​April 27 - May 3. We are looking forward to the last week. The joy of lifting the spears is great, finally you can move around again without papers (so shopping is fun again 😊). Spring and the blooms in the garden are a blessing.

​On May 6th we go on a trip again after a long time. The lockdown saved us a ton of diesel 😊. We drive to the south (Chora Sfakion) in our region. A short hike of 12km on the famous E4 hiking trail. After so long we are a bit out of breath and the heat doesn't help. The goal was to visit the village of Loutro. This can only be reached on foot or by ship. Because of Covid, people were rather unfriendly towards us tourists. In the end, we could fill up our water bottles on outside faucet (thank you!) On the way back, we enjoyed the sweet water beach.

​The car needs cleaning.

​May 10, 4 little cats were born today. Unfortunately, the last kitten did not survive the birth.

​A little journey of discovery through our shopping village and eating ice cream.

​May 11-17. A wind from Africa is coming and it brings us sand and a heat wave up to 40 ° C. With these temperatures we go to all the beaches worth seeing (Balos, Elafonisi) and have the unique chance to enjoy them alone. There are usually 1000s of tourists in these places.

Travel will be possible again from the end of May, so we booked our onward journey today. The ferry will go to Santorini on June 4th (a surprise for the kids), stay on the island for 5 days and then take the ferry across to the mainland. We are very excited!
​
May 18-24. The heat wave is still going on. We enjoy the sea every day. From today, we go to a small beach (Kalami) which is 5 minutes away by car and which we visit and enjoy every day after work. It has a dock, from where the children can jump into the water.

May 30th. Today we drive to the east of Crete. On the way we visit Knossos. The oldest traces of the eight-meter-thick settlement layers date from the 7th millennium BC (6900-6600 BC). Immigrants, perhaps from Asia Minor, brought farm animals and plants to the southern Aegean for the first time. Their settlement probably only existed for a few centuries (200-400 years). This is followed by a find that dates to around 5700–5500 BC. The following new settlers show the typical cultural characteristics of the early Neolithic.  At the end of the 3rd millennium BC, smaller kingdoms developed on the island, as can be seen from the larger palace complexes in Phaistos, Malia, Knossos and Kato Zakros. The Palace of Knossos was built between 2100 and 1800 BC. Knossos was particularly tall, rich and magnificent.
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​31. May. Today we explore the small town of Limenas where we have our accommodation.

​June 1st. Today we asked the ferry company if they could reserve us a place for June 15th, and the answer: Unfortunately, no strangers are allowed to travel to the Greek islands until July 1st and the company does not offer trips until July 11th from Heraklion. Well, our dream of exploring Santorini without tourists falls into the water. We cannot and do not want to wait until July 11th.
 
June 2nd. In the morning we drive south and visit Ierapetra and Agios Nikolaos. We liked Agios Nikolaos a lot, it really gave us a holiday feeling, but also reminded us of the party resorts. We visited the bar “The Zep”, which a Swiss couple opened a few years ago.

​On the way back on June 4th we visit Heraklion. We like the city vibe and the great markets. A stop at the fish spa for the kids made their day. At 8 pm., we arrive in Aptera.

​On Sunday June 7th we drive to a green oasis, certainly something special for Crete when it is 35° to 40° C in summer and the landscape in Crete is brown. After a visit to the oasis and the small typical Crete village, we drive to Lake Kournas. To our surprise, there are only small beaches there, but a lot of pedal boat. We rent one and pedal around the lake and enjoy the fresh sweet water.

June 8-14. This week we want to finish all the little jobs. We decided to go to Souda this Thursday and buy a ferry ticket directly from Chania to Athens.
​
June 9th. A free day at work and we visit another breath-taking beach (Stefanou).

​Today on June 11th we are in Souda and buy a ticket directly from the Anek office. The ticket is for June 17th, so we can be sure that the EU countries have their borders in Europe open again and that our onward journey does not get stuck somewhere.
We go to the Kalami beach every day for a short time and the children made a gift for our friend Chrisoula to put in her canteen.

​On June 14th we have a bite to eat with our host and exchange memories, gratitude and tears.
 
June 15-21. The day of departure is getting closer and somehow it feels strange. Crete became our second home after 4 months. The toys are packed back into the box, clothes, stuffed animals and bed linen are freshly washed and packaged. Our donkey gets to work again 😊.
Today, June 17th, our ferry will leave the port at 10pm. We have all day to pack and go swimming again. The weather is nice and hot, but we have gusts up to 70km / h, hope the ferry leaves tonight. At 7pm, we have another meal with our host and than make our way to the port. The easiest check-in we ever experienced. Wearing masks is a must. After 10 minutes we are set in in our cabin. Good night!

​Good Morning! Today is June 18th and we have arrived quietly on the mainland. T. has a sore throat and is very tired. The air-conditioning in the cabin didn't do much good. Fortunately, we can check in for our overnight stay at 8:30am. T. lies in bed with a sore throat and temperature. She sleeps all day.

​June 19, T. is feeling better. We make our way towards Kalabaka, where our next overnight stay will be. On the way we stop at the monument in Marathon and the monument in Thermopylae.
The famous Metéora monasteries are in Kalabaka. These are an UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The entire complex consists of 24 individual monasteries and hermitage build on strange rock formation, of which only six are still inhabited today. The remaining eighteen monasteries are either too difficult to reach or have been abandoned due to the risk of collapse.

