A week of driving, flying, France!

Then finally, the next day, we had our first flight. The weather wasn't great anymore, which also means that none of the other pilots were out and we didn't have a shuttle to the launch site. But Luca was in good spirits and was even able to persuade Bianca to do a hike&fly, even though she is not a fan of any hikes at all - let alone with a huge backpack on her back. Nevertheless, we marched off. After a little over an hour we arrived slightly sweaty and pretty exhausted at the starting point.

The flight was our first together outside of Switzerland. And incredibly beautiful... about 2-3 minutes long. Then we discovered the people on the landing field. Not very tragic in itself... But the landing pad in this case was the local stadium. There were no alternatives. Well, at least there's no soccer match going on, there's just a few lined up. A few meters closer, however, we can see why: they are practicing javelin throwing. Is there anything worse that you could imagine at the moment? Luca tried to draw attention to himself by shouting "Attention" before we ended up in the back of the field. And how will we be received by everyone? Not at all. Nobody cares. It seems like this is pretty much part of everyday life in this village. Also good. We will definitely remember it. 

Above the rooftops of Monaco

The next big trip is coming up, and after the flight we head straight for the mountains above Monaco. Bianca drives, knows nothing about the French motorway and misses the exit right away. It's already dark and the nine remaining minutes until we reach the square with a view over Monaco will be 30+ again... Oops... atmosphere at the A****... But the view the next day is breathtaking. The sun rises over the sea and the whole coast shines in its warm light. 

We descend, board the shuttle, ascend almost everything the same way, past a golf course and the Princess of Monaco's two elephants (yes, it's as absurd as it reads), experience our first flight in Roquebrun Cap Martin (?) The view cannot be compared to anything we have seen in Switzerland so far. In front of us stretches the sea and below us a landscape of villas... So many pools! The landing place is the beach and we land for the first time with sand under our feet (and as we found out also in our umbrellas). We quickly got to know other pilots from France and our age. They were partly here for a safety course. Everyone stayed in their cars or self-converted minivans in the parking lot next to the train station. That's not officially allowed and the police drove past us every 10 minutes - but they weren't interested. Nice and relaxed here in the south 🙂

Explore and get to know

The next morning we could actually start with a dip in the sea! At 8 o'clock in the morning, in the middle of November... we actually didn't expect that so early on the trip. It was at least as nice as it was cold... and we actually froze the whole time in the water... There were two flights again, it was slightly thermal and the sun was shining all the time. The packed down jacket and gloves seemed so ridiculous to me.

In the evening we actually just wanted to buy bread somewhere and it seemed like a good idea to do it in Monaco. We'll probably never get through an entire country that quickly again. 

It's just stupid that we hadn't informed ourselves. November 19th is a national holiday in Monaco and the Grimaldis have to wave very firmly from their castle. And of course everyone has to celebrate it. So firm that even the supermarkets that advertise 24 hours a day and 7 days a week in their shop windows have them today. Top. But an unmistakable blinking and noise awaits us at the port. There is a fair. Almost like the Prater, just by the sea and tiny, but at least as hectic and nervous. This contrast will probably accompany us for a long time...

Leaving the continent is planned

Back in the Büssli we plan the further journey and prepare for the next day, when we will move on again. 

So after a last morning flight, in which Luca is circling as if hypnotized directly below and almost in the clouds, we break camp and drive to Brignoles. There we spend several hours in a parking lot in front of a MacDonalds (free wifi) just to figure out how to get a PCR test in Marseille on a Sunday. We need it for the ferry on Monday. And it must not be older than 48 hours. We can no longer understand how much different information we received, how many pharmacies Luca phoned (including the hospital and the ferry operator) and everything seems tedious and confused when something should be organized on a Sunday, for a law , which feels like it's changing every day... The only solution we can find: the airport.

Vagabond sheep shirt: inside by the sea

So we spend Sunday driving to the airport. Actually the only place we didn't want to stay during our trip. But sometimes things don't go the way you imagine. We will probably notice this quite often in the future. Relatively regulated chaos prevails on site. The passengers are confused, the employees too, somehow everything is mixed up and nobody is really in a good mood. Stress is in the air. We're so glad we can leave after an hour. And even happier when the two negative test results appeared on our phones a few hours later.

We didn't prepare and will do next time park4night Spot we can find stop. We are incredibly lucky: it is right by the sea and there are other campers next to us. These are shepherds with their 9 guard dogs and a cat. They have been living in their converted cars for 20 years, tending (and sometimes losing) up to 1500 sheep from spring to autumn in the mountains of France and are on their way to Spain for the winter. They invite us to pizza and rum and endless stories. We bring the guitar and the ukulele, the hang and even the cajon, someone brings a didgeridoo and hippie heaven is complete. Although it gets terribly cold as the sun goes down and there are certain language barriers, it's an evening like no other. The discussions are so lively, the music so real, the laughter incessant...

It is precisely these encounters that are important to us. Those who show us something new, those who teach us that, despite different perspectives on complex issues, we can sit together and get to know each other. The ones that broaden our view of the world.

Now we are finally sitting on the ferry to Morocco and have time to process everything that we have experienced in the last few days and to adjust to new things again.