We decide we need some cords from the car, so Stefan runs the 6 kilometers each way to retrieve them. So cool that he’s running. And now we can charge the computers and camera!

I take the kids out for a croissant. Then we have to go back to the hotel to clean up and check out. We have no idea what is happening with the car yet. They have to run a diagnostic on it today and let us know. So we will check out in hopes of leaving later today. It all feels too uncertain for my taste.

Stefan returns from his run and showers as we pack up. We store our things with the hotel and begin walking to the edge of town, where we hear there’s a swimming pool and miniature golf. The kids are pumped. It’s not the best walk as it’s next to a busy street and uphill. But then we walk up a set of stairs that provides the most amazing view.

The swimming pool is really nice. It’s only 8 euros for all three of us, and the kids are the most excited I’ve seen them in weeks. Oly can’t wait to “learn how to swim”. It’s so cute, especially since he hasn’t always been the biggest fan of water. He barely likes much water in his bathtub, but Lillian’s excitement is contagious now. 

We swim for at least an hour in the shallow pool. It’s the perfect depth for both kids to walk in, and they love it!

We have a really relaxing time and then we hear some thunder. It looks like a serious storm is rolling in, so we hurry out of the pool. Unfortunately, we don’t have any towels! Our own are in the car, and we aren’t guests of the hotel anymore. I’d thought we could air dry while playing mini-golf, but there isn’t any sun now. Hmmm… But wait! I have a packet of tissues! Each person gets one tissue to dry off with. The kids don’t think it’s as funny as I do because they are pretty cold. But it works well enough. I’m definitely feeling resourceful. 

It’s raining, but by the time we get to the gate and put on our shoes, the sun comes out again. Guess it’s time for mini-golf! Oly loves golf, so this is right up his alley, but he wants to swing really hard. We have to help him take it easy on the backswing. We do pretty well on this simple course. It’s fun to see how the activities we do as a family change as the kids grow.

It looks like it may rain again, and it’s actually getting a little cold! So we walk home, this time downhill. Surprisingly it’s 3pm before we are back in town.

Most shops close in the afternoon, but a little tapas place is still serving food. We get a cheese/meat plate and croque monsieurs for the kids. They love them, of course. Stefan talks to our friends Johanna and Alex, whom he asked to speak with the car people for us. (Thank you so much, you guys!). It seems they are sending our car to another shop tomorrow to have it fixed. This doesn’t sound promising.

Everyone is super disappointed as this point. We check back into our hotel for another 2 nights. We’ll have to figure out how to entertain ourselves here for a bit longer. 

We walk around town for awhile, trying to see new parts of town. There are several springs that run through town, abutting the homes. It’s beautiful.

We find a cute little spot for dinner, on a street we hadn’t gone down yet. It’s basically someone’s home. We have two choices for our meal, and a woman and her mother cook us dinner. It’s so perfect. The food isn’t amazing or anything, but the whole experience is perfect for this town. The kids are super sweet with each other. Lillian keeps letting Oly rest on her. Because of our limited choices, the kids get fruit with mascarpone cheese on it for dessert, and Lillian feels this is an injustice. First, she wants ice cream. She always wants ice cream. But also she is offended that this mascarpone must be on top of perfectly good fruit. These kids are so awesome when it comes to trying new food and appreciating different tastes, so it’s super cute when she has strong opinions like this one. 

We don’t feel like we do much today. I think we are feeling ready to head out. Hopefully the car is ready soon.