Green green mountains blue blue water you better throw a party the day we arrive

Lo siento por the big delay between posts! We have been on school holidays and travelling so much we couldn't keep up with our blogs.... But here we go to the Balkans!

Day 1.

The first thing we did today was hop in the car for a 6 hour drive through the middle of Spain..... to an amazing airport with beams the colors of the rainbow in Madrid. Were going to be a bit early though so we took a little detour for lunch to an amazing medieval city on the outskirts of Madrid called Toledo. It is set on a steep hill with a river surrounding it so the whole city kind of looks like a castle. The city is famous for making swords and knives and armour and looks like there should be knights there even now. It was really hot and by the time we got into the city we didn't really have much time to look around so we had some lunch and promised to come back!

At the airport we took a plane to . . GREECE! More specifically a little island called Corfu. Surprisingly, even though Greece is on the opposite side of the Mediterranean to Spain it only took 3.5 hours to get there! Which was lucky because it was already after midnight when we arrived... Amazingly the airport is very close to the city and we were able to walk out the airport gates and into the city. We had to wind through the streets of the old town to find our apartment and then climb like 6 floors of stairs to get there so we were pretty happy to get into bed and have a sleep.

Day 2.

Today was 'explore Corfu town day'. It was very sunny and hot and very sticky but pretty similar to Andalucia so we were used to it :) We started off with a walk through the old town to the 'new fort' (looked pretty old to me.....) where we paid 4 euros to go inside.... but it was worth it because inside were tunnels and prison rooms and beautiful views.! You could even see Albania from the castle walls but there are lots of fires in Albania so it was a bit hazy....

Next we went to the 'old fortress'. The old fortress was like the new one but way bigger because it had a huge moat separating it from the city, a library and a lighthouse and even more! We walked around the whole fort and climbed to the very top to the lighthouse. It was very windy!

After the fort we went and explored the old town with all the shops and colourful buildings. I bought a cute little house made out of ceramic. Mum & Dad found a taverna for us to try gyros for lunch. It is a kind of wrap (like a souvlaki) that Greece is famous for that they said was delicious. mmmmm it's amazing with the meat, the pita, the chips and the sauce all put together. It was gone in a second! But you know what you have to do at restaurants when done? Pay and go so we did that and moved on with our day. It was the most delicious lunch ever but Esther wasn't a fan....

After lunch we went back to our apartment for a rest from the heat and put our bathers on for a swim. Corfu is built right on the water so there are not many beaches in the city but we found this little wharf area near the moat of the old fort (we had to go through a tunnel to get there) and WOW! the water was crystal clear! you could see right to the bottom! Esther and I went rock diving and swimmed to and away from the edge heapssss of times before getting out and going home.

Day 3.

Boat adventure day! Today we got up early and walked to the port to catch a boat. It was quite a long walk and when we got there we were a bit confused about which boat was ours so we had to walk around a bit before we found our boat. Luckily we were nice and early and were at the front of the line so we got a great seat on the top deck at the back of the boat. The boat was going to take us to two little island south of Corfu called Paxos and Antipaxos. It took 1.5 hours to get to our first real stop but on the way we saw lots of Albania and Corfu island went right into these amazing sea caves. The sea in Greece is so blue and clear it is amazing!!

Next we stopped at this absolutely beautiful cove at Antipaxos. The boat anchored just off the shore and we were allowed to dive off the boat right into the water. The water was the colour of pool water (really aqua and agua 😁) and it was crystal clear! And once we got in and jumped in a couple of times I decided it was the most beautiful swim i have ever had!

After the swim we went to this little town on Paxos called Gaios which has a beautiful blue river. We explored the old town, got an ice cream and walked around the little streets and the river with fishes in it and I bought an 'evil eye' bracelet from a souvenir shop (like a glass blue and white eye that is everywhere in Corfu).

After a long boat ride back in the afternoon sun we arrived back in Corfu. Mum and dad really wanted to go to this famous taverna for dinner but as per usual there was a really long line to get in... But we have discovered that if there is a long line is it usually worth waiting and this time it was true as well!! We ordered heaps of different dishes and ate them on a little table in the courtyard and it was delicious! My favourites were the olives (of course) and this delicious melted stretchy cheese (like saganaki but it wasn't called that).

Day 4.

