Bled Castle overlooking Lake Bled, Slovenia

The day started with a cappuccino in Venice, our spirits as high as the tide. Shehzadi, our trusty Toyota Tundra, and Chetak, the Odyssean Journey Toyota Hilux, were humming with anticipation. Today we would not just cross one, but two international borders — three countries, a shimmering lake, a wine-soaked sunset and at least six kinds of road trip snacks.

We were headed for Slovenia, then into Croatia, in one of the most charming cross-border days of our Silk Road expedition so far. The route was postcard-perfect: Venice → Valico di Sant’Andrea → Lake Bled → Ljubljana → Maribor → Obrežje border → Zagreb.

Luigi Bevilacqua Silk Weaving Mill, Venice, Italy

We woke up in the alpine calm of our campground near Chandolin, the birds chirping, the air so fresh it could probably be bottled and sold to stressed-out city folks. After a hearty breakfast (which may or may not have included a final farewell fondue), we bid adieu to the legacy of Ella Maillart, slung our packs into Shehzadi, our ever-reliable Toyota Tundra and hit the road with our fellow adventurers Odyssean Journey in Chetak, their Toyota Hilux Invincible-X.

Sierre, Switzerland

Our heading? Italy! But not the usual boring border crossing with passport stamps and yawns. Nope. We decided to ride through the belly of the Alps — literally — on the Autoverlad Brig-Iselle car train, rocketing through the legendary Simplon Tunnel like caffeinated hobbits in pickups.

Chandolin, Switzerland

We broke camp at sunrise near Lyon, France, the sky just beginning to blush behind the mountains and the air sharp enough to wake even the sleepiest overlander. Today was the day we (a) visited the famous Silk Museum of Lyon, France and (b) traveled into Switzerland through Charlie Chaplin and Ella Maillart territory. The next chapter of our Silk Road expedition was calling and it came with silk artesans, alpine peaks, endless switchbacks and the promise of standing in the shadow of the Matterhorn and visiting the Chandolin home of legendary Swiss traveler Ella Maillart.

Pont Séjourné viaduct, Fontpédrouse, Pyrénées-Orientales, France

We woke up in our pine-nestled campsite next to Spain's border with Andorra in the Pyrenees, to the sound of mountain silence, which is to say: the occasional bird call, a rustle of wind through pine needles, and Chetak squeaking every time Odyssean Journey rolled over in their rooftop tent. The air was crisp, almost alpine-sharp, and it smelled faintly of woodsmoke and damp moss. Shehzadi, our ever-stoic Toyota Tundra, had a light coat of dew. It was the kind of morning that feels borrowed from a postcard.

Coffee was brewed, stretches were stretched, and sleepy grins passed between our two overlanding couples. The Vagabond Couple and the Odyssean Journey were back on the road. Today’s mission: leave Spain behind (temporarily), enter the fairytale micronation of Andorra, fuel up, caffeinate, and then keep pushing toward France. Because that’s what you do on the Silk Road—follow the stories wherever they lead.

Pyrenees foothills at La Farga de Moles, Lleida, Spain - Andorra Border

Let’s get one thing straight—this wasn’t just another scenic road trip through Spain. This was a turbo‑charged Silk Road detour with two overlanding couples, two over‑equipped trucks, and about a hundred impulsive detours. Think: ancient Roman ruins, mountain witches, haunted walnut orchards, paella feuds, flat tires, and one suspiciously enthusiastic goat farmer. Buckle up, because this leg of the Vagabond Couple’s Silk Road ride went full Iberian madness.

Ksar es-Seghir

Fresh off the blue-drenched high of Chefchaouen, the Vagabond Couple and Shehzadi found themselves chasing a different rhythm. Gone were the dreamlike alleyways and chilled-out cats of the mountain town. The road (here's a map) pulled them westward, toward the sea, into lands that had seen too much and still stood proud: Tetouan, elegant and stubborn and Ksar es-Seghir, tiny but heavy with centuries.

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Somewhere between continents and centuries, history and myth, we rolled Shehzadi off the ferry deck in Tanger, waved at the sprawling skyline and felt it in our bones: this was no ordinary crossing. This was a threshold. A leap. A portal into Africa. And with that, the next chapter of our overland odyssey — one that began in the Caucasus mountains of Georgia, crossed the Bosporus into Europe and zigzagged west — began again (map). The Silk Road, in all its winding, tangled glory, was calling.

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Our return to Morocco (we arrived on a boring airplane the last time) was to be our launch point across the African leg of this ancient artery and no place better to start than Chefchaouen — the blue dream tucked into the mountains of the Rif. But first, we had to get there. And like all things with us Vagabonds, the journey matters just as much as the destination.

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Natural map of Africa at sea-facing entrance to Hercules Caves in Tangier, Morocco

After days of rolling across continents with Shehzadi, our ever-faithful Toyota Tundra pickup, we finally rumbled into Tangier, Morocco, Africa disembarking a ferry from Algeciras, Spain, Europe under a lavender North African sunset. We'd made it. From Asia to Europe and now to Africa (here's a map). A quick night in a cozy hotel tucked between bustling streets and sea breezes gave us the reset we needed. Morning came with the scent of salt and coffee and we were ready to let Tangier tell its story.

Statue of Ibn Battuta at his Museum in Medina of Tangier, Morocco

Rock of Gibraltar

🇬🇪➡️🇲🇦 The Vagabond Couple: From the Black Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar — One Tundra, Two Dreamers, and a Whole Lot of “You Drove From Where?!” 🚗🌍

This leg of our trans-continental Asia-Europe-Africa road trip (MAP) continues from us overlanding to Spain from Georgia (see From Greece to Spain (via Italy): Our Grand European Road & Ferry Journey) and takes us from the Andalusian coast to the gates of Africa — with Shehzadi, our trusty Toyota Tundra with Georgian plates (yes, Georgia the country on the Black Sea), handling every curve, checkpoint, and curious stare like a champ.

Igoumenitsa Ferry Terminal, Greece

Buckle up, fellow vagabonds and armchair adventurers! We recently embarked on a rather ambitious (some might say "bonkers") cross-continental dashcam odyssey (MAP), taking us from the sun-drenched shores of Greece via a detour into North Macedonia & Skopje (see 🚙 From Greece to North Macedonia and Back: Skopje Adventures in Shehzadi! 🇬🇷➡️🇲🇰➡️🇬🇷), all the way to the vibrant landscapes of Spain, with a delightful (and slightly chaotic) pit stop in Italy. This wasn't just a trip; it was a testament to our enduring love for ferries, questionable navigation, and the sheer joy of watching Europe whiz by from the comfort of our… well, dashcam!