfortable long-distance train which brought us to Bordeaux in 2.5 hours. From there, we took a slower, 30-minute ride to Libourne followed by a 15-minute walk and two flights of narrow stairs to our next rental accommodation, a top-floor apartment. Hauling up all our bags was a bit tough, but at least we wouldn’t hear anybody above us this time.

The TGV ride north in France gave us more privacy, so we could take Maya’s muzzle off for a bit.

A local train from Bordeaux to Libourne

This apartment was not made for tall people. The bed was in an alcove, the closet was pretty much unaccessible, and we removed the shelf above the sink to prevent bleeding foreheads. The kitchen table and chairs were uncomfortable so we avoided using them. None of the windows opened wide or offered a view. We couldn’t even tell what the weather was. The bathroom was fantastic, though, except for the leaking sink and sewage smell. The hallway smelled like sewage as well. It was either that or air fresheners. Which one would you pick?

We rented an apartment in this building, on the top floor at the back, which you can’t see here.

The bed is located in a low-roofed alcove

Our spacious living room

The bathroom was roomy and modern as well, but none of the windows allowed us a view outside or could be opened wide.

During our week in Libourne, we explored the small town, walked to grocery stores, and took Maya for strolls and playtime in the amazing park nearby. We were immediately enchanted by the friendly locals and their positive attitude towards dogs.

The nice and big park near our accommodation in Libourne

More flowers in the park

Maya making friends

Back in the public park with its pretty flower beds

Since the weather was bad in the beginning, we stayed close to home and kept focusing on Vario research and figuring out insurance and registration options as non-European residents. But the two less rainy days were devoted to excursions.

Buildings along the main square in Libourne

City hall and a kiosk on the main square

Bridge over the Dordogne river in Libourne

Main church in Libourne

Old gate and towers

Lit-up historic building in Libourne

Porto, the Pearl of Portugal

May 13, 2026 / Liesbet / 22 Comments

Most people who visit Porto really like it, so I did have a level of expectation about it. Usually, that’s not a good thing and we try to avoid it, but … Porto didn’t disappoint. And I liked it better than Lisbon.

Welcome to Porto!

Quick stop in Lisbon

Our “big adventure” started on April 4th, when our easy travels by rental car came to an end. The logistics from this day on – how do we get to Belgium with Maya without a car? – had been weighing on us and a lot of research, planning, and reserving had recently become a part of our lives. None of which we normally do.

Crossing the Vasco da Gama bridge into Lisbon by car

The Vasco da Gama bridge is 7.5 miles (12 km) long and the second-longest one in Europe. It is also the longest bridge in the EU.

After the 2.5-hour drive from our last rental house in Cuba with our already vacuumed car, Mark dropped Maya, me, and our five pieces of luggage off at the Oriente train station in Lisbon, before removing the last of Maya’s hairs with a lint roller. We had heard that there are heavy fines when you return a rental car with dog hair.

Maya and I sat on a blanket outside the station – and were almost reprimanded by security guards as being homeless loiterers (because that’s what this scene might have looked like; and in a way, we were) – and waited for Mark for an hour and a half. Luckily, returning the Seat rental car after nine weeks wasn’t an issue.

All our belongings at the moment

Waiting for Mark at the train station

Then, all of us had to wait for another four hours (because we booked the cheapest train fare) before we could hop aboard for the 3.5-hour journey to Porto. Mark and I took turns staying with Maya and the luggage, when the other person stretched their legs.

A big mall in Lisbon East

Exploring the waterfront during my long wait

Vasco da Gama bridge

Very cool statue of a lynx made of recycled materials. His feet are old trash containers.

The train ride went relatively smoothly, despite us not having picked good seats – this was our first experience on a train with a dog and Maya’s first train trip as well – and our dog having to be muzzled.

Most of our waiting time was spent at this cafe

Not the most comfy train ride…

Porto

The three of us took a cab from the Campanhã train station to our rental accommodation in the Bonfim district and we are glad we did as it would have been a long, uphill walk with quite a bit of luggage.

Our train station in Porto

Living room and kitchen area

Again, we had picked an interesting apartment. We mostly liked it but there were some oddities, like having the shower stall in the actual bedroom and the toilet in a closet. Is that where the European term WC – Water Closet – comes from?

The bedroom of our Porto apartment

Our toilet closet

We did get used to these quirks when we figured out that “backing into” the toilet closet after pulling our pants down and bending over was the easiest way to take care of business. The kitchen was inadequate for longer stays, but being here for only four nights worked just fine. And, as always, the walls were thin.

Since we had arrived quite late that first evening, we decided to grab a fast meal at a vegan place nearby. Little did we realize that this was a fancy, set-menu experience only. We would have liked to have arrived earlier for such a feast, but we nevertheless indulged in this four-course meal at 9pm! It was a nice surprise to learn that Maya was welcome inside and coddled.

First course of the vegan tasting menu

The second course was a delicious beet salad

Third course of the evening

One of the two main dishes consisted of roasted vegetables.

The second main dish

Day one

Our first full day in the city started with a delicious brunch at Tomás Coffee Brunch, something we never do. When we go out, it’s usually for the main meal of the day, at lunch or dinner time. Again, Maya was welcome inside!

A nice breakfast in Porto!

The vegetarian brunch platter for Mark

A salmon brunch platter for me

In the afternoon, we explored the Bolhão (only a few minutes “down the road”) and Ribeira districts on a self-guided walking tour. It brought us past cool churches, buildings, and plazas. We were so happy it was a sunny and warm day.

Sign in the sidewalk near the Bolhao market

The Chapel of Souls tiled church

Porto’s city hall

Random building in the historic center

The Igreja do Carmo (right, 18th century, with blue tiles) and the Igreja dos Carmelitas (left, 17th century, classic façade). are separated by a 1-meter-wide house. They look like one massive church but are separate, divided by the “Hidden House” (Casa Escondida)

The Thirteen Laughing at Each Other statue by Juan Muñoz is located in Jardim da Cordoaria

Jardim da Cordoaria

Mural near this central park

The Torre dos Clérigos (Clérigos Tower) is a 75-meter-tall (246 ft) Baroque tower designed by Nicolau Nasoni and completed in 1763

The backside of the church that’s attached to Clérigos Tower

We gazed at a couple of tiled churches and strolled down towards the water, where we found a surprisingly lively scene, after enjoying the peace in the back alleys of Ribeira, which is located much lower than Bolhão. We had no idea this city was built on a hill too.