Day 121 - Running the limestone cliffs of San Foca
Another early start with me up around 6, Emmett not long after at 6:30, Kia around 7 and Maddie close behind. The plan was to get everyone out for a run again, so Kia and I had our coffees, got organised, and we were out the door by about 8.
This time we ran together as a family and kept it simple with 200 metres running and 100 metres walking for 2 kilometres. We headed left out of town instead of right and it turned out to be a great call. The first stretch was a nice smooth path, but after about 800 metres it turned into more of a trail run along the top of the limestone cliffs. It was a pretty cool spot to run, with the coastline right there beside us. We made our way out to a little hut, turned around, and ran back into town, finishing with a sprint which the kids loved.
On the walk back, we started talking about grabbing a coffee. Kia suggested waiting until Saturday for a proper family coffee, and I had to laugh because it actually was Saturday. Once we realised, I ran back to grab my wallet and we headed to a café just around the corner that we’d noticed earlier. It had a really good vibe, lots of cyclists and runners stopping in, and a glassed-off outdoor seating area that blocked the wind but still let you sit in the sun looking out over the water.
Kia and I grabbed coffees, the kids got chocolate croissants, and we sat there for a while just chatting. The guy working there spoke great English and came out to talk to us when he dropped the drinks off. We ended up having a really nice conversation about the area, the weather, and life there in general. It was one of those simple travel moments that just feels good.
We headed back because the car was being dropped off around 10. This time the guy brought a translator, which made everything a lot easier to understand. After a bit of back and forth, we sorted it all out. It ended up being slightly more than expected, about 800 euros all up with insurance, mainly because we needed a bigger car than originally planned. We ended up with a little Fiat Panda which should do the job nicely.
He also let us know we couldn’t park on our street as it’s residents only, so we moved the car to a nearby street where it’s allowed. Once that was sorted, we showered and got ready to head out for groceries.
We drove to Eurospin in the nearby town and it was chaos. Packed with people, which makes sense as it’s probably the only proper supermarket around. We stocked up properly for the next few days with meat, fruit, veggies and all the bigger items, since the local shops are better for things like bread, eggs and smaller bits and pieces.
The drive back was a bit of an adventure. We took a different route through Torre dell’Orso and along the coast, zigzagging through a maze of narrow streets. The one-way system here is confusing, especially since some streets seem to only be one-way during peak season. It’s not very clearly marked, so you’re kind of just figuring it out as you go.
Back at the accommodation, Kia was ready to relax while I wanted to get stuck into some website updates. We tried to get the kids to entertain themselves, but in a small space it doesn’t take long before things unravel. They started getting loud, annoying each other, and arguing, so I decided to grab them and head out.
We drove down and parked between Roca and Torre dell’Orso and went for a walk along the limestone cliffs. We checked out the grotto there and showed the kids where people jump in. It was a great little adventure and exactly what we needed to reset things a bit. We were probably out for an hour or so, and it gave me a chance to talk to them properly about the trip, what we’re doing, and what we need from them. Not sure how much sank in, but it felt like the right thing to do.
When we got back, it was straight into dinner. Kia had picked up ingredients to make gluten-free pizza dough, so she got stuck into that while I jumped back on the website. The kids helped her with the dough and watched a few documentaries while it all came together.
Dinner was ready around 7 and honestly, the pizzas were unreal. No offence to Italy, but Kia’s pizzas were right up there, if not better than a lot of what we’ve had so far. It probably just comes down to having the toppings we’re used to, a bit more loaded and full of flavour compared to the simpler style here.
After dinner we all sat around looking through old videos on my phone from when the kids were younger. That turned into a really fun moment, lots of laughs and a good way to finish the day.
Then it was into quick showers. The hot water systems over here are tiny, so it’s a bit of a race. The pressure is on everyone to get in, soap up, rinse and get out so everyone actually gets hot water.
After that it was into bed, and I think it was around 8:30 by the time everyone was down.
Kia and I are still in that phase of talking through what’s next. Not really hitting roadblocks, just trying to figure out what we actually want, where we want to go, and how we want to do it. There’s a lot of options, which is great, but it also makes it harder to lock something in. No doubt there’ll be plenty more conversations over the next few weeks, but we’ll need to start making some decisions pretty soon.