Albanian adventura day! Today we got a sleep in because our ferry to Albania was in the afternoon..... But we can't sleep forever! So at 9:00 we left the apartment and went out to do some more exploring! After an hour walking around the old town we left for the port once again. When we got there we waited in a line for a while to get our passports checked before hopping on this big boat. Once we were on we waited a little bit for the other passengers to get on before leaving. It took us a while to get there but we had snacks to last us the boat ride and then we pulled over at a port in . . . ALBANIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OUR 15th COUNTRY. So we got off to find our apartment. This took a bit longer then expected because at first we didn't think it was our apartment because it was a lot bigger than we thought and then the person talked to us in Albanian for ages before ringing up her daughter to speak to us in english. So it was awhile before we got the apartment to ourselves. After a little rest we went back out for lunch. We had seen a good looking restaurant on our street when we were coming so we went there and it was delicious. We all got gyros except for Esther who got a margarita pizza. They use a different currency in Albania and everything looks like it costs lots of money but actually 10 lek is the same as 1 euro so it was very cheap!

After lunch we went home and put our bathers on for a swim. We had to walk a bit to get there but once we have found the perfect spot we took of our towels and in we went. Diving and swimming in super clear water before running to the jetty and jumping off into the rocky water. It was awesome until we got cold and went home. Now after a little rest we are walking to the shops to get dinner supplies. After getting gnocchi and some pesto we went back to the apartment for pesto gnocchi for dinner then went to bed.

Day 5.

Tour day! Today we woke up realllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy early to go to the bus station like 20 minutes from our house. The reason we went there was to catch a van that would take us to the blue eye and more. And look, the bus is here! Come on, let's go!

It didn't take long for us to get to our first stop, the monastery. Are really old Byzantine church with all these really cool wall paintings. We stayed there a bit before hopping back in the van.

Our next stop was an exciting one because it was the 'Blue Eye'. The Blue Eye is a really famous natural wonder in Albania where spring water bubbles out of the earth in this really really deep pool. Apparently they send diver down into the pool to see how deep it was and they wnt down 50m before they had to turn around without reaching the bottom. Even more incredible is that the water is so clear you can see 15m deep into the water and it looks like a blue eye. But to get there you had to walk a couple of kilometres. But when we did it was worth it, the blue eye was so clear and deep, but very cold!!! (you are not allowed to swim in it but you can go into the river that the blue eye creates - I really wanted to go for a swim!!!). After taking some pictures we still had time so we walked along the river and wow it was a good thing we did because the views were amazing!

After the blue eye we travelled into the mountains of Albania (Albania has huge beautiful mountains and amazing valleys. Apparently the mountains have wolves and bears and is a favourite destination for sulky dark wizards) to a medieval village called Gjirokastër. Gjirokastër is called a stone village because the whole town is made out of a grey stone (including the roofs) which makes it blend into the mountain. It has a huge castle at the top of the village and you guessed it! that's where we headed first! The castle had crazy huge stone rooms full of tanks and cannons, tunnels and dungeons with no light (or safety barriers!) where lots of really nasty torture happened 😬It was the most castle-ly castle I have been to yet! It also had amazing views over the town and the valley and an old fighter plane on the top that was apparently stolen from the Americans...

Once we had had enough of dusty spooky dungeons we walked back down the steep hill into the town and went to this amazing house that was built 500 years ago when the Ottomans ruled in Albania. The house was huge, with 4 levels and over 16 bedrooms and once was the home of 3 generations of the family at once and even though the family doesn't live there any more they still own the house and we met a lady who grew up in the house and now shows the visitors around! The rooms were really ornate and there heaps of secret rooms and passages so that the girls could move through the house without seeing the boys 😳

We just had enough time before we had to jump back on the bus to get a drink at a little taverna and get some delicious pastries (we don't know what they were but they had creamy cheese and olives in them and were shaped liked a boat).

On the way home we stopped at the top of one of the hills that overlook Sarande to see a 1000 year old castle that had been turned into a restaurant 😊They were setting up for a huge party!

Day 6.

Beach day! Today we were going on another tour but along the coast to the north instead of into the middle. So the first thing we did today was walk to the bus station to catch a bus again... Luckily we knew where we were going this time and got there pretty quickly! Turns out it wasn't a bus tour but a private tour in a car with a German lady from Ghana and two Swedish ladies. The tour guide didn't normally take the tour and didn't really seem to know where we were meant to go but he was very chatty and we learned all about how he hitched a ride to Germany when he was 10 but ended up working in a garage in Sweden instead and eventually became a mechanic and made enough money to come back to Albania and his mother lost 7 children he so takes really good care of her now that he has a boat and a car and a house....After driving over the mountains through lots of burnt areas where the fires had been we arrived at a town called Hamare. We were meant to look at the old town but the guide didn't know that and dropped us off at the beach which turned out to be very beautiful and really fun and the reason it was really fun was because we got to go on this water obstacle course (like Wipeout) . It was amazing and we only fell off a couple of times! and that was only because daddy swam around the course telling us to go faster and faster.

