Normally, one comes back from vacation a little less smart than when one went in. If you only deal with simple questions such as “What am I going to eat today?” or “Would you like a trip or the beach?”, this has a beneficial sedating effect on brain activity.
For us it was the other way around this year, we came home smarter. Because we, my wife, my son and I, realized in the five weeks that we were traveling in France, Spain and Portugal with a car and a large tent: We love to camp. Actually, we don’t want to spend our holidays in any other way.
We are late callings when it comes to camping, and as is the case with late callings, they are all the more violent. As if the time that was wasted with wrong decisions (in our case: for brick holiday homes) had to be compensated.
It’s only been six years since a friend recommended a campsite in Le Porge-Océan to us. Southern France, Atlantic coast. We, until then fans of vacation rentals, traveled there with minimal equipment – tiny tent, picnic blanket, gas cooker. It soon dawned on us: There is no better way to spend a holiday.
In previous years I got to know quite a few five star accommodations, from St. Moritz to the Maldives. For a long time I believed that these places were something like an Arcadia that could not be improved any further. The pinnacle of holiday happiness. I was wrong.
The campsite in Le Porge-Océan is located on an almost endless beach. Large plots in a pine forest, I immediately became addicted to the scent. Every day the great orchestra of cicadas – the sound of summer and sun. pleasant audience. In the small supermarket good quality at fair prices.
And these are only the superficial arguments. It wasn’t until these summer holidays we spent in France, Spain and Portugal that I understood the true benefits of camping. We stayed at six campgrounds, two hotels, one vacation rental, a friends house. So we had the direct comparison.
For most of his existence, man has lived as a nomad, in makeshift shelters such as tents made of goat hair. So, nomadic roaming in loose dwellings may be in our genes. But putting up the tent is not enough. Camping also means putting things away. Sweep ants out of the tent. hang up hammock. open wine bottle. Relax and watch other people busy with the same inconspicuous little things that are the essence of camping.
The dissertation “Camping as a form of vacation” by Matthias Badura can be found on the Internet. In it he writes that campers “must assume a desire for the everyday and the banal”. Yes, that’s how it is. Camping is both a celebration of the simple life and a routine breaker.
Hardly anything, whether it’s breakfast or doing the laundry, is like what you’re used to at home. You don’t go to bed, you crawl into your sleeping bag, bending and stretching in places you didn’t know existed.
The positive effects of camping on mobility would also be worth a dissertation. In any case, my thigh strain, which I had sustained before the holiday, was gone after camping.
If we stayed in hotels or friends’ houses in between, this form of accommodation seemed totally cramped to us. Real estate has never seemed more immobile to us. With our tent we were wonderfully mobile, in the literal sense.
The wonderful children’s book “Tent again at last!” by Philipp Waechter contains the following passage: “To me, camping is the greatest thing of all! Why? Because camping is never boring … and because of the many, many shooting stars!” Anyone who camps is almost constantly in nature, from sunrise to well after sunset.
There is always something to do, to clear, to clean, to get. Lots of useful things that are easy to do structure the days and relax the mind. Camping means: no walls. sense of freedom.
Yes, the weather has to be right, raining for days is no fun. You are at the mercy of the elements, but that can also lead to unexpected moments of happiness. Let the rain drum you to sleep (just a few drops sounds like heavy rain on tent fabric), and then zip up in the morning and see the blue sky – wonderful.
In Lisbon, we spent a night in the world’s most horrible campsite, in the airport’s approach lane, next to the city’s motorway; tick off what happens. Isla Cristina on the Costa de la Luz compensated us with the third most beautiful place in the world (after Le Porge and St.-Jean-de-Luz) – right on the beach, friendly people, and only a few minutes’ walk to the best beach restaurant far and wide (“Chiringuito La Sardina”).
Although our camping career is still young, sadness is already spreading. The reason: Simple camping in beautiful places is a form of holiday spending that is threatened with extinction.
When asked about his favorite campsite, children’s book author Philipp Waechter wrote to me: “My favorite place on the French Atlantic coast no longer exists. The unspectacular, simple site with a shop for the bare essentials and a small bar where you could eat mussels and fries has become a luxury campsite with pools, a slide paradise, mobile homes, entertainment and a real restaurant.”
Statements like this have been heard a lot lately, the gentrification of campsites is progressing. Hopefully nothing of the sort happened at Le Porge, which for once we didn’t go to this year. We’ll know more next summer when we go back.
How do you recognize a good campsite?
Guiding principle: Campsites with four stars are top notch equipped. Helpful website: www.pincamp.de
What shouldn’t you forget?
sleeping pad. Sleeping bag. Rubber mallet for the pegs. Folding spade to dig a ditch around the tent when it rains, otherwise it will fill up. Adapter for the power column. Flip-flops or slippers for the sanitary facilities. Clothesline to dry bathing suits. camping tableware. Gas cooker and/or electric grill. Scissors, flashlight, knife, tea towels, corkscrew, lighter, plastic dishwashing tub, tent lamps.
Can you do laundry on the go?
There are washing machines in many places. Cost per wash: 4.50 to six euros. Ignore the dryers, rather hang the laundry out in the sun straight away.
How much does camping cost?
On average between 20 and 40 euros per night. Glamping (luxury tent with mattresses and fridge) from 70 euros/night.