​On June 20th we will continue towards Thessaloniki. We will spend the night outside, more precisely in Kallikrateia. It is a smaller city and right by the sea. We go swimming for the last time at temperatures of 30 ° C. The apartment is not ideal, it has 2 bedrooms, but otherwise it is too small. The kitchen does not invite you to cook.

​June 21st. Today, we visit Thessaloniki. The 2nd largest city in Greece. Small and charming. The sea shore is pleasant and reminds us a bit of Biel.

​June 23rd. Today we leave Kallikrateia and thus Greece. Our way today leads us across the border to Bulgaria towards Sofia, where we are invited to spend the next 3 nights with couchsurfers. On the way, we visit one last archaeological park, named Pella. Pella is the birthplace of Alexander the Great. With this visit, we conclude the Greek history class.
A new era begins tomorrow!

​February 26, 6:30 a.m., our ferry arrives in Heraklion after 9.5 hours and 160km. We have landed on an island again. Crete is the largest island in Greece. It has a proud 1066 km of coastline and 623,065 inhabitants. The exciting thing about this island is that it has been inhabited for 130,000 years. 

​On our trip to Aptera we are amazed at how hilly this island is. We marvel the snow mountains in the middle of the island with our tired eyes, just perfect!

​On the way to our workaway place we shortly stop in Rethymno and Georgioupoli and nibble a small breakfast.

​At 1:00 p.m. we park our car in front of our apartment at the hotel Akrimios. We will help the landlord out for a month, so we get board & lodging (apartment with 2 bedrooms). We are tired and look forward to a quiet afternoon. After an hour, our hostess comes to greet with lunch in hand.

February 27th. It's Thursday and we're getting to work. We get the order to repaint and furnish apartment # 3 (small decorative details).
 
February 28th. I go shopping with our landlord. We have calculated the amount of colour and all material we need, now we are standing in the shop.
 
February 29th.We start painting the apartment. There are 4 rooms, we calculate for all the work about 3 weeks. C. prepares sack bags for us.

​Gouverneto Monastery, Katholiko Beach
Sunday March 1st. We park our car in front of the monastery. We cross the monastery garden, but do not visit the monastery, but continue walking down the mountain. On the way we encounter some caves that are used by the monks as places of prayer. After 20 minutes we come to a beautiful little stone beach. The view is heavenly and this blue water is simply wonderful.

Nopigia, hike “Cape Spathas / Rodopou”
The weather on March 2nd is great for a hike. I found this hike on Wikiloc. We pack a pick nick and off we go. We have no mobile internet since yesterday and I can no longer access my prepared hike. We try to find the route with my memory and Google Maps. The beginning runs like clockwork, but after a while we don't know what to do. We try to find our own way through scrub and bushes in the direction we want to go. We haven't found any hiking markings yet. We never came to the village of Rodopou, as we have been hiking for some time now and we do not know where the trail continues. So, we go back where we came from. The hike was nice.

​March 3rd-6th, we renovate apartment # 3 and visit our little beach.

​Chania
March 7th today I want to visit a farmer’s market in Chania. We leave early because the markets usually close at 1pm. We are parking our car right next to a street market. There, we discover a honey stand that fills your own honey jars you brought with you. Markets are worth a visit; I just love them. The next stop H&M, T. has grown and needs new underwear 😊. And we find new pants for C. Afterwards, we stroll, we pass by a covered market, one of the biggest on Crete and a tourist attraction, but we are not very enthusiastic (stands are closed, and we are almost the only ones, but it is only 11 a.m.). After a long walk through the old town of Chania, we will eat in a restaurant once again. Pablo and I share a Greek meat plate, with starter and dessert. Time to go home.

Ancient Aptera
March 8th. The village of Aptera and the old Aptera, which was inhabited 3400 years ago, are 20 minutes from our accommodation. 4 euros is the entrance for the four of us. We did see so many old stones in Sicily, but still finding it interesting. A little further there is a Turkish fortress, and from there a hiking trail down to the coast. The beginning of the trail is clearly visible, but after a while, we seek for the path and trying not to get scratched by the bushes. It is an experience. Once at the bottom, we pass a small beach (Kalami), where no one is. We rest for a few minutes and to cool down our feet.

March 9th-13th, we are continuing with the renovations. The children enjoy the beautiful weather. This week a young lady from Australia comes to the hotel and will help us.

Kalives
March 14th. Today we walk to the next village (Kalives) and beach, there we want to swim and shop. Just having a cosy afternoon.

Palaiochora
March 15th. We drive to the south side of Crete with Kate from Australia and visit a sandy beach there. The village is pretty and charming. We stroll through the village and discover various things, like Pablo a bakery 😊. We have lunch at the beach. The children splash and the adults rest, read, sleep ...

March 16th-22nd. There has been a lot of discussion since this Monday as to whether Greece should also introduce a lockdown. The Covid-19 is everyday conversation. On Tuesday, Pablo and I can go to the hairdresser. But we are standing in front of closed doors. The hairdresser decided to close today, already. Wednesday all shops except supermarkets, pharmacies etc. will close. On the weekend we stay at home against my will.

March 23rd-29th. Monday, from 6:00 a.m. there is a general lockdown! I'm a little angry that we spent the weekend at home. From now on we must carry a certificate paper with us if we want to go to the supermarket or having physical exercise, bah!
 
March 30rd-April 5th. We continue to work on the hotel and go to our small beach on hot, sunny days. Fortunately, we live in a hotel with a lot of space around and a small private beach where nobody sees us 😉.
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​April 13th-19th. The renovations are going very well, we have already painted, patched, decorated, and brought up three apartments. On Saturday we go to our landlord to give her wooden windows a new coat of paint. Easter is here on 19th. We go on a hike and happen to stop at our landlord’s place to celebrate Easter with her family. On this Easter weekend there was a total traffic ban here in Greece, so we just went on foot 😉. Groups of more than 10 people are also prohibited, this time we violated the prohibition, oh dear!

