DUNE DI PISCINAS: We took a deliberate step back here over the Easter lockdown. In our contribution Travel in Sardinia in times of Corona we have reported that a German Unimog driver, here in Sardinia, was threatened with lynching. Therefore, we have deliberately sought peace and seclusion. Social Distancing of the finest. But are we also at risk here? One hears so much, not only of attacks on campers, but also of robbery with stun gas. But a Gas attack, is it possible at all*? And if so, here? We are neither at the Krka Falls, nor at a rest area in the south of France.

The desert landscape in the southwest of Sardinia seems quiet and peaceful. A paradise, not only for off-road fans. One of the most beautiful beaches in the world, with a sand dune more than twenty meters high. The landscape around the red river reminds a little of the savannahs of Africa. But is everything really as peaceful as it seems? Or is there an underlying danger of which we have no idea?

On a small promontory called "su pistoccu" (the cookie) there is a VW camper. Next to it an old ruin. Lonely places like this are the dream of every freestyler. But what if? Just a romantic embrace and in the next moment a shot bangs, tearing the rear window in half. The beloved partner is suddenly covered in blood. But this is only the beginning of a heinous, bloodthirsty massacre.

Oh, what? What could happen to us? These are the kind of horror stories you laugh at, aren't they? But this horror story is unfortunately true. It happened in the very place where we just spent two days. The place we thought was the perfect place to spend the night. Wild & free.

That's exactly how Marie and Siegfried must have felt about him. Because the two of them were standing here before us. Long before us, it was the night of September 2, 1982. Instead of a VW T6.1, there was a VW T2 Westfalia. A Volkswagen camper, just like ours. It was the van of Siegfried Heilmann, then 41, a successful banker from Munich. He was said to have two passions, surfing and women.

On board Marie Heide Jager, a 25-year-old social worker. The press at the time wrote: Heide Marie pursued a dream of love. Dark brown hair, which was cut into a bob. Very blue and transparent eyes like crystal and a fair complexion. She knew that this man with whom she had started this journey to the "end of the world" was married and had two children. And she also knew that when his wife found out about their relationship, she angrily said to her husband, "I don't want to see you dead or alive anymore."

So the two were lovers. When they are found two days later, the bullet wounds are unmistakable. On Marie's body there are also traces of sexual violence. One of the most brutal murders in Sardinia. The case ended up in all the newspapers, Italian and German, and remained the focus of local news for weeks.

The mysterious murderer was immediately christened "The Monster of Arbus" by the publications. From Germany came a team of investigators who assisted the Carabinieri in the investigation. The last days of the two lovers were reconstructed and "their sweetest and most intimate secrets" immediately ended up in the newspapers. All the clues of the investigation were followed.

Even the most imaginative ones. It was even believed that jealousy had caused Siegfried's wife to hire a killer to kill her unfaithful husband and his young mistress. Only years later does a local shepherd turn out to be the brutal killer. As we stand in this place, we know nothing of any of this. Nor anything about the fact that the reason, was probably an accidentally run over dog of the shepherd. Please dear God, let us not run over dog, nor sheep, nor goat.

It is a quiet, peaceful place, just like in September 1982. But we are already a little dreading it. Two days later, we are standing all alone again on a square by the sea. I just did some research on this case. Today it is cold and dark out there. So that our interior lighting is not visible from a distance, we have brought forward the blackout. It's bedtime.

Suddenly we hear a whirring noise. The blackout moves a little. We look at each other in amazement. Is someone trying to break into our car. I grab the flashlight, jump out of the bus stark naked and search the surroundings. When I climb back into the bus shortly afterwards, my pulse is racing. We haven't seen anyone, but what if we had?

Later, we put together the more likely variant. Torgit sat on the radio key with her little butt. If you not only accidentally unlock the car, but keep the pressure on, the windows open. Technology that inspires. How would you have felt if you had fallen asleep?

Our bus is a SpaceCamper. Thus, the name is program. Here, if one of us feels uncomfortable, we immediately change the location. And the often named rest areas in the south of France we would basically avoid. Before a gas attack we have less concern, because our pop-up roof is very well ventilated. us back to the question from above, does that go at all? In this regard we found a contribution Gas attacks on campers - What's really on it? from Isa is helpful. But regardless of that, we just pay attention to where we stand as far as possible.

But you don't always find the perfect place for the night. And not everything is always as it seems. But this time it seemed to us even more than successful. Sure, we've had beautiful places before. But this one was and is something very special. Camper like an eagle is the best way to describe it. Because like an eagle's nest, we have a breathtaking view of the landscape, rocks, in the background the Dune di Piscinas and the sea.

A feeling of freedom and adventure. And a real one, not one from an advertisement. So this place becomes our new home for a short time. Wild & free. The next day we climb over the rocks to the sea. Even from below, our place is beautiful. Lonely, yet peaceful. The next two days we don't see a soul. On the third day two enduros pass by. Then we have peace. At least until the next day. Then the police comes. But this is another story. This we report later on our blog.

PS: To make the gloomy thoughts go away: We came across another video for this commercial in the aftermath. This is from HERMAN ON THE ROAD. We found it very sympathetic and above all encouraging. Surely just what you need to finish this article.