Berlin had been high on our list for ages. A vibrant city full of history, culture, and nightlife; what’s not to love? We were ready. Parked just outside the city the night before, we were all set for a full day of sightseeing, followed by a night out dancing. The plan was perfect. But as seasoned travellers know: plans are just polite suggestions to the universe.

Not even an hour into the drive, Lennard felt something was off with the brakes. They still worked, but not the way they should. That hunch turned into panic when, during a firm braking moment on the highway, nothing happened. Zero response....
Thankfully, Lennard managed to slow us down using the engine brake and steer the van safely onto a roadside parking area.😮‍💨

Crossing into Poland: a sudden van breakdown

When our Berlin road trip hit the brakes

Enter the ANWB. Thank heavens for European coverage. As we waited, something heartwarming happened: several locals pulled over to ask if we needed help. And two of them, both car mechanics, as it turned out, lived just 100 meters away. With the help of Google Translate, we understood each other, and they immediately offered to help

We attempted to drive to their workshop, but the van wasn’t going anywhere. So they brought their entire toolkit to us. Just as they were getting started, the ANWB arrived, and thankfully, they were more than happy to hand over the job (and even lent some tools).

A quick check didn’t show anything catastrophic. The brakes had returned to some function, but we didn’t trust it and neither did we trust the reviews we’d read about German garages. So we decided to head to Poland, just 25 minutes further. Maybe there we’d find a garage we could actually rely on.

We limped across the border, crawling forward, fully alert. A few more minutes to the village garage… and then a strange noise. The brake jammed completely. We came to a slow, awkward stop on the outskirts of a sleepy Polish village. No more forward motion.

The Polish mechanics quickly found the problem, but parts had to be ordered. We were allowed to sleep on their land, which felt like a gift, but the next day we got bad news: it would take two weeks for the parts to arrive. Two weeks! With that, they advised us to find another garage, and so the ANWB came back the following day with a flatbed truck to transport us to a new spot.

This “garage” turned out to be a dusty lot packed with broken cars and old engine parts; not exactly confidence-inspiring. Still, the mechanic jumped into action, quickly diagnosed the issue, and confirmed that parts were needed. But just our luck: the next day was a national holiday. No deliveries. We'd have to wait until Friday

Stranded at a village garage for two weeks

So we waited, on the greasy, grimy yard, with no cafés, no Wi-Fi, and very little charm. We played card games to kill the time.
We drank wine. We tried not to let the mood drop. When Friday finally came, the mechanic got to work, and for a brief moment it seemed like the van was fixed. But no. The final part didn’t fit. The correct version wouldn’t arrive until next Wednesday. You could almost hear the air leaving our sails🥴

By Sunday, the sun was blazing and our patience thin. We needed a break, literally and figuratively. So we jumped on our bikes to cycle to a lake an hour away. Fifteen minutes in, we hit an unexpected obstacle: a military base, not marked on any map. No way through.

Determined, we tried to detour across a field, hoping to loop around. But the military zone stretched on forever. Eventually we gave up, turned around, and found another lake instead. And you know what? It turned out to be just what we needed 🏖

We swam. We lay in the sun. We exhaled. That evening we shared a delicious pizza at a small lakeside spot and cycled back to the camper with sun-kissed skin and lightened hearts

Lakeside escape: cycling past a military detour

It wasn’t the week we’d planned. Far from it. Berlin would have to wait. But what we got in return was a humbling reminder: kindness is universal, detours can be beautiful, and sometimes the best stories are the ones you never meant to write.

🌟 Highlight

The kindness of Polish people, they were very helpful! And also the two dogs at the garage, they provided some much needed animal love.

😬 Low point

The disappointment of the spare parts that didn't fit and which would arrive very late as well, and to be honest the whole situation of being stuck with the camper.

🏕 Best overnight spot

On the farm of the Polish meganic

🔥 Chaosmeter

9/10 - dirty surroundings, a big mess in the camper and no possibilities to do something about it

📊 Total score

2/10 – Everything around being stranded with a broken camper almost made us cry, but Sunday made it a bit better

See you on the road!

– Anne & Lennard 🦋

Casa Mariposa meter - week 3