​April 20th-26th. The lockdown is not over yet, and it looks like we won't be going further on our travel until the end of May. The newspapers are talking about lifting the lockdown in our region beginning from May 4, and a general opening from May 18. Let's see! For the time being...
More pictures: photos.app.goo.gl/kka85GCM9LHw2GUx7

​​Patras
January 30th. At 6:30 a.m. we have stopover at the port of Igoumenitsa. Our journey continues soon, and we arrive in Patras at 2 p.m. At 3 p.m. we move into a small apartment for the next 2 nights. Tonight, we feel like to eat some gyros. We enter a nice restaurant in our district. The menu is only in Greek, but Google Translate helps us (more or less). Finally, we decided what we want to eat, we placed our order with Google Translate 30 minutes later. The food was excellent, and everyone enjoyed it. And the bill was rather thin 😊.
On January 31st we visit Patras, one of the most important port cities in the country. Patras has a population of around 220,000 people, makes it the third largest city in Greece. We stroll through the streets of the city centre and literally feel the vibe of this student town. It is wonderful to be in a big city without the car.

February 2nd. It's Sunday and day off! The workers group go for a walk to the old Megalopolis, to visit old stones 😊. This way you get to know each other a little better. The next night, we would like to get a warmer night, so we install electronic mattress heater (nightmare, it only has one outlet and 4 mattress heaters!) Luckily, we have our Duvets with us.

February 3rd, it's Monday and our first job starts. The Leto Hotel was painted last week, now the edges, floors, banisters must be cleaned and scraped off. These 5 hours are over in no time.

February 4th. Pablo is not happy with the accommodation. It is cold, the nights drop to 0 ° C and the room still stinks (even with Chantal's fragrance spray). In addition to the working in the hotel, all workawayers in the house still must work through the chores (cooking, dish washing, cleaning the bathroom, cleaning the outside area, etc.). We are looking for new accommodation as soon as possible.

February 7th. Our host Alex gets a visit from his family tonight. I get the chore to clean and furnish his apartment with the help of 2 others worker, so that everyone has a place to sleep. After lunch we say goodbye and make our way to Foinikounta.

Foinikounta
February 8th. Today we wash as much as possible, what we wore in Megalopolis (including bed sheets). In the next few days, we simply enjoy the area, the sun and the peace.

​February 10th. We take a little walk to the village, want to know where we can shop. The supermarket doesn't have much to offer, just the bare minimum.
On February 11, we explore the beach promenade and discover another supermarket that has a little bit more to offer.

Olympia
Today, February 12th we are going to Olympia, the venue of the ancient Olympic Games (must see).
The Olympic Games were held every four years throughout Classical antiquity, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. After the excavations in 1961, the stadium was restored to the shape it had in the 4th century BC.
It used to be thought that the site had been occupied since about 1500 BC, with a religious cult of Zeus developing around 1000 BC. We visit the Temple of Hera, which is suited in the northern part of the Altis and the oldest temple at Olympia. The temple was built in approximately 590 BC but was destroyed by an earthquake in the early 4th century AD and was not restored afterwards.
On our tour we passed by the Zeus temple. The temple was built between 470 and 457 BC. The building sat on a crepidoma (platform) of three unequal steps, the exterior columns were positioned in a six by thirteen arrangement, two rows of seven columns divided the cella (interior) into three aisles. 

​Methoni
On February 16, the urge to move is big (for the adults). A hike to the next village / town is announced. The weather is great. Our route brings us into small villages on the way. After 2.5 hours of walking we arrive in Methoni. The kids and so we, deserve something cool to quench our thirst and the water bottles must be refilled 😊. We decide to go home on the shorter route, which starts close to the sea but later leads to the main road. The 2 hours on the tar are tedious ☹.

​Sparta
This is Spartaaaa!!! This saying from the movie 300 is simply known, I think. Sparta is simply on our radar of the cities we want to visit in Greece. On February 17th we will arrive an hour earlier than planned in the city. New - Sparta (founded in 1834) doesn't impress at all. 35,000 Spartans live here in a city that is designed as in North America, square well 😊. The old Sparta still has some ruins, but there is not much left. Despite, Sparta was popular in the past. 685 to 668 BC Sparta established itself as a local power in the Peloponnesus and the rest of Greece. During the following centuries, Sparta's reputation as a land-fighting force was unequalled. Sparta had some 20,000–35,000 citizens, plus numerous helots and perioikoi. The likely total of 40,000–50,000 made Sparta one of the larger Greek city-states.

Mystras
On February 18, we visit the more interesting ruins of Mystras. The mountain fortress dates from the Byzantine period. Some churches with colourful wall paintings have been preserved (like Agia Sophia, Agios Dimitrios). Also, one of the monasteries, the Pantanassa Monastery (founded in the 15th century) and still inhabited today.

Nafplion
On February 19th we visit the port city of Nafplion. A trading town that probably dates to 1370 BC, mentioned as Nupliya. But already in the 2nd century BC the city was deserted again. I recommend visiting, it is just fantastic!

