Female Solo VanLife: First European Van Adventure, E-Bike Ride, and Overcoming Health Challenges

I embark on my first European adventure in my VW Caddy, traveling down the beautiful west coast of France. Join me as I navigate driving on the right-hand side for the first time, find free places to stay, and tackle the challenge of finding a shower on the road. I also test out my e-bike and ride into the charming city of La Rochelle. Unfortunately, a recurring health issue forces me to take a 48-hour break for a fasting detox, but I quickly recover and continue to enjoy the stunning surroundings. Don’t miss this journey filled with new experiences, challenges, and triumphs!

we’ve arrived I’m really scared I’ve got to drive on the other side of the road I’ve driven for 17 miles off the ferry um and driving on the right hand side of the road isn’t too bad but I’ve had to pull over and have a little sleep because I am so tired the sleep on the ferry was so bad nice little two and a half hour nap at least it’s warm now stop raining I’ve driven about 150 mil today which isn’t very much I know um but after having probably not a lot of sleep on the ferry and having to really engage my brain to be able to drive on the right hand side this is my first time um it’s I’m exhausted um I had a little nap earlier but I basically just decided I’m going to stop for the night park for night I clicked on there find someone near me and it’s basically it took me it was 9 minutes to get to this spot and there is free parking for literally any sized camper toilets there’s a literally shop across the road um there’s you can fill up your water anyway bloody brilliant so I’ve just pulled up here it’s only about 6 o’l in the evening um I am going to eat and sleep good morning it’s just before 8 I didn’t sleep that well cuz what usually happens when I go away for an extended period of time I always get ill for the first few days and true to form this is what’s happened so I’m not going to put any pressure on myself today I will probably dry for a couple of hours but other than that I’m just going to eat well and be nice to myself I’m not even sure if I’m going to drive anywhere today um I feel really quite Ry so I’ve made myself some lime and honey drink I’ve prepared a Netty my nose which throat which I just need to wait for it to cool down a bit and a nice coffee and that’s all I’m going to think about for now well that’s sort of me right out I feel up for driving now so found somewhere on um park for night which is 2 and 1 half hours drive from here it’s near L Rell but it’s not in the city it’s overlooking the coast um so that’s free there’s no facilities there but um it’ be nice to get some Sea Air and the sun’s come out it’s 20° so yeah I’m feeling like I’m going to move on now first experience of a French service station bit Bic but I quite like the fact I had to pay before I don’t that’s just cuz I’m English have 23° now so I’m feeling a little bit like I’m not just in rainy England so it’s quite nice bloody tolls aren’t geared up for people with manual window winders and right hand drive are they got to my little stop near lav shell they come on a cycle route there’s a lot of cyclists that keep going P this is actually quite nice CU it’s very secluded and I think I’d probably feel slightly um nervous if it wasn’t before periodic Creer and past um so yeah this is this I can hear the sea is nice and it’s finally sunny it’s about 24 and 1 12° light’s pretty good think I’m going to spend the night here [Music] I have some really pressing videos that I need to do but everyone keep cycling past and I’m thinking this might be a good chance to um test out the old ebike for the first time so I think I’m going to think I’m going to do that show you this is how we traveled on the ferry so I got the little bad boy out all set up ready to rock and roll [Music] [Music] I’ve made it into L shell it only 4 miles [Music] trying to work out why all these people are [Applause] [Music] peing so it’s a festival of the French music scene so there about 150,000 people attend this it’s at the foot of the towers you can see here safe to wending PO we’ll see uh yeah so I’m going to go find somewh and another a [Music] coffee now to navigate my way back hope the van’s still there that was so much fun I think I’ve literally just found my only favorite way of getting around I’ve got company now [Music] looks like we’re going to have a pretty Lush sunset [Music] tonight morning it’s about 7:30 a.m. um I’m not sleeping at all I think I probably had about 4 hours sleep I don’t know whether it’s excitement I’m not sure anyway I’m going to get a brew on and if I need to have a nap later on I will oh rain has started it’s coming in just deciding what I’m going to do today and I need a shower so um I’ve just found a daytime parking spot um near lacano laano I don’t know how I pronounce it um it’s just under 3 hours drive from here um so I think I might head towards towards that I changed my mind the realization of not wanting to drive 3 hours solid I’m back tummy still hurt so um yeah I don’t think I can C with 3our driving one St so I’m going to go to garage my accidentally something to Beed but um yeah so I think they’ve got quite why I looked on um DP advisor and it looks like they have got um Beach showers there and it’s like an hour and a half to drive from here so yeah be bloody rain in there it stopped raining and I can see blue skies oh yeah so this is a lovely little Bay um they do have Beach showers but I’m glad I went to check because they don’t actually work so just looked back on park for night and I found somewhere about 21 minutes away which says it has a warm shower so back on the road y that was a massive relief so I’m going to eat some eggs and then have a shower in that order cuz I’m bling starving I’m literally just parked up at the side of the road [Music] here making the most of the opportunity to wash my hair don’t know the next CH might be might not be warm that was just what the doctor ordered get 15 minutes and then um and then the door unlocks there’s no countdown though so it would just be a surprise if you’re still start nak in there all that was bleming lovely my mission today was to get a shower and I’ve achieved that now so have a little think about what I’m going to do so decision made going to park up it’s still a bit further down and it’s a little place on the edge of the garage which I’m assuming is a lake excuse my ignorance sorry I should probably look this stuff before I start talking I need to be careful what I wish for it’s 27° now and I’m still not very well I’m sweating like the proverbial um and the place I just went to try and camp out for the night wasn’t what I expected um so now I’m trying to find a shop where I can get some painkillers top up my water or just get some extra food and things so that I don’t I just want to lay somewhere and get well this freaking illness is doing my Ed in must literally 2 minutes after I recorded that last video I’m now next to a pharmacy a laundry not not that I need one but if there’s a laundry here it tells me there’s other services so that’s perfect look at that temperature there a stroke of luck they were open but the shop which I actually came here for was closed permanently so 7 km to the next fliming shop for food question is how these people survive around there good morning I found a little spot yeah you allowed to park here 48 hours for free um there’s a lake yesterday there was lots of people swimming um there’s toilets and a cafe but I’m actually going to stay here and for the 48 hours and um fast basically I need to get rid of this tummy issue that I’ve got which I know is resolved through fasting so so yeah it’s going to be a couple of days of doing not a lot but um you know that’s what the body needs that’s what the body needs [Music] I’m going to go for a walk around the lake I think it’s about 45 minute walk blow some cobwebs away anyway it’s a lot colder today you haven’t got a hoodie on the West Winds [Music] calling I’m my name they telling me to head your way down your road and pass your gaze keep your eyes on the horizon I was looking to belong in Jungle this is pretty much what I’ve done for the last two days now although most of it been horizontal in my in my van I definitely feel like I’m on the men so this is my spot there vans that come and go as I’ve been sitting here like over the last couple of days and the other way is there’s other cars there but down there the lake lot of kids swimming in there I’ll go down and show you them long I’m there before the Setting Sun for you to fall into my arms the place I call my home I was looking to belong when I already found my home [Music] [Music] I was looking to belong when I’d already know that you would be there when the rains are gone like a light in the night you will always be my home [Music] all this space and they park there strip wash today the shower is like this high and it’s cold I don’t feel like that so just going to wash the essential Parts turn the camera off for the next bit good morning it’s 6:30 a.m. and I can’t sleep for toffee so I’m going to get out making coffee that [Music] rhymes I need to find some water today that’s literally all I’ve got left I bet they’re wishing they hadn’t parked so close now it’s time in the right time to move on down to the coast [Music]