Since this is a big and important change for Wapobeauty which I have also shared on my Instagram account @Wapobeautyschool  I simply had to the opportunity to document this significant chapter in my life. If you are thinking about a road trip of this type you might find  this post helpful.

I have recently enjoyed a long beautiful road trip with my husband and youngest daughter. We have moved back to Spain from Ireland and decided to drive from Dublin to Malaga. As incredible as it might sound, yes it is possible to do this journey by car. It feels daunting at the beginning but once carefully planned and budgeted it is a matter of just doing it . We knew it will take nearly a week to get to Malaga. We took the decision as part of the transition between old and new stage in our lives after living nearly fourteen years in Dublin. I couldn’t just jump on a plane, I wanted to make the experience count not only for me but also for my husband and teenage daughter.

The itinerary was Dublin ,Ireland to Holyhead, UK with Irish Ferries, then drive down through the UK to the port of Dover with an overnight stop in Birmingham to split the journey in half . We stayed in Kinghurst a peaceful quite neighbourhood just beside a Lake and Natural Park in a little cosy house.

In Dover we took a delightfully short trip with DFDS Ferries to Calais, France. We stayed overnight in a sort of hotel/apartment/residence. Nothing fancy however comfortable enough to rest and get back to the road. Warning! At this stage I realized that I was carrying way too much luggage on this journey for just one night stops. Being the first time I took a journey like this you learn as you go . This is where minimalist thinking comes in , not only with clothes,  but skincare , haircare and other bits. Although it is difficult to know what to wear in three different countries and with three different climates. I Will elaborate more about skincare further down.

After an overpriced coffee and croissant  on a  rainy cloudy morning in Calais, we bought a couple of French traditional baguettes with charcuterie using my little knowledge of French language. My French is based on the words that look similar to Spanish, other than that I am totally lost. Have to say it was quite helpful.

We set off  to Tours through the rural cute French villages for two reasons : the tolls in France are very expensive and we wanted to experience the little villages, stopping to eat some fromage and observe the quirky attitude of the French.

That night we booked a place to stay that I absolutely must share with you . It was without a doubt the most beautiful accommodation experience of the whole trip. Pretty, impeccable and luxurious with a personalized breakfast in the garden . It is a stylish affordable guest house an the guys who run the place happen to speak Spanish and English.  The room was designed with personality and to the detail.  Les Mazeraies is an area called Savonnières outside Tours , a beautiful town we passed through. I wonder why we did not stay two nights , it was totally worth it . It also had a small Spa with jacuzzi and sauna in a conservatory area looking at the private gardens.  If you are in the West side of France you must pay a visit to this place. Simply exquisite experience in every way.

After the tasty and amazing breakfast we headed off in the direction of Bordeaux through the stunning sunflower fields and quaint  French villages. We stopped in Mansle for a petit planche and stayed overnight in Eysines which is in the suburbs of Bordeaux. Quick note, my 14 y/o daughter got a nasty attack of 8 mosquito bites and apply tea tree essential oil directly on the bites. See further below my road trip skincare routine.

Afterwards we arrived to St. Jean de Luz absolutely famished ,this is a very pretty and expensive posh town  in the  South West Coast of France where I paid  20 euros  for a small plate of paella. Exquisite though . We stayed in Biarritz and contemplated the most beautiful sunset on a beach cliff.
At this point we crossed the border into Spain and  passed through Gipuzkoa in the Basque country and  down through Burgos and then onto Madrid . We stayed  overnight in Hotel El Reston  and enjoyed 32 degrees of real summer temperature and my first dip of the year in the pool . An impeccable, modern great value hotel only half our from Madrid city centre that I fully recommend.

This was the last night in a hotel , the following day we were determined to make it to Malaga in four hours. The air conditioning did not function in the car for some reason  and we drove through Jaen and Cordoba . Yes very hot indeed. However driving around Spain is very handy as you have plenty of petrol stations , restaurants, ventas, to stop for food, drink and refreshing ice creams at super affordable prices. The total journey took six days and my husband drove 2.840 km. The credit goes to him , I was only a co-pilot supplying water and food.

My road trip skincare routine made easy and simple

• Cleanser oil with Jojoba and Castor oil. Easy peasy product to make and  use as a make up and sun cream remover. Learn how to make it in my starter online course
• Face Mist Spray to keep in the car. Keep in the fridge overnight if possible. The mist contains different molecular weight of hyaluronic acid which it has a powerful skin hydration benefit. Learn how to make this professional formula it in my complete online skincare course
• Face Moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, allantoin, natural oils and flower extracts. Learn how to make it in my complete online skincare course
• Lip Balm. Vegan luxurious silky  without beeswax. Learn how to make it in my starter online course
• Shampoo and conditioner bar . Follow the recipes and method  from my eBook

SOS skincare products

• After sun  and after care for  mosquito bites care Aloe Vera gel as the best SOS product all year around
• Essential oil kit for travelling containing the basics which are tea tree, lavender, lemon, bergamot, frankincense . Remember you can apply Tea tree oil  and Lavender neat on mosquito bites.

The takeaway

One backpack  only on my next road trip.