"Dimitrios" Shipwreck, Karioupoli
On February 20th we are invited to 2 Swiss people who lived in Biel (Mösli Quartier) a long time ago. In the early 90’s they went on a 3-month bike tour through Greece before they wanted to buy a house in Prêles Switzerland (the plan with the house in Prêles didn't work out). On their bike tour, they fell in love with Greece (especially the Peloponnese area) and in 1992 they started to build their current house in Karioupoli. We got the address from Pablo's mother who has buying their olive oil for years and getting to know an olive grower could be interesting. Before we arrive at 3 p.m., we visit the Dimitros shipwreck on the way.

​Corinth Canal
Today, February 22nd, we're leaving to discover something new. The view of the sky reveals that the rain is coming. Hardly 5 minutes in the car, we make our first stop (unwillingly). The driver at my right looks me into my eyes for a very long time and has enough time to brake, but something is bothering him, bum! The little car bumps into our B-pillar. Fortunately, nobody was harmed, only the car has a dent now and will not prevent us from continuing our travels. We spend a good hour on the side of the road with the police, the insurance agents and Pablo on the phone with our insurance, then the journey continues.
In the afternoon we should arrive in Athens. First, we stop at the world-famous Corinth Canal. The Canal was excavated at its narrowest point and it is 6343 m long. It was built between 1881 and 1893. Since then, the canal has connected the Saronic Gulf with the Corinthian Gulf.

​Athens
We will spend the time from February 22nd to 25th in Athens. Athens is the capital of Greece and has a population of 3.8 - 5 million people (they do not know exactly, because there is no need for registration). The settlement history of the area of ​​the city of Athens goes back to 7500 years, the Neolithic time. Around 1300 BC a Mycenaean palace was built on the acropolis. The oldest city complex was limited to the upper surface of a steep rocky hill accessible only from the west, which later became the military and religious centre of Athens as a castle (Acropolis). The Acropolis in Athens has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1986.
On February 23rd, it’s been a while since we have been taking the subway. We visit Mount Lykabettus and the Panathinaiko Stadium (also known as Kallimarmaro, "beautiful marble") is the Olympic stadium of the modern Olympic Games, where the first game started in 1896. It was built as a reconstruction on the foundations of the ancient stadium and is located on the edge of Athens City centre. From there we march back to our accommodation (8.5 km).
On February 24, Pablo has his appointment at the hairdresser. C. and I go looking for a sportswear shop, because her sole of her hiking shoe is slowly getting holes. Coincidentally, I write on WhatsApp to a colleague we met in Megalopolis. He's currently in Athens too and doesn't have a place to sleep for tonight, so we offer him our couch.
The next day (our last day in Athens) we explore the rest of the city with our friend Victor. We cross the market, side streets and tourist streets. Victor knows a little take away and we eat Greek burgers with delicious fries and home-made ketchup. Through WhatsApp we meet another friend (Workaway from Megalopolis) at the restaurant, David. Our paths separate after lunch and we explore our last attraction, the Acropolis.
At 9:00 p.m. our ferry leaves the port of Piraeus. On February 26th at 6:30 a.m. we should arrive in Heraklion, Crete. Good night!

Still January 10th. This morning we get up early to get back to Sicily by ferry. Our stay in Malta is over. The next 18 days we spent in the Catania region.
The day is still young and long. So, we take some time to visit the Parco Archeologico della Neapoli in Syracuse. We stroll curiously through the park and marvel, a Greek theatre from the 5th century BC, the ear of Dionysius (an artificial grotto 23m high), source of two aqueducts, one of the largest Roman amphitheatres from the 3rd century AD.
At 3 p.m. at last, we can move into our apartment in Aci Trezza. We are bone tired and happy to put our legs up and rest a little.
 
Catania
January 13th, we met a gentleman from Couchsurfing in Catania. He wants to show us his hometown from his side. We get on bus # 534 in the village square and drive into the city centre. The bus ticket costs just 1 euro per person for 90 minutes and is sold at kiosks in Sicily. Catania is the 2nd largest city on the island. Gaëtan shows us hidden corners, churches, markets & street food stalls in Catania. The day is coming to an end, and before we hop on the bus again, we go shopping in Lidl 😊
 
Villa Romana del Casale, Enna, Villagio Bizantino
January 15th. Today we drive by car towards the inner of the island. At 10:30 a.m. we enter the grounds of Villa Romana. This Roman villa was probably built between AD 310 and 325. The floor of almost all rooms in the property is covered with mosaics made of coloured tesserae (small square stones) and consists of around 120 million individual stones.
At lunchtime we find ourselves in Enna. At the castle we have lunch and enjoy a few rays of sunshine on our faces. The city leaves no special impression on us.
On a narrow path (for our car) we reach the Villagio Bizantino. On this spot of earth, we discovered caves that date from the Byzantine Empire.
 
Monti Sartorius (North Etna)
January 17th. SNOW!!! The children are finally happy to knead this wet, cold mass into balls or sled down a small hill with a plastic bag under their buttocks. We hike to 1667m above sea level on the Monti Sartorius. Amazingly, we have no problems with the altitude, only Pablo does not feel so comfortable today. The view of Mount Etna from this side, this landscape covered with black earth, is simply impressive.
 
Crateri Silvestri (Etna south)
January 23rd. 5 days ago, we were on the other side of Mount Etna, now we are visiting the southern slope. Pablo was in bed with gastrointestinal flu, much better today.
Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe at around 3323 meters above sea level. We visit some side craters. The hike back and forth to the main crater would take over 5 hours and is very steep, so we leave it to the smaller side craters. We enjoy the day to the fullest and soak up some (a lot) of sun 😊.
 