So we left this town and found this really cool castle called Porto Palermo. It had really cool stone rooms with weird artworks and bean bags and party lights 😁 We had a look around there and even climbed up to the roof before going back to the bus.

After the town we went to a town called Borch which had a beautiful beach that unfortunately was covered in paid lounges and umbrellas. We found a spot where if we bought a drink so we could have a comfy seat for the next 3 hours. In which time we hopped in and out of the water maybe 5 or 6 times. The water was super blue but it was also quite windy!

Day 7.

Riviera day! Today we set off to explore the Albanian riviera which is an area that is meant to have really beautiful beaches. We had to get to a different bus stop today but we found it ok and got our tickets from a man with a leather pouch. It didn't take too long to get there and we hopped off in a town behind the beaches. As we walked towards the beaches we passed a panaderia selling delicious smelling pastries and there was a bit of a queue so of course we had to jump in on that! We didn;t know what anything was but they were very cheap so we just bought one of everything and kept walking. The first beach we got to looked nice but there where way too many people and every spot had beach lounges that you have to pay 20eu for each! We said no way! and moved on. The next beach was the same and the next one as well and we were getting pretty disappointed when daddy said we should try to find a beach that he found on google maps that was about 1km. We walked along a very dusty track that didn't look like it was leading anywhere until suddenly we popped out at a tiny little cover that had hardly any people! It was beautiful and even though there were still lounges and umbrellas they only cost 10eu for 2 bean bags and an umbrella for the day so we set up shop right on the edge of the water.

The water was very blue and very clear and like all the beaches in Albania the beach is made of pebbles instead of sand - this can be painful but it does mean you don't get sand everywhere! We met a German girl our age who had a SUP and she let Esther and I go out with her around the bay. It was very fun! While we were lounging on the beach these people would come by every now and then selling fruit or cold drinks or some kind of treaties. We got these delicious chocolate covered donut things that were so good we waited for the lady to come round another time to get another lot!

Eventually we got sick of the beach and decided to go on another adventure! We walked back out to the town and caught a bus to a place called Butrint. Like everywhere we have been in Europe the Romans have got there before us and built an ancient city! We have seen lots of Roman cities and this one was one of the best! The city was set on a hill kind of surrounded by and must have been huge when it was built but now it looks like a lost city that has been taken over by the jungle. We explored it for hours and often we were by ourselves walking along tracks through the forest and would stumble upon a huge ruin. It was lucky we didn't get lost! We made it out before dark and caught a bus back to town with a little Australian / German girl who was very chatty and had chickens!

Day 8.

Blue water day! Today was our last proper day in Albania and to make the most of it we went on a boat ride in the Ionian sea with the son of the owner of our apartment. Even though he didn't speak any English he insisted on walking us down to the docks and even bought us coffee and croissants on the way! The boat turned out to be a speed boat! and it was super fast and fun as we zoomed out of the harbour. At the wharf we saw these funny boats that you could hire in the shape of racing cars. On the way to our main stop we stopped at these amazing blue caves and could dive right off the boat into the beautiful blue water!

When we arrived at the beach we had to jump off the boat and swim to the shore. The beach was pretty big with not many people and we found a good spot to set up away from the boats. But not for long!!!! After a while we heard these long noises off in the distance and then all these pirate ships appeared on the horizon! When they got closer we realised that they were tour boats made to look like the Black Pearl and the other boats from Pirates of the Caribbean 😂They played very loud music and were full of tourists so the beach filled up pretty quick!

After lots of swimming it was time to head back to Sarande. We stopped at some more beautiful coves on the way home for more boat diving. I think it was the most swims I have done in one day ever!

Day 9.

Corfu again! Big travel day today! First walk back to the ferry terminal to take the ferry back to Corfu. 1.5 hours later arrive in Corfu port to find that there are no buses to the other side of the island on Sundays. To to the taxi drivers outside the port but no one wants to take us there until eventually one driver says he will take us for 85eu. Drive on a really windy road (sometimes with traffic lights because the road is too narrow for cars to pass each other) for 45min until we arrive at our new holiday house in Arillas! We are a bit early to check in so we walk down to the beach and it is beautiful! We didn't think we would see water clearer than the water in Albania but it was even clearer here! The little waves looked like liquid glass! We had a swim and then went back to our villa. It was very cute and the owners had filled the fridge with snacks and drinks and eggs from their chickens (which we could see and hear!!!)

Day 10.

