Day 4 — From France to Southern Spain: Vilafranca, Mountains, and Many Kilometers

A Relaxed Start After a Good Night

We started the morning feeling well‑rested after a very good night in our cozy hotel. The day began calmly: getting up, enjoying breakfast, and preparing for another long stretch on the road. After a quick fuel stop, we set off again — today was planned as one of the longer driving days of the journey.

Southbound Toward Spain

The route took us through France and steadily south toward Spain. With the border not far away, we made good progress, and by around midday we had already reached the region around Barcelona. As planned, we bypassed the city itself and continued onward without stopping.

Two adults as Team Insanire ride in a car: a smiling man in a gray hoodie in the foreground and a woman in a plaid jacket driving, with blurred highway scenery visible through the window.

Man in an orange shirt wearing reflective sunglasses sits in a car, reading a travel brochure as trees and a guardrail pass by outside the window, conveying a road trip vibe.

A Lunch Break in Vilafranca

Shortly after Barcelona, we left the motorway in search of a quieter place for a break — and found exactly that in Vilafranca, a small and idyllic village with a historic old town. We stopped at a tiny local restaurant where locals were just sitting down for lunch.

The menu was handwritten and neither German nor English was spoken, but with the help of Google Translate everything worked out smoothly. The welcome was warm, the food was excellent, and the atmosphere couldn’t have been more authentic.

A handwritten menu on a white notepad with blue ink, a left hand holding the page, a gold ring on a finger, and a wine glass resting at the top edge.

Chef-style dish with diced pink-white raw fish lightly coated in olive oil on a clean white plate, accompanied by torn bread pieces on a dark wooden table, evoking fresh Mediterranean flavors.

A Walk Through the Old Town

After lunch, we took a short walk through the old town toward the local basilica. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we could only admire it from the outside — but even so, the walk was very enjoyable. Mr. B‑Bear joined us as well, riding along in the backpack and clearly enjoying his tour through the village just as much as we did.

Smiling couple as Team Insanire wearing hats pose on a sunny, narrow street lined with colorful yellow buildings and overhead cables, with a bright blue sky in the background.

Back on the Road: Toward Valencia and Murcia

With the break behind us, it was time to cover more distance. Traffic varied throughout the afternoon — sometimes dense near the larger cities, then noticeably lighter in between — but overall, progress was good.

The route led us past Valencia, briefly along the Mediterranean coast, and then back inland toward the Region of Murcia, the autonomous region between Valencia and Andalusia. This area is known as one of the largest agricultural regions in Europe, with extensive cultivation of fruit and flowers.

We passed through a striking mountain range along the way, and as the day slowly drew to a close, we found a pleasant hotel just outside the city of Murcia, which also gives the region its name.

Evening in Murcia and Looking Ahead

After checking in, we enjoyed another very good dinner. Once again, English and German were not widely spoken, but as everywhere so far, people were friendly, patient, and eager to help — and the food spoke for itself.

Night scene of a red Land Rover Defender SUV with roof rack and spare tire, covered in adventure stickers and the ADVENTURE CLUB label on the hood, palm trees lit in the background.

Now, we’re wrapping up a long but rewarding day. We covered 960 kilometers, many kilometers just as planned, and feel well prepared for what lies ahead. Tomorrow, the goal is to reach Gibraltar, close to the ferry port to Morocco. If everything goes according to plan, we’d love to take some time to see the Rock of Gibraltar and its famous monkeys.

For now, it’s time to rest.