Catania - Randazzo - Catania
January 24th, train ride! Today we are going around the Etna by train. In Catania Borgo we get on an (for us) ancient train (only one car). The weather doesn't want us too well today, it's cloudy! We don't see Mount Etna once during the entire trip. The train only goes to Randazzo, a small pretty town in the north / east. After a 1 hour stay, we continue with another (still ancient train wagon) to Riposto, where we change to the normal TrenItalia to get back to Catania.
 
Syracuse & C.’s birthday
Today is C. big day, she is already 10 years old (January 27th). WHAT? Well, time just doesn't stand still 😉. One of C.'s many birthday wishes is, to spend her day in CIRAcusa (is a bit her cousin city, her grandma calls her sometimes that 😊). We are happy to give her this wish, as the journey from Aci Trezza to Syracuse takes exactly 1 hour and 13 minutes. The other wishes were a bit more complicated. The first order did not arrive (I think I stumbled into an internet trap☹). So, order the whole thing again. This time it worked, and I was able to catch the postman directly on the street. (Anecdote: The house number is somewhat hidden. My other own order was not delivered, and I had to pick it up at the depot. Not easy, 1. pick up a package in Italian and 2. my name was forgotten on the address label). Now we are all happy with our gifts and can go to Syracuse.
For centuries, Syracuse was the largest and most powerful polis in Sicily and its cultural centre. We immediately like the city. We saw very beautiful renovated and restored houses, certainly one reason why Syracuse has been listed by UNESCO since 2005.
 
Taormina
January 28, 2020. We are on our way to the mainland. We will spend the night somewhere in the middle of south Italy to be in Brindisi on January 29th at 9:00 p.m., where the ferry to Patras leaves.
First, we stop in Taormina, it’s a must. The only public & free parking lot is down by the train station. Well, then we just climb up the mountain stairs to visit the town. On top at least, we are rewarded with an enchanting view.
Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KATGyiroVzh7qc466

"MALTA!" Malta did not appear in our travel itinerary at all, although this small country is not far from Sicily. We knew C.’s wish to spend her birthday in Syracuse from the beginning, but T.’s wish only came to light two weeks before her birthday. She wanted to be in Malta on her special day. We try to “slow travel”, therefore we do not have booked anything in the future, so we are quite flexible in our plans.
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The Saint John Paul II ferry of the company “Virtu ferries” is a catamaran and can carry up to 1120 passengers and 167 cars. The ferry departs from Pozzallo on January 2, 2020 at 2:30 pm. The crossing is fast. We arrive 1 hour and 45 minutes later at the port of Valletta, Malta and T. a little pale in her face. Oh, and one more thing we forgot, we must drive on the other side of the street (left! Kind of strange).

Malta is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and consists of several small islands. In the Romans, the current town was called Mdina or melita - this name probably goes back to the Punic War, meaning a “refuge – mallet” - which is probably the origin of the island's current name. Malta is very densely populated. Around 500,000 people live in all of Malta, 394,000 people live in the capital region. We booked a hotel with breakfast in San Giljan, in the middle of the bar/restaurant/casino area. Fortunately, it is off-season 😉.

​Valletta
January 3rd, we are enjoying the beautiful weather and some late Christmas spirit in this wonderful capital, Valletta. Our daily walk today was 20km, San Gilijan - Valletta and back (we do not want to use our car every day). On the way back we pass by a hairdresser / barber shop and I push Pablo in there 😉

Blue Grotto, Qrendi Temple, Dingli cliffs, Golden Bay, Mdina
January 7th, we drive and explore the southwestern side of the island. There is no corner without any archaeological excavation and a lot of history. The small island seems very touristic and we are happy that it is low season. We drive past a city and stop briefly. Pablo is extremely happy because it is the city of Mdina where the series “Game of Thrones” was partly filmed.

Sicily, Latin Sicilia comes from the ancient Greek Σικελίη Sikelíē, and  is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the 20 regions of Italy. It is one of the five Italian autonomous regions and is officially referred to as Regione Siciliana.
The earliest archaeological evidence of human activity on the island dates from as early as 12,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies and it was later the site of the Sicilian Wars and the Punic Wars. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the Kingdom of Sicily, which was subsequently ruled by the Hohenstaufen, the Capetian House of Anjou, Spain, and the House of Habsburg. It was unified under the House of Bourbon with the Kingdom of Naples as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicily)

After we discovered the north side of the island, the journey continues west and then south. Finally, we spent a whole 2 months in Sicily, so there will be a third part 😉.
We leave our little house in San Nicola l’Arena and make our way to Sciacca. As soon as we leave the Palermo area, we meet a completely different landscape. Agriculture dominates here in the western part of Sicily. Fields after fields, either with olive- or orange trees, or greenhouses strung together.
 
Marsala
On the way to our destination we stopped briefly in Marsala. This little town is a little gem, real cute.
 
Sciacca
Sciacca is one of the largest fisher ports on the Mediterranean Sea and is in the Agrigento region. The area around Sciacca was already known in Roman times for the healing springs. There are several thermal baths which are no longer in operation today. Like everywhere in Sicily, money is lacking. The current structure of the old town emerged under the Arabs. The city wall and the fort were also built at this time. The name of the city comes from Arabic. The city is not one of our favourite places, no big impression.
 
