Who needs a hotel when you have a 2006 VW Golf, a little ingenuity and a questionable sense of adventure?
We've discovered that the real fun isn't necessarily where we're going. Sometimes it's figuring out how to do perfectly ordinary things in a ridiculously small space.
Welcome to the Gnu Mobile Spa.
Hot shaves and questionable hairdos
Albania started brilliantly. Gorgeous mountains, a peaceful, perfectly flat sleeping spot, and — hold onto your hats — clean flushing toilets WITH SEATS that could handle toilet paper!
After Greece, this felt positively luxurious.
Cotty's daily hero quests involve finding good water and keeping our collection of gizmos charged. Mine involve figuring out how many household activities we can squeeze into the Gnu.
First experiment: Cotty's inaugural in-car hot shave.
A roaring success!
Next: washing my hair out the passenger door.
Results? Cleanish.
Room for improvement, but another skill acquired. LOL.
We could find a hotel or a proper shower. That's not really the point. The challenge of making our tiny home work is half the fun.
At least for me. Hopefully Cotty agrees. ;)
Tirana: Rules? What rules?
Driving in Tirana was an experience.
Traffic seemed to operate on a system known only to the participants. Cotty handled it like a champ.
We climbed around the wonderfully odd Pyramid of Tirana, where Cotty tested the so-called slide. The video suggests this particular attraction might benefit from a safety review. LOL.
We also checked out the Cloud art installation, a nearby bunker and an almost deserted shopping mall.
Quite the assortment.
That evening, we found another quiet spot just off the highway. Peaceful, apart from my imagination supplying visions of little critters chewing through the Gnu's wiring.
Thankfully, the Gnu survived the night.
Morning brought torrential rain, so we found an outdoor laundry, tackled a pile of little chores and emerged feeling wonderfully productive.
Clean clothes, cleanish hair, reasonably clean Gnu.
We're practically a luxury resort.
Welcome to Montenegro. Please wait.
After our surprisingly effortless entry into Albania, we hoped the next border would be equally painless.
Ha!
The Montenegrin officials took our passports and car documents, didn't like the registration, and left us sitting for what felt like ages.
Eventually, everything was returned.
No explanation. No instructions.
So we drove away.
Cotty would like it officially recorded that the border building was a fabulous light purple with flowers on it.
Even bureaucratic limbo can have flair.
And Montenegro?
GORGEOUS.
The coastal drive was spectacular, even beneath gloomy skies. Dramatic mountains, beautiful water and winding roads with frustratingly few opportunities to stop for photographs.
We could only imagine how incredible it would look in sunshine.
That night we found a gorgeous sleeping spot beside the water.
Then came the wind and rain.
And the next morning, just as we were preparing to leave, the Gnu had something to say.
CHECK ENGINE.
Oh, Gnu.
We pulled over, added a tiny bit of oil and found a Croatian garage to investigate.
Our journey suddenly involved a little more mechanical uncertainty and a little less carefree mountain driving.
But first, another border.
Leaving Montenegro was fairly straightforward. Entering Croatia involved both of us climbing out into the wind to have our photographs taken.
Very glamorous.
So far, our tiny travelling household has survived dubious slides, improvised hairdressing, wild traffic, bureaucratic mysteries and an increasingly opinionated dashboard.
Not bad for a little Golf.
Croatia, here we come. Please be gentle with the Gnu! :)
