Autor: Carsten Nolte

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Visiting cities and villages of Marocco (October 2025)

Hello all!

On October 2nd 2025, we arrived in a group of 4 vehicles in the harbor of Tanga, our starting point for travelling the west coast of Africa. The first country on the list was Marocco where we planned to travel for circa 3 months. The idea was to visit the villages and cities (this blogpost) but especially the deserts and mountain areas (next blogpost).

…before I continue with the blogpost 😉 …
@ all Overlander: please check the brand-new „Overlander-Base„! Your Central Hub for Trusted Overlanding Sources (Web-Links)

The cities of TĂ©touan, Chefchaouen, Fez, SalĂ©, Marrakesh, Zagora, Tafraout, Tarfaya and Al Daklah were a great mix of bigger and smaller locations to visit. Our favorite city in Morocco clearly was ‚Fez‘ with its little alleys and totally confusing passways through the old town. No chance to use Google Maps because there is no GPS signal able to reach into the alleys. Anyway, Fez is a wonderful traditional city, not too much poisoned by tourism. We enjoyed the daily city life, markets/ souks, restaurants and a lot of Moroccan atmosphere. Often we could smell a scent of hashish in the air. Also ‚Chefchaouen‘ (the blue city in the mountains) was worth a visit (they painted most of the buildings in the central area blue, what gave a great picture during sunset).

From the culinary point of view there is not too much to tell: surely the ‚thĂ© de ment‘ and the olives were great, also the couscous, the tajine, the traditional soup and the ’salade Moroccan‘ plus the ‚chicken with fries‘. But there was not much more. That food was great, but the variety of food in the restaurants generally was pretty limited. What we liked much was the vivant atmosphere in the souks, five times a day accompanied by the call of the muezzin that you do hear wherever people live, even in the smallest villages. Carsten, the biggest fan of camels, was very happy to – more and more often – could meet his great humped friends in the streets (even more outside the settlements).

Travelling with the truck works well. Not to many interruptions by the police, sometimes they wanted to chase us away at night times. Here and there the streets were in pretty bad shape, but overall we could easily voyage through the country. As expected for Africa the „begging“ started in Morocco what could kill your nerves (kids are always asking for ‚gateau‘ or ’stylo‘). It was helpful to shape our Frensh language skills a bit in advance of our trip (thanks to Duolingo) so communication was possible (even if our Frensh still was very rusty).

Greetings from
Heike & Carsten

(–> Text ĂŒbersetzen in Deutsch)

Here you find some pictures from Marocco (cities)

To see full-size pictures and comments please
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on the thumbnails!

Do not miss it!

@ all Overlander: please check the brand-new
„Overlander-Base„!
Your Central Hub for Trusted Overlanding Sources (Web-Links)

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France & Spain, let’s start again to travel the world (September 2025)

Hello all!

Finally, after our maintenance-break in Germany, we were on the road again in September 2025, and we were happy about that! The way to the ferry to Morocco (from Algeciras) needed us to head to south. But we could not stay away: we had to pay France a brief visit, at least for 2 weeks. We wanted to see the Atlantik at La Rochelle before we finally turned to the south of Europe. France is well known for it’s great food, wonderful cheese, yummy pĂątĂ©s, crunchy baguette and even better for the red win. As you can imagine, it was unavoidable for us to visit France. We had a great time and the opportunity to fresh up our Frensh language skills in preparation for the African west coast, where we definitely would need Frensh to communicate with the locals. Restarting our overlander-trip towards Africa, starting in France, just was the best idea!

Heading further south, we were scheduled to stop in the Rioja region, in Spain, at the house of our travel-buddys ‚Carlos & Magy‘ with whom we planned to do our Africa-trip. That stop was not just to pick them up, but also to jointly fit new tires at our trucks before we leave towards Africa (we ordered a huge pile of Continental truck tires, delivered to Carlos‘ house). Usually you would say ‚let’s quickly install the new tires‘. But as always, when the plan starts with the words ‚let’s quickly
‘ something has to go wrong. And so it happened: while installing, one of the tires ‚exploded‘ down from the rims 
 very dangerous! Fortunately, we only got minor injuries. 4 days later the tires were finally installed (by a truck-tire workshop-team, 
we did not liked to do that anymore
 we then concentrated our focus on Spanish „Chorizo“ and „Rioja red wine“).