Valle dei Templi
The archaeological sites of Agrigento south of today's Agrigento city center are among the most impressive archaeological sites in Sicily. They mainly show the remains of Akragas (Latin Agrigentum), one of the most important ancient Greek cities in Sicily. The Greek temples, some of which are still very well preserved, testify to the size, power and cultural boom of the then Greek city. one of the best-preserved temples in ancient Greece is the Concordia Temple. In 1997, UNESCO declared Agrigento's archaeological sites as a World Heritage Site. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valle_dei_Templi)
 
Marina di Ragusa
We spend our holidays in Marina di Ragusa, a fisher village. The area is more a summer / tourist place, we only see a nose from time to time. Surprisingly, December in the south is cold too, the nights drop between 3 ° to 5 ° C and the houses have no heating. This is a lesson for us for our future rental properties 😉.
We enjoy the 2 weeks with a lot of sun, the children can even bath because it warms up to 20 ° C during the day. We spend the cold days at home or in a shopping mall, which reminds us of the winters in Canada 😊.
 
Ragusa
The origins of Ragusa can be traced back to the 2nd millennium BC, when there were several Sicel settlements in the area. The current district of Ragusa Ibla has been identified as Hybla Heraea.
The ancient city, located on a 300-metre (980 ft)-high hill, came into contact with nearby Greek colonies, and grew thanks to the nearby port of Camerina. Following a short period of Carthaginian rule, it fell into the hands of the ancient Romans and the Byzantines, who fortified the city and built a large castle. Ragusa was occupied by the Arabs in 848 AD, remaining under their rule until the 11th century, when the Normans conquered it. Selected as County seat, its first Count was Geoffrey, son of Count Ruggero of Sicily.
In 1693 Ragusa was devastated by a huge earthquake, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants. Following this catastrophe the city was largely rebuilt, and many Baroque buildings from this time remain in the city. Most of the population moved to a new settlement in the former district of Patro, calling this new municipality "Ragusa Superiore" (Upper Ragusa) and the ancient city "Ragusa Inferiore" (Lower Ragusa). (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragusa,_Sicily)


Our first visit is to Ibla Ragusa. The place and the cleanliness impressed us. I could imagine living in this part of the city. There we attended a pre-Christmas performance. A water – musical spectacle.
The second visit is planned after Christmas, with a little surprise for the children. We visited the Ferris wheel. With an entry of 20 euros, the price comes close to the same as in Switzerland. Nevertheless, it gave us a nice view of Ragusa Ibla and the Upper Ragusa.
Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MD4MyB1vkMpF43dL7

Montenegro behind us, we have now arrived in Italy, port of Bari. So far, we have not been able to get used to the organization of the ferry ports. Everything is somehow illogical. With Google Maps on Pablo’s cell phone, we hit the roads, our destination is Sicily. The route is too long to master in one day, so we booked a B&B on the way, in Pizzo. A small pretty guesthouse in the middle of nowhere, but on a beautiful beach. In summer there is certainly a lot going on, but in winter it is deserted. We are the only guests and enjoy the peace. The room is cosy, and the bathroom has a bathtub, yeah! The children were happy and looking forward to enjoying a bubble bath. Unfortunately, the dream just burst, something didn't work with the hot water boiler ☹. The next morning, we had hot water, but only showered to start our ongoing journey as quickly as possible.
A few hours later we arrived at Villa San Giovanni, where we took the car ferry to Messina, Sicily. Again, the organization is illogical, but we did find the way to get to the pay toll for the ferry. The seller calculated 2 adults, 1 child and a van. Children be just quiet while we will drive into the ferry’s belly and show the tickets 😉
20 minutes later we reached the island Sicily in the city Messina. Already 10 seconds after the departure we were faced with the crazy traffic and the madness of the drivers. Pablo was sweating and we were happy to finally be in the next village. But it wasn't any better there either. The search for an ATM was difficult, but soon I found one. We had to admit that we couldn't get anywhere on the little village streets and therefor we would only arrive at the destination with a huge headache. We chose the highway. The costs were bearable, 8.40 euros for 190km.
Sicily is wonderful! The island in the very south of Italy is different from the mainland, and different from what the clichés suggest. I never thought how diverse Sicily is, how mountainous, how fertile, how rough and how worth seeing.
We also had one or two internal (or more road traffic) disputes with Sicily. It is not a sweet love at first sight that we feel for the island. It is rather a warm affection full of respect.
 
San Nicola l’Arena
San Nicola l’Arena is about 32 km from Palermo. In this small fishing village with about 1000 inhabitants, we rented a small house for two weeks through Airbnb. San Nicola is small but pretty. It is also peaceful and calm here. We were the only tourists, so we could watch the everyday life of the locals.
 
Grotta Mazzamuto
Not far from our village, in the middle of the Pizzo Trigna-Pizzo Cane nature reserve, is the Mazzamuto Cave, one of the largest in this area. It is a cave of considerable size, of historical and paleontological interest, and was inhabited by prehistoric people. It has a rich fossil deposit; the remains of dwarf elephants and hippos have been found there.
 
 
Termini Imerese
The San Nicola shop doesn't always have everything we need.  So, the opportunity came to go to Termini Imerese, to visit and to look for a bigger Supermarket. Found a parking space and read and understood the complicated parking signs (we hoped), then we could explore the small town. We immediately liked it. The city has only about 25,000 inhabitants, so it is very assessable and yet it has everything. We found a supermarket. Since Termini is build on a hill, we had then to carry the bought groceries all up the whole mountain back to the car.
 
Palermo airport
On December 6th, just in time for St. Nicholas' Day, we received visitors from Switzerland.
 
Pollina
Our landlord is an Austrian guy who was stranded in Sicily more than 12 years ago. He wanted to show us the area around San Nicola. First, he showed us the village of Pollina. It is a pretty little village built on a rock. The museum is the main attraction. It shows how manna is won.
Shortly afterwards we were fed on an agritourism farm located in the area of ​​Mount Madonie.
 
