The next morning, we take our time heading toward Ancona. We pick up a few more Italian groceries along the way. Funny enough, we park next to a clothing store called Terranova—the same name as Johan’s YouTube channel. What a coincidence!

We park near a small park where we spend the afternoon. The sun is already behind the trees, but with a jacket on, it’s quite pleasant. Diede swings for at least half an hour, “chatting” with the Italian girl next to her. We play shop and have plenty of laughs.

The next morning, Jinte creates a fun obstacle course. We forgot sidewalk chalk, but she finds the perfect rock to draw with. A hopscotch course, circles made of leaves to run around, sticks to jump over—so many creative challenges! Everyone has to join in, and we time who is the fastest. Diede struggles a bit with not being the quickest, so she gets to ride on Mama’s back.

We start packing the things we’ll need on the boat. We have a warm meal in advance so that we can just eat bread on board tonight. We arrive at the port well in time, ready for a 25-hour boat trip!

First, we check out our cabin, then head to the Kids Club. A major disappointment. It’s literally just five chairs with a colorful wall—no toys, nothing. Later, a Dutch truck driver tells us there used to be a ball pit and toys, but more and more has disappeared over time. Mirre kind of understands—she saw the same thing at work. The more toys, the more mess to clean up. But this is just sad. We quickly go back to the camper while we still can and grab some of our own toys. With the chairs, we set up a little school, with Jinte as the teacher. It’s amazing to see, through play, what she remembers from school. And to top it off, she gets a video call from her friend Tessa! Video calling is still a bit tricky for two four-year-olds, but it’s fun for them to see each other.

The girls are absolutely thrilled about the boat adventure. They’re having a great time—running around, coloring, finally chatting with another Dutch kid, eating an egg sandwich, and of course, ice cream for dessert.

They stay up late, but falling asleep is tough. Eventually, we crawl in with them, and they’re out in no time.

At 8:30 AM, there’s a loud knock on the door. Can we move the camper when we dock at Igoumenitsa? Of course!

After breakfast, we take showers—such a great shower! Not something you’d expect on a ferry. We relax for a bit and, in the end, arrive in Patras an hour and a half earlier than planned. Not bad!

Greece, here we come!

We’ve read some not-so-great stories about wild camping near the cities, and we spot our first stray dog right away. It takes some getting used to again. For tonight, we choose a guarded parking area. We video call with family while Diede is practically falling apart—life without a nap is still tough, but life with a nap is too hard for us. Let’s call it a transition phase.

For the first time, we make a casserole in our little camper oven. Thankfully, it’s a hit with everyone.

The girls are exhausted and fall asleep quickly. Tomorrow, we’ll head for the sea!