The observant viewer has probably noticed that we took a bit of an odd route.

You guessed it… a leak.

We arrived in Patras and spent a night at a guarded camper site. Patras is not the safest place, and P4N has plenty of reviews about beggars claiming they’ll slash your tires if you don’t leave or pay. Not exactly a warm welcome.

We slept well and had breakfast in the sun for the first time the next morning—oh, how we’ve missed this! In the Netherlands, we tried to eat outside for as long as possible, but eventually, it became too difficult. We did some grocery shopping, and a little boy kept asking for money. Jinte quickly hid her wallet—not in a scared way, more just practical. She wondered out loud if he shouldn’t be in school and why his parents weren’t giving him money. It led to a meaningful conversation.

We drove on and found a nice spot for lunch. The girls threw stones, we ate a sandwich, and then continued driving. At a small restaurant, we could park for free—it was only a 100-meter walk to the beach, and there was a toilet and electricity. Plus, we were right next to a playground. What more could we ask for? Most of the moisture from the last leak had nearly disappeared. We did some small repairs on the camper while the girls played. We took turns working and spent hours enjoying the beach.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather, having had no rain for the first 12 days. Unfortunately, two days ago, with the first bit of rain, the leak returned. We had already made a backup plan, so we packed everything up and headed to a garage that had been recommended by multiple people. It seemed wise to call ahead and let them know we were coming. But then came a huge disappointment—they wouldn’t take on the job. They resealed windows but didn’t do full roof repairs. Such a bummer.

There was another garage we found through a Greece travel Facebook group, but it was in Athens. After calling and emailing, we were told we could come the next day at 10 AM. The downside? We’d have to drive back four hours along the same road and pay another €100 in tolls—on top of what we already paid on the way there. By now, it was already 6 PM. Tears were close. We ate something and decided to hit the road right away. The girls sat in the back, lollipops in their mouths and tablets in their hands, while we drove into the night.

At 11:30 PM, we parked along the highway for a short night’s sleep. The alarm went off at 6 AM, and by 7 AM, we were on the road again. At 10:05, we drove onto the lot of—well, what should we call it? A camper sales and service center? We had already asked ChatGPT for a Greek translation of our issue. The woman at the shop said they could fix a window but not an entire roof or side panel. NO! You’ve got to be kidding. She said she would talk to her husband.

Meanwhile, Mirre was in tears as she took the girls out of the camper. And then, something seemed to shift. The previously distant couple suddenly started smiling warmly. The woman reassured us that it would be okay. They waved kindly at the girls, who (with some encouragement from Mirre) waved back—mostly obediently. The man motioned for Johan to follow him to his work container. He climbed a ladder onto the container, then, despite his age, jumped onto our roof. The woman joined in, and through gestures and broken English, we made a plan.

THEY WERE GOING TO FIX IT!

We wouldn’t believe it until we saw it, but this was exactly what we needed to hear. The man immediately spotted the problem, figured out what was wrong, and started removing the old sealant. Heavy-duty tools were involved. They promised to test it thoroughly with water to make sure it was properly sealed. The camper would be ready by Saturday.

We booked an Airbnb, and they arranged a taxi for us. So, by 1 PM, we found ourselves in a quirky little apartment in Athens.

We ate, found a playground, stopped at a café, enjoyed the sunshine, did some shopping, showered, cooked, and went to bed.

Fingers crossed that this time, the problem is really fixed!