Cefalù
On the way back we stopped for a little stroll in Cefalù. The city lies at the foot of the Rocca di Cefalù, a 270-meter-high limestone rock. The city is characterized by tourism. Very pretty and ready for the tourists. Back at the car we had our first park fine. ☹
 
Palermo
Regardless of whether you visit Palermo with or without children: this city is simply crazy! This is especially true for road traffic, which shapes our first impression, when we headed to the airport of Palermo. This time we visited Palermo by train (the app worked, just need sometimes a bit patience). I did not want Pablo to have a heart attack and visit him in the hospital 😊. Palermo is the capital of Sicily and with almost 700,000 inhabitants also the largest city on the island.
The proximity to Africa is noticeable in the city's history. It was Phoenicians, i.e. ancient North Africans, who founded Palermo almost 3000 years ago. Rulers and occupiers came and went: the Greeks, the Romans, the Vandals.
The city flourished under the Arabs in the early Middle Ages, and many influences in today's cityscape date from this period. At that time only Byzantium (now Istanbul) and Cordoba (in Andalusia) were bigger than Palermo in Europe.
We visited many interesting tourist attractions like; intersection "Quattro Canti, many small palazzi, Palermo Cathedral, the port of Palermo, Teatro Massimo etc. Our highlight was the park with the fig trees that grow not only from the bottom up, but also from the top down. The specimens of the Ficus macrophylla are in the Giardino Garibaldi (Piazza Marina), which is freely accessible. Strolled through the largest market (Market Ballaro), drank coffee here and there in a bar and tried different street foods from Palermo / Sicily. Then stayed until supper time to see the Christmas decoration sparkle in the dark.

​photos.app.goo.gl/TM3tZLMjqezT7KXs5

Years ago, whilst planning our first summer vacation, we came up with the idea of getting a camera, that could be used under water as well. Since Pablo does not see much without glasses snorkeling was somehow pointless for him. The camera provided an easy opportunity to see things otherwise not accessible for him.
Ever since we got the camera, the kids loved to experiment with it. It actually is quite intriguing to be able to go places and discover spots that would normally be inaccessible or hidden. In Ukanc, Slovenia the kids were able to catch some beautiful footage from a river that was simply too cold to swim in it. Climbing on a fallen tree and lowering the camera on a rope into the water had to be thought out first and without a plan would have failed. In this sense it helped our daughters to develop something that could be called a project.
This brings us to the Marina di Ragusa, on a December day. The sun was shining, the water was still acceptedly warm to bath the feet (at least for them). We had some extra time on our hands and so the kids decided to try something different. They could not apprehend how unique the whole thing would turn out.
The camera got mounted on a small tripod and buried into the sand at the beach. So far nothing special. From the screenshot above you can see, what the idea was. Capturing the movement of the waves, endlessly rolling ashore since forever.
Water tends to take everything apart. Give it the necessary time and it washes whole mountain ranges off and grinds it to sand. In this light, a little bit of sand around a tripod seems not very stable and was bound to fail sooner or later. So, it did sooner than later.
Both kids were caught up with something else when a particularly big waves managed to strip the tripod of its protecting wall of sand and wash it out into the sea.
The younger daughter was the first to notice and started to look out for the camera, yelling out for help. As soon as we heard her cry, we realized something terrible must have happened. We ran down to the beach and started to look for the camera. But it was gone, swallowed by the sea. RIP – so we thought.
Both kids were upset and disappointed. They felt like they failed with safeguarding the camera. We were all sad. After all, the camera was part of our equipment for quite some time now and we linked many good memories with its presence. We even started to look on the internet for a replacement.
Our only hope was that the tide would bring it back. But it was too late and too dark for another search party.
 
The next day, Chantal and I left the house a bit earlier than usually and went to the beach. Not really counting on finding anything, but hey, at least we gave it a shot.
Good thing we did. A couple hundred meters away from the very spot the camera was last seen and almost 17 hours later, there it lied in the sand. The tripod still spread out it sat there, waiting for us to be picked up. The sea spat it out like it was a piece of trash. Luckily for us. This was better than any other gift for Christmas.
Best part: The camera did film after disappearing into the water, for almost a full hour. So, if you want to discover, how it must have felt being tossed around, buried with sand and then washed free again, knock yourself out
-> https://photos.app.goo.gl/34ePnYVMs7io1awx7 

After Croatia, we were visiting the neighbour country Montenegro. A small, simple country with a lot of potential.

Budva
On the way to Podgorica we stopped briefly in Budva to have a little snack and pee break. The old town is very small, but very pretty. But the structure and mess of the new buildings surrounding the old town are horrible. It looks like gambling is allowed in Montenegro, and therefor one casino is after another.

Podgorica
We were allowed to spend the week with a couchsurfer in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. We were thrilled to meet someone who knows the city and the country. When we entered the address in Google Maps, the destination was the European French School in Podgorica. Well, we had the pleasure to discover the capital city with a Frenchman.
How do you communicate with the locals in Montenegro? Certainly not in French. You usually get along well with English.  But not everyone speaks it, but most are willing to try. Pablo could even explain a haircut by using gesture. Retrospectively, we could have gotten through with a few words in German.
The most difficult thing, we found, is to get into conversation with the people - and that was not due to language barriers. In Croatia we learned how open and friendly people can be and we think it would have been the same in Montenegro. The fact that, people generally do not run towards strangers with open arms is perhaps a bit understandable in the recent history of the country.