Anyway: with new tires installed (and a lot of delicious Rioja wine bottles stored in the truck) we started our decent to the ferry in Algeciras. There we met in a group of 5 trucks that planned to travel together in Africa, starting in Morocco in October 2025.

Greetings from
Heike & Carsten

(–> Text ĂŒbersetzen in Deutsch)

Here you find some pictures from France & Spain

To see full-size pictures and comments please
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on the thumbnails!

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Germany – Maintenance, Family & Friends (June 2025)

Hello all!

Travelling our way from Asia to Africa we were glad that we had to cross Germany. A wonderful opportunity to meet family & friends (and colleagues too) plus Wischnewski was happy to receive proper treatment after 4 years on the road.

When you get back to your home country there are many things to do besides meeting people: seeing the dentist and other medics for all kinds of treatment, checkups etc. needs a lot of time since (big surprise) it is hard to get appointments. So, we spend some weeks in the region of Goettingen and Kassel where we have the best connections to the medics. It was a very good opportunity to also meet friends & family.

Besides the medics-run we spend a lot of time in workshops to upgrade Wischnewski. After 4 years we got clear impressions of what is missing: new (glass) windows and hatches, a washing machine, new Starlink + router + antenna, extra charger, new toilette (yes!! 
@Axel: now no more never-ending-horror-stories of the old vacuum-flush-toilet :-)), new dashcam, new alarm system, a coffee-machine, new mattresses. There was also a lot to be checked towards the basic truck: TÜV, fix steering, new shock absorber, new tires, new alternator, fix breaks. We also got a new motorcycle (500ccm Honda, wow!). That was a lot of work, and it also did cost a good bunch of money (but we were happy to invest since most of the upgrades will bring substantial benefit).

Since we left Germany in August 2021 a lot has changed familywise, so returning ‚home‘ now gave us a special feeling since vital parts of that home did disappear since 2021: Heikes father and Carstens mother. So, returning home was different. The family did get much smaller. What made us very happy was meeting again a lot of our (very faithful) friends – they were all very much willing to meet – we liked that very much! It was a great pleasure to meet our friends in Ellwangen, Kassel, Göttingen, DĂŒsseldorf, Korschenbroich, Grevenbroich, Frankfurt und Usingen. Very pleasant meetings with great hospitality: THANK ALL OF YOU very much! And even if we already mentioned in our last posts: we loved to enjoy all that wonderful food that is available in Germany. You may not be aware, but Germany (West-Europe countries) are a kind of wonderland when it comes to the variety of food that you can purchase. You cannot compare it to countries outside (West-) Europe. This is a big plus for the Germans (don’t forget!). And then all the different kinds of restaurants available, this is another wonderland (believe us, you do not have this in Arabia, Persia, India, or Africa!). Beside the friends & family we also got the chance to meet a lot of colleagues. Even if we had a lot of video calls during the last 4 years, it was (of course) a big difference to sit physically together and chat, while having a nice meal or just having a drink together. After all that time working ‚online / on video‘ it also was a great moment for me to get the opportunity to present at the meeting of the ‚German Digital Board Advisors‘ about ‚New Mobile Work-Life‘ (our trip and how working as a Management Advisor works on the road) – nothing better than real meetings with real people 😉

Altogether we spent 3,5 (packed) months in Germany – and we loved it! But we were also happy to be able to continue our trip towards Africa in September 2025 (after a big shopping tour 
German food, wine etc. 
 as much as we could put into Wisnewski’s trunk :-0). Restarting our trip meant: travelling through France and Spain towards the ferry to Morocco, that was waiting for us in Algeciras, South-Spain, together with the team of 5 vehicles that planned to travel together in Africa.

