Day 120 - Settling Into San Foca
Our first full day in San Foca started slowly, but in the best kind of way.
We were all up early again. I was awake around 6:00, Emmett followed at 6:30, Kia around 6:45, and Maddie eventually surfaced closer to 7:30. Emmett and I had some quiet time together at the kitchen table, chatting while I worked through a coffee and uploaded more photos to the website.
The plan for the morning was a family run at 7:30 to kickstart the day, but that didn’t quite go to plan. Maddie wasn’t too keen when she woke up, so Kia headed out first on her own run while the rest of us slowly got organised. Eventually, Emmett, Maddie, and I made our way down toward the beachfront path and agreed on an easy system of 200 metres running and 100 metres walking. We kept things relaxed and cruisy.
At the one kilometre mark, we met up with Kia and she continued the run / walk pattern with the kids back towards the accommodation. I decided to keep going and turned it into a bit of an exploratory run. I headed south along the coastline toward Roca Vecchia, running past rugged cliffs and an old coastal watchtower that dates back to the 1500s. These towers were part of a network used to defend the coastline from Ottoman raids, signalling along the shore when threats approached.
I kept going until I reached Grotta della Poesia near Torre dell’Orso. It’s an incredible natural rock pool carved into the limestone coastline, filled with clear blue water and connected to the sea through underwater channels. People jump in from the surrounding rock edges, and even early in the day it had a really cool energy about it. I spent a bit of time there taking it all in, snapping some photos, and just enjoying the quiet before making my way back. The run ended up being just under 7 kilometres and turned into a really enjoyable way to explore the area.
Back at the accommodation, Kia and the kids had stopped at the local shop and picked up bread rolls, eggs, and a few basics. I got straight into cooking breakfast while chatting to Mum and Dad on the phone, which was a really nice reset moment.
Late in the morning, the guy we’d been messaging about hiring a car came around to meet us. After a quick chat, we decided to go ahead with it, so he’ll be dropping off the car tomorrow. That should make a big difference, giving us the freedom to explore more and access better grocery options beyond the small local store.
After that, we all headed out for a walk along the coastline. Even though the sun was out, there was a strong, cool breeze that made it feel much colder than it looked. What started as a shorts and T-shirt walk quickly turned into heading back for jumpers. Maddie decided she was done for the day and went back with Kia, where they found a small shop selling painting paper, which became the plan for the afternoon.
Emmett and I stayed out a bit longer, climbing over rocks, exploring little walls, and just finding ways to entertain ourselves along the coast before eventually heading back as well.
The afternoon slowed right down. The kids got stuck into painting using supplies we’d picked up in Sicily, which kept them entertained for a good hour. Kia and I used the time to try and reorganise the apartment. It’s a pretty small space and it doesn’t take much for it to feel cluttered. We moved furniture around, tried a few different setups, and are still working on finding something that actually works for us.
Without a car and with the weather still a bit cold and windy, we were fairly limited in what we could do, so we leaned into a quieter afternoon. The kids and I did head out briefly again but didn’t last long in the wind, so we ended up back inside making up our own games using a basket and one of Emmett’s soft toys, which turned into a surprisingly fun little competition.
The TV in the apartment is pretty old with no smart features, so we set up the laptop and started watching a dinosaur documentary together before rolling into dinner and an early night.
San Foca feels like a place we’re still settling into. The weather has been sunny but cool, with a strong breeze that takes the edge off what would otherwise be perfect conditions. Once that drops and the temperature lifts a bit, it’s going to be a really nice spot to explore properly.
One thing we did notice is that the beaches here are quite messy at the moment. There’s a fair bit of debris and rubbish washed up along the shoreline. We saw similar in parts of Sicily after storms, so it could be seasonal or related to recent weather, or just that it hasn’t been cleaned up yet ahead of peak season.
Either way, we’ll be on the lookout for some cleaner beaches nearby once we’ve got the car.
For now, it was a cruisy first day. A bit of movement, a bit of exploring, and a lot of settling in.