Virpazar, Lake Skadar
Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula and - depending on the view - the largest lake in southern Europe alongside Lake Garda. The lake is located at the border area between Montenegro, which includes about two thirds of the area, and Albania, which has about a third of the area. To the south-west it is separated from the Adriatic Sea, which is only 20 kilometres away, by the Rumija Mountains, which are up to 1,600 meters high, while on the north-east side there is a wide, partially muddy flat land.
The nature and the lake are gorgeous. We would visit Montenegro again, but in a warmer season that would be more suitable for hiking. November in the mountains of Montenegro is like ours, brrrhh, cold!
 
Bar
The visit to the port city was only on the radar because of the ferry ticket booking. Not no smart website we could get information about the price or the departure dates, everything was somehow vague. Like Swiss, this must be clarified beforehand. We love to travel by train and in another countries, it is much more exciting. Yes, and there is a train from Podgorica to Bar. On a Monday morning, November 25th exactly, we run to the train station, which is a 45-minute walk from our accommodation. We run, because Pablo took the wrong street and we came to the ticket counter just a couple minutes before departure. 14 euros the round ticket, for the four of us, bah!
At the port in Bar the lady confirmed that the last ferry to Italy this year would be on Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 and we did not have to reserve our spot nor the cabin.
Now we could visit the city of Bar and the old town, which is 5 km further up. We had now clarified everything 😊. We go to Italy directly and would visit Albania further in the future.
With 19km under our belt we fell asleep very well for the night. But in the middle of the night I woke up, the whole house shook, an earthquake, oh dear! Quickly to the children in the other room, ah all well, they sleep like a stone.
Unfortunately, in the morning we read the news, that heart of the earthquake was in Albania, near Durres were we initially indented to take the ferry to Italy. Somehow, we decided two days before, to take the last ferry from Montenegro to Italy instead of Albania. In our thoughts we are with the people and kind mourn with them. Because a couple days before, a Couchsurfer from Tirana wrote us, to invite us to get a coffee with him. I hope he is well, then I did not hear a word again.
 
Cetinje
Cetinje is the official residence of the Montenegrin president and was the country's capital until 1918. Therefore, we visited the small pretty town on the way to Bar. The scheduled departure time of our ferry on that day was at 9:00 pm.
At the port we waited and waited. The loading time was 7:30 pm. Since it was the last ferry for this year, more and more cars and trucks came to the harbour and still wanted to get on the ferry.
At 11:30 pm. the ship finally left. The ship swung forth and back, because the wind was very strong. The sleep came anyway, and the ferry came into the port in Bari on schedule! Good night, and good Morning!

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BHacHt97KNWi7ZsW8

​Prižba
​
On November 5th, we packed our car and drove on. We wanted to be in Prižba, Korčula at the end of the day. On the way down south, we had crossed the border twice. We entered Bosnia Herzegovina for 20 minutes. At the Bosnian border we had to wait nearly 5 minutes, because a German had to have his car examined. Our self, we needed just one minute. After a few minutes’ drive, a small stopover for a photo shoot, at the other end of the county no waiting on the Croatian border, ufff! We continued our drive to Pelješac and then to Orebić, where our ferry left for the island of Korčula.
we have booked an apartment in Prižba, on this beautiful island for 12 nights. It was very reasonably priced and very nice. A couple years ago, Pablo’s wish was to visit an island in Croatia, that’s why I reserved the apartment during the time of his birthday, but also have a feeling of vacation and not only travel. It is important not to change the location every 2 days. The children need rest and time for themselves (as we do too 😉); like playing with their toys/games, sleeping in, and doing some school stuff 😉

​Vela Luka

Vela Luka is the largest port on the island, the big ferries from Split arrive here. Vela Luka had been used as a port by the Romans. We walked leisurely at the waterfront and in the old town until we became aware of the Vela Spila caves. Since it is low season, we had to pick up the key to the cave at the tourist office. On our own responsibility, we could explore the caves, which are about 900m above the town. The caves were settled about 20,000 years ago, back in the Stone Age. Bones and tools from this period were found. The cave was then occupied again and again till the present day.

​Blato

Like all Towns in Croatia, Blato also has a small old town and many churches, which we visited in a short time. The real reason was doing groceries.

​Korčula

If we spend so many days on this island, that’s why we had to visit the small town called Korčula. It is rumored that Marco Polo was born there. The town is great and neat. The many small streets are always a sensation to explore for the children. Since we are already here, we could just do our weekly groceries. Prižba and Blato do not have that much variety.

​Dubrovnik

It is no coincidence that so many of our favorite travel moments come from Croatia. The country is just awesome! Finally, we also explored the very last corner of Croatia: Dubrovnik, the World Heritage city in the very south. And it has it all, for children and adults alike.
On our first short walk through the Old Town we felt very welcomed and could not wait to explore all the sights of Dubrovnik, so we spent a little more money and bought a 3-day pass. For two days we looked at the city from above, visited every alley and even made some bus trips. At the end, we treat the girls to a children's program: eating ice cream!

We have rented a holiday apartment in one of the many houses that claw along the ridiculously narrow streets on the hill site. Driving is only possible for locals, so we had to rent an apartment with a parking space (be sure to leave your stroller at home!). But the view of Dubrovnik New Harbor and the Adriatic Sea was fantastic. When we finally made our way down to the sea, we needed about 15 minutes to descend the three-digit number of steps and another 15 minutes to the old town.
3 days gave us a good insight into this wonderful city. One day would have been too little.