Greetings from
Heike & Carsten

(–> Text ĂŒbersetzen in Deutsch)

Here you find some pictures from Germany

To see full-size pictures and comments please
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on the thumbnails!

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Balkan, quick trip (May 2025)

Hello all!

After leaving Albania, we moved through the ‚Balkan‘, for us: five countries of that region in quick succession — Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Hungary. We were heading back to Germany for early-June appointments, which meant there was only little time for deeper exploration. Yet even in this condensed rhythm, we at least could get a little first impression of those countries.

Montenegro greeted us with mountain air and a calm border crossing (one of the things we really enjoy in Europe – easyborder crossings!). But we couldn’t look around very much since Wischnewski needed some care and we had to look for a workshop: there was a leak in the diesel system so that air could come into the system (that Wischnewski does not like, in the mountains he made ‚ufufuf‘ …). After rapairs were done we could continued into Biogradska Gora with it dense forests.

Bosnia and Herzegovina added contrast driven by its muslim influence. Mostar and Sarajevo were interesting to visit. …we parked at one of the old ’ski jump installations‘ of the Olympic Winter Games.

Croatia could only leave a little mark in our diary. But Zagreb could still impress because of its big historical marks.  

Hungary became the most eventful part of this fast route north. A great surprise it was to meet some family members in Hungary. That was an unexpected pleasure! But shortly after arriving in Hungary, Carsten broke one of his front teeth — an incident that required several days of treatment. Fortunately, Hungary is known for its competent dental care, so professional help could be found quickly in the city of Soporon.

Looking back, our passage through these four countries was shorter than we would have wished. But despite the tempo  each place left an imprint. Even when rushing, there was always something to appreciate.

Greetings from
Heike & Carsten

(–> Text ĂŒbersetzen in Deutsch)

Here you find some pictures from Balkan

To see full-size pictures and comments please
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on the thumbnails!

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Wonderful Albania (April 2025)

Hello all!

Albania greeted us with a simplicity that immediately felt welcoming. The border crossing was quick and calm, setting the tone for the weeks ahead. Afterward, our navigation system guided us onto a mountain road that grew steadily narrower — not an ideal setting for a truck. With a ditch on one side and a concrete ledge on the other, we had to stop. We got stuck! When the rain began, the situation became a bit stressful, yet the village nearby responded with remarkable pragmatism. People arrived with tools. We had to break our truck free by knocking down a part of the balcony where we got stuck. No problem for the villagers, they were so helpful. And when we could move the truck again …we first had to come in to have a coffee and a grappa 😉 This moment remains unforgettable because it reflected the natural warmth and sincerity we repeatedly encountered throughout Albania.

Another defining aspect of Albania is its food. In many regions, the quality is reminiscent of Tuscany — not in style, but in essence. Vegetables, meat, and baked goods often come directly from local farmers. You can taste the freshness and the straightforward approach to ingredients. The taste really is different! The prices are moderate, and the excellent food adds an understated richness to the travel experience.

Perhaps it is this combination of authenticity, good cuisine, and genuine hospitality that makes Albania one of our favorite travel destinations. Nothing feels artificial or staged. The country presents itself honestly, without trying to impress. People are open, friendly, and sincerely interested in their guests.

For overlanders, Albania offers exceptional variety — with one important note: mountain roads require attention. They are often scenic and impressive, yet at times narrow enough that larger vehicles should plan carefully. Those who do will find landscapes ranging from rugged mountains to coastal plains, each with its own distinct atmosphere.

At the end of a day, when the sun sets behind the mountains and the calm of the landscape settles in, the uniqueness of this country becomes tangible. 

We are certain: we will return!

Greetings from
Heike & Carsten

(–> Text ĂŒbersetzen in Deutsch)

Here you find some pictures from Albania

To see full-size pictures and comments please
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on the thumbnails!