Big walk day! Today we were going to walk to a very famous beach called Porto Timoni. We had a 6km walk to get there and it was going to be a hot day and we wanted to beat all the tourists so we set off as early as we could - about 8am (which is very early Spanish time!!!) We had to walk over a big hill and through lots of olive groves and an old village before we found the bush track down to the bay. The track was very steep but the views were amazing and at one point there is an amazing view of the two bays (one on each side of a little neck). Even though we had got there pretty early the influencers had already set up shop and we had to wait for like 10 min before we could have a look at the view 😤

When we made it down to the bottom of the track we had to decide which beach to swim at first! They both looked amazing but we selected the smaller one and quickly got our bathers on and jumped in! once again the water was super clear and the rocky cliffs around the little bay were beautiful! After a while we could see heaps of people starting to come down the track so we quickly moved on to look at the other beach before they arrived. This beach was bigger but the water was really blue and when you dove under the water you could see fish so clearly it was like you were snorkeling!

After lots of swims and some lunch we decided to move on and explore the little island at the end of the neck. We found a rock arch and a chapel deep in the bush cut into the hill and another beach where we went for a swim. By now Porto Timoni had filled up with tourists so we decided it was time to head home.

When we got back to Arillas we found a cool bar with a pool and if you bought a drink you could swim in the pool for free. Mummy and Daddy drank some beers while Esther and I had a big play in the pool :)

Day 11.

Return to Espana. Another big travel day today.... Taxi ride back to Corfu (in a Tesla! with a very nice driver who studies to be a paramedic in Thessaloniki). Long wait in the airport and then plane ride back to Madrid. Instead of going straight home we decided to spend a couple of nights in Madrid. So we jumped on a train and went into the city! It was really hot (like 40degrees) and by the time we found our hostel we were cooked 😂We found a delicious burger place for dinner and then went to bed.

Day 12.

Madrid! Madrid is the capital of Spain and Spain's biggest city. It is really hot in summer and really cold in winter. We were there in the middle of summer so it was really hot!! Even at 9 in the morning when we set off to explore the city. First stop - Plaza Mayor, a very famous square in Spain where all the buildings are the same style and slightly red. It was pretty cool. Then we decided to head towards the palace. On the way we found some more cool buildings and a funny statue with a shiny bum where everyone had patted him. The palace is huge and amazing but there was a massive line to go inside so we just walked around the outside. The palace is the house for Spain's royal family and it has over 3400 rooms!

After walking around the palace we found a really cool park with a statue of Cervantes in the middle and then, guess what! An ancient Egyptian temple!!! I didn't know the ancient Egyptians came to Spain! Well it turns out they didn't.... The Egyptian government decided that they had too many ancient temples hanging around so they gave one to Spain and it was taken apart block by block and reconstructed in Madrid!

After leaving the temple we walked to the Markets for some delicious snacks and then walked along the river to some cool parks. They needed to be 'cool' parks because it was getting really warm! One temperature gauge we walked past said it was 52 degrees!!! Luckily we found a water park and cooled off by running through fountains of water that shot out of the ground at random times.

We walked back to our ostel for a rest in the air conditioning before heading out again. This time Daddy wanted to show us two things. A famous architecture building that he really loved when he and mummy were in Madrid last time and a famous artwork by Pablo Picasso called Gurnica which is Farber's favourite artwork. The build was called Caixa Forum and it was pretty cool with a huge green wall and floating brick building - but the shop inside was even cooler and I wanted to buy lots of things! To get into the museum to see Gurnica we had to line up. The museum is free after 6 so there were lots of people lined up and daddy thought we might need our passports to get in so while we waited in line he ran back to the hostel to get them. He made it back just in time and then they didn't need to see them 😅To find Gurnica we just had to follow the crowds.... it is a cool painting and really big! it must have been hard to get in there! We saw lots of other paintings by famous artists and cool sculptures and models as well.

Day 13.

Home! (via Toledo). But first we had to find Pia! We had left her at the airport so first we had to catch the train back to the airport and ring up the car parking company and get them to deliver the car for us. Unfortunately the man only spoke Spanish and daddy thought he said meet him outside gate 86 and we walked around the airport for ages and ages before he rang again and said he was between gates 8 & 6 😂But we got Pia back YAY!!! She was very dusty!

We drove to Toledo and parked under the hill that Toledo is built on. We had to drive 6 hours back to Conil today so we only had a couple of hours to explore Toledo but we made the most of it and walked from one end of the city (with a cool Roman bridge) to the other (the Alcazar) and saw lots of really cool buildings and crazy medieval streets in between. It was really hot (like Madrid) and we had to stop for a delicious gelato as we walked 😁 Toledo has amazing streets and buildings and is very different from Conil. We had a delicious lunch at a taperia under the Alcazar before heading back to Pia for the long drive home.

word of the post.  avion = plane