'Summer of (Family) Love' - A Film by Kirsten Dirksen

You may have come across Kirsten Dirksen before on Youtube, especially if you are regularly taking a look at the latest van living videos. Her posts on the 'tiny house movement' often come up alongside them because of the crossover with living in a smaller space, and the ties with simplicity and sustainability. Well her latest feature length documentary is well worth watching. Kirsten and her partner Nicholas Boullosa have filmed their experiences travelling and living in a 1981 VW Westfalia camper van for a summer with their three children. Here's the trailer:

Thoughts on the New Year..

2014 is here.. I've had several conversations over the holidays about how the turn of the year is a time when people start over, really think deeply about their lives, and sometimes make huge personal decisions and actions that will change their future..

In the philosophy of van life, making the decision to live on the road, takes us beyond this once a year 'taking stock' and releases us into a new world where this is almost a perpetual state of being. Life can be reinvented month to month, week to week, and on a trip, day by day..

It's from this perspective that I'll share with you some recent events in my own life that though challenging, lead me into the new year with anticipation, optimism and a new appreciation of my chosen lifestyle..


You may wonder why the blog has been relatively quiet, yet I'm in a new world, with many beautiful things to experience & camping spots to enjoy. Well, quite some time ago this happened:

Iain McKell - 'The New Gypsies' photography

While we are all spending time upgrading and preparing our camper vans for the next trip, there are some who have decided to abandon their motorised homes on wheels for a much more old fashioned or you might say 'traditional' way of living on the road.

A while ago I posted about new age travellers in the 90's and shared a video of an old 'World in Action' documentary about their lifestyle, and the conflicts taking place between travellers, local residents, and the police in England at that time.

Well, photographer Iain McKell has been putting together a project on a group of new age travellers, who have made the choice of 'returning' to the horse drawn gypsy caravan as their dwelling place. This smaller group are somehow managing to live in todays world in this old and simple way. Take a look at the photos – I'm sure you'll agree that Iain has captured some of the magic and beauty of that simple way of living.

2014 plans | Robs 4WD Hiace Camper Van | Winch fitting and Suspension lift

Welcome back!

Well, its coming towards the end of 2013, and the time has come to start planning ahead for adventures in the year to come. I've been working away here in Portugal, saving, and I haven't been covering too many miles, so naturally my mind wanders on to what might be next for me and the Hiace..

Wild Camping Spots Map & GPS downloads for Europe

Hi folks,

I recently came across something really fantastic on a Spanish website. Its an interactive map of wild camping locations all over Europe. The locations have been submitted mostly by Spanish campervaners and there are photos and articles on most of them on the pages forum. The map is really well laid out, with all locations marked clearly. If there's more than one good spot in an area they are numbered, and zooming in guides you to the exact locations. A really great find for anyone planning a trip through Europe who prefers wild camping over campsites. There are also locations listed that have facilities too, including many of the European 'Aires' which are free camping spots with limited facilities. I stayed at one of these locations in Spain on my way to Portugal - in Palencia. Here's the link to the map:

Jeff - Living the Van Life in the Algarve Portugal | Iveco Camper Van self conversion

On Sunday, I had the good fortune to meet a fellow van dweller and traveller, Jeff, from the north east of England. I'd stopped at a wild camping location and had a chat with him over a cup of tea in the sunshine. At nearly six years into the lifestyle, Jeff wasn't looking back, and was enjoying his second winter on the Portuguese south coast.