📍 Location: La Jonquera → Barcelona → Valencia, Spain
🎧 Episode Notes (First Person)
Good day — September 28th. What a day it turned out to be. The morning started at the hotel where Adriana, originally from Colombia 26 years ago, helped me out. My Spanish is rusty, but somehow we made conversation work — that in itself was a great start to the day.
After a quick coffee, I hit the road with one goal in mind: fuel up in Spain instead of France. Diesel prices can vary wildly in France — sometimes up to €0.40–0.50 difference per liter — and with two 90-liter tanks, that adds up fast. Spain’s prices are much more consistent, so it made sense to hold off.
I tried to stop for gas in a charming little town called Historico, but since it was Sunday, the station was closed. No problem — I topped off along the freeway and kept rolling south.
Driving through Barcelona was something special. I don’t think I’d ever been there before, and it was great to get a feel for the city — its energy, architecture, and the glimpses of the sea along the way.
By late afternoon, I made my way toward Valencia. About 40 km out, I stayed with Antoine and Stefan, a Dutch couple who’ve made Spain their home. Their place sits in an area that was hit hard by floods a year ago. The hillside behind their property collected so much water that it turned their driveway into a river, washing away part of a retaining wall — but they were lucky; the house stayed safe. Sadly, some of their neighbors weren’t as fortunate.
That night we sat around speaking Dutch, sharing stories, and enjoying the calm after a long drive. Beautiful weather, no rain, good people — it was exactly the kind of day that makes this journey so rewarding.
Thanks for riding along — more tomorrow.
🗝️ Key Moments
- [00:00] Morning coffee and conversation with Adriana from Colombia
- [02:15] Strategy for fueling up — avoiding France’s high diesel prices
- [05:10] Passing through the charming but closed town of Historico
- [08:40] Driving through Barcelona for the first time
- [12:30] Scenic route toward Valencia with glimpses of the Mediterranean
- [15:00] Meeting Antoine and Stefan — Dutch expats living in Spain
- [18:10] Hearing their story about surviving last year’s floods
- [21:00] Relaxing evening, speaking Dutch, and reflecting on the journey