Day 126 - A Grotto Jump, A Kids’ Restaurant, and a Wild Italian Storm

Day 126 started as another slow morning. We’d expected a pretty average weather day, but when we woke up the sun was out and it was actually shaping up to be a really nice morning.

We eased into the day with our usual coffees while Maddie got stuck into making pancakes. Emmett made his early as well, so the kids had already eaten before we’d even really got moving. The plan was to get out for a run again, and while Maddie wasn’t overly keen at first, Emmett and Kia were ready to go and took off ahead of us.

Maddie and I stayed back for a bit and talked it through. I promised we’d keep it easy, just 200 on, 100 off, nothing too hard. That was enough to get her on board, so we headed out not long after.

We never crossed paths with Kia and Emmett. They’d gone off along the cliffs while Maddie and I stuck to a different route, but we ended up changing things up anyway. Instead of running to distances on the watch, we picked points in the distance and ran to those, then walked to the next. Having something visual to aim for made a big difference for Maddie. Without really realising it, she ended up running further than she had been, but it felt easier because she could actually see where she was going.

It turned into a really nice run.

Afterwards, we decided to stop in at a local café for a coffee. We’ve been getting into a bit of a rhythm with the running lately, getting the kids out moving, and the coffee stop felt like a good little reward. The kids love sitting down and having something afterwards, and coffees here are cheap enough that it feels like an easy yes.

By the time we got back, it was nearly lunchtime. It had been a slow morning all around, so it turned into a bit of a late breakfast for Kia and I, or an early lunch depending on how you looked at it.

Before all of that, though, there had been a bit of chaos earlier in the morning. Maddie and Emmett had a big argument before we even got out the door. They’d been in the bedroom planning things for when we get home, and Maddie was talking about this bed she’d seen back in Austria, one of those desk and bed combinations. Emmett said he wanted one too, and Maddie told him he couldn’t. That somehow spiralled into a full blow-up. Emmett was pretty upset and embarrassed, and it took a while for things to settle.

The run ended up being exactly what everyone needed. It shifted the mood completely and brought things back to normal.

With the sun still out, we decided to head back to the grotto and finally do the jump. Emmett had been asking about it every day, but the weather hadn’t lined up until now.

When we got there, it was perfect. The water was crystal clear, you could see right to the bottom, and there was a big sandy patch in the middle that looked like the ideal landing spot. There were quite a few people around though, sitting on the rocks and watching.

After a bit of hesitation, I just went for it. Jumped in first.

The water was cold. That instant shock hits you straight away, then it settles into that refreshing feeling, but it was definitely fresh. I swam across, climbed out, and didn’t hang around too long. It wasn’t the kind of temperature you want to sit in while waiting.

We went again, this time with Emmett ready. As soon as he saw me do it, he was all in. No hesitation. He jumped straight after me, and from there we just kept going. Around and around, jumping in, swimming out, climbing back up. We probably did it another four or five times.

Then the weather shifted. The sun disappeared behind a big cloud, the temperature dropped, and the wind picked up. It went from perfect to pretty average pretty quickly, so we called it and headed back.

Emmett and I went straight for warm showers to thaw out, followed by what felt like a second lunch. The cold water definitely worked up an appetite.

The afternoon slowed right down again. I spent some time working on the website, playing around with a few new ideas I’d had. Kia and Emmett got stuck into a workout, and Maddie went into full creative mode.

She decided she wanted to run a restaurant for the night and put on a proper dinner for Kia and I. That meant a trip to Eurospin, so Emmett and I headed out to grab supplies while Maddie stayed back and started prepping.

While we were in Eurospin, the weather turned again. It started raining, but only lightly, nothing that caused any issues loading up the groceries and getting back to the car. We parked out the front of our accommodation to unload everything, and then I moved the car back out to the residential parking area.

That’s when the rain really hit.

Just as I was about to walk back, it absolutely started pouring. I ended up sprinting through it and got completely soaked by the time I made it back. One of those moments where you’re laughing at how quickly it all changed.

By the time we got back upstairs, Maddie was well underway. Pizza bases were already in progress, and everything was starting to come together.

Later on, we got the call to come downstairs. Dinner was ready.

Maddie had told us to dress up, so we put on the nicest clothes we’d brought with us. I threw on a button-up and chinos, Kia wore a dress, and we walked downstairs to find a full setup. Maddie had made menus, including drink menus, set the table, and had everything organised.

We started with bread, then moved into guacamole with crackers and olives, and then into the main event. She’d made pizza from scratch, plus a chicken pesto gnocchi. It was honestly impressive.

Emmett tried to jump in and help with drinks but Maddie was pretty determined to run the whole show herself. He got a bit upset about that, but settled in and enjoyed the dinner with us.

It ended up being such a fun night. Lots of laughs, lots of conversation, and the kids asking some really thoughtful, detailed questions about all sorts of things. Emmett’s always inquisitive, but it was really noticeable with Maddie tonight. She was curious, engaged, asking questions she normally wouldn’t.

It feels like there’s a bit of a shift happening there.

As we were eating dinner, the weather really turned. A big storm rolled in with thunder and lightning, and even some pea-sized hail. It was pretty wild to watch, or at least what we could see of it. It’s a bit of a shame our accommodation doesn’t have a proper outdoor area, because it would have been pretty cool to sit out and watch it roll through.

Eventually, after dinner, washing up and everything, it was showers and off to bed. We finally got the kids into bed early for once, which was a win. And hopefully Kia and I can do the same and catch up on some sleep after a couple of late nights working through trip planning.