My weekend trip through France ended on a Sunday evening in a calm parking lot at the outskirts of Barcelona.
The area was perfect to spend a couple of days in Barcelona.
It was quiet and sunny while I was working during the day,
yet close enough to reach the city center in 15 minutes by bike to meet friends and go to concerts in the evenings.
I really liked Barcelona. Although I was mostly working during the week, I was able to meet a few co-workers and friends living in the area of Barcelona. When I didn’t meet someone for lunch, I often walked up the hill behind the parking lot that offered a nice view over the city.
During the weekends, there was more time to go out with my friends 
or cycle along the coast.
We also tried to go surfing in Masnou. Unfortunately, the waves weren’t as high as forecasted, so we just ended up spending a relaxed evening at the coast.
Approaching Madrid
After spending two sunny weeks with my friends in Barcelona, I left the Catalan capital on a Saturday morning headed to Madrid to visit more friends. Probably attracted by the striking name of the coastal town, I stopped in Peñíscola for a lunch break and refueling.
The old fortified seaport looked really nice.
I spent a little time exploring its narrow alleys,
before hitting the road again headed to Valencia.
The scenery on my way to Valencia was very monotonous: ugly hotel complexes along the coast to the left,
and orange plantations to the right.
I didn’t feel like spending much more time in this area and wanted to see my friends in Madrid. Although the weather didn’t look great, I left Valencia behind and drove right into the rugged mountain chains of the Sistema Ibérico.
It was slightly snowing when I arrived on a mountain near Cuenca 1080 meters above sea level. The lights of Cuenca created a mysterious atmosphere.
I had a nice view over the canon and the city when I woke up the next day.
Cuenca seemed like a nice city. Several buildings were built right next to the rim of the canon.
As the weather was cold and rainy, I didn’t spent much time in Cuenca and drove towards Madrid after breakfast.
Visiting Madrid
It was great to visit Madrid with a van again. I parked my van in parking lots at Casa de Campo like I did more than two years ago. Everything felt familiar.
Although it was raining most of the time, I spent a great week with all my friends from Madrid that I haven’t seen for awhile. Good times! 
Leaving the Spanish mainland
I enjoyed the time in Madrid a lot, but the weather wasn’t joyful at all. So, I left the Spanish capital headed south to the Atlantic ocean.
Expect for a short stop at a gas station I spent a whole day driving from Madrid to Huelva where the weather wasn’t much better.
I found a calm parking lot in front of the José Celestino Mutis Botanical Park where I ordered a ferry ticket to Lanzarote, one of Spain’s Canary Islands.
I boarded the ferry in the next morning.
I was ready for Spain’s sunny islands located in the West of Africa! 
