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