Juli 2024 – Juni 2025

Lyons Worldschooling Adventure

We're using the world as our classroom. Weiterlesen

Folgen Übersicht Kalender Teilen

Footprints
Fotos

Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 61
- Montag, 16. September 2024 um 09:01
- ☁️ 12 °C
- Höhe über NN: 527 m
- Montenegro Gnjila 42.370446, 18.95440742°22’14” N 18°57’16” E
2 2 1
Lipa Cave
16. September 2024 in Montenegro ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
Our last stop in Montenegro was Lipa Cave, a large and beautiful cavern with a wide range of cave formations. We started the day with a breakfast over a gorgeous view, and some schooling about cave formations. The boys were enthralled; they took lots of photos and listened carefully to the guide.

Aaron asked the tour driver to drop us off at our campsite on the way back to the starting point. When the driver forgot to stop, 3/4 of the family (feel free to guess which ones!) jumped off the moving tractor/train. Luckily the driver only glared at us :-)

Also, Aaron shaved his beard! Destination: long curly hair.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Yum! And gorgeous spread and view!!
20.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender This looks right up your boy’s alleys!!
20.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Wow!
21.09.24Antworten
2 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 2 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 61
- Montag, 16. September 2024 um 18:20
- ☀️ 19 °C
- Höhe über NN: 29 m
- Albanien Shkodër 42.069896, 19.51383942°4’12” N 19°30’50” E
Shkodër, Albania
16. September 2024 in Albanien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
The wetlands of the Shkodër Lake area are also the doorway to some isolated mountain villages. We spent an evening in Shkodër, and had the relieving experience of exploring a regular town by bike, not a tourist town. Sitting in a smokey Manchester-United named bar, we watched a bit of Italian soccer.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Gefällt 0 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 62
- Dienstag, 17. September 2024 um 13:53
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Höhe über NN: 960 m
- Albanien Bregu i Hakajve 42.439575, 19.8773342°26’22” N 19°52’38” E
1 1 1 2 2 1
Valbona, epic hike part 1
17. September 2024 in Albanien ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Over three days, we explored the remote Albanian north, using a wide range of transportation, including a 9km hike over a mountain pass.

We began the day very early, to catch our minibus. Leaving the campervan at our campsite, we quickly realized we didn't have enough time to make it to the departure point. Aaron inquired about a taxi at a local cafe, and one of the regulars offered to give us a ride for €10 (way too much but we were desperate). The other passengers were his chickens that would be sold later that day!

We travelled by minibus in style, with red mood lighting and rocking Albanian pop, which has a strong middle-eastern influence. The bus parked and our driver walked us through a tunnel that led to a ferry terminal. There was very little space at the terminal! And, they overpacked the boat :-|

The ferry took us 2.5 hours along a narrow river with towering mountains on either side. We then took one more minibus to a small village named Valbona. Our guest house was very quaint and with a stunning view. We ate family style meals with lots of fresh Albanian country food.

With little to do in town, and since we packed very light for the hike, we wandered the main strip. The boys petted the cows we met (maybe the fourth time this trip?) and took selfies with them.

We also came across a series of concrete bunkers, a leftover from the Hoxha regime. They are apparently a ubiquitous sight in Albania, with an average of 5.7 bunkers for every square km. A huge investment. Hoxha was hostile towards the country's immediate neighbours, and fearful of invasion. Apparently citizens were trained from the age of 12 to station themselves in the nearest bunker to repel invaders. Now the use of these bunkers range from abandoned to museums.

For many years, Albania was virtually cut off from the outside world. The dictator ruled by fear and violence. When communism fell in 1990, Albania opened its borders to foreigners. There's lots of tourism development here, and poverty. It's a country in transition.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Looks like a lovely place to stay.
21.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender You weren’t joking about the lighting!!
14.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Tame???
14.10.24Antworten
5 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 4 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 63
- Mittwoch, 18. September 2024 um 12:47
- ☁️ 10 °C
- Höhe über NN: 1.689 m
- Albanien Qafa e Valbonës 42.4055, 19.80997442°24’20” N 19°48’36” E
3 3 1 1 2 1
Teth, epic hike part 2
18. September 2024 in Albanien ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
We postponed the start of our hike because it was raining. We have raincoats, but our sneakers are not waterproof, so we were a bit worried about getting wet early in the hike. Luckily the rain pretty much tapered off about 30 minutes into the journey.

We heard the first hour or so was fairly flat along a riverbed, and to save the kids' energy for the tough stuff, we hired a 4x4 taxi to take us to the hike start. We met a lovely Swedish couple in the taxi who we connected with several times over the hike. The woman shared her Swedish cow songs with us, something high pitched but nicer than yodelling.

The first couple hours of the 9km+ trail were fairly steep with NO views due to the clouds. We mostly kept our spirits up, but when we got to the peak and couldn't see farther than a few meters, it was really disappointing. And cold!

On our way down the other side of the mountain, suddenly the clouds ended and we could see for miles and miles. We were so happy to see the view! And it was beautiful.

A number of entrepreneurs have set up shop along the mountain path, so you can have hot drinks, ice cold drinks cooled by the mountain stream, snacks, set up a tent or even get a bed. Really nice feature of the trip.

At the end of the hike we tried a "short cut" to get to our guest house. At first it was lovely walking down the side roads, but eventually we ended up on a very steep goat trail coming down a steep mountain side. After many hours of walking, we were exhausted. As a little gift, the goat trail did lead us right to our guest house. Everyone was happy for a shower and a rest.

We wandered to an agroturismo place for dinner, where an older, traditional Albanian couple grows and raises all the food they serve. Lucky for us, an ethnic Albanian couple from Begium were also there, and they acted as translators. We had an epic meal, heard many stories from the other guests, enjoyed the hygge vibes by the fire, and were invited to watch the cows being milked for the next day's cheese. Very very special experience.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Gorgeous
20.09.24Antworten
ReisenderOne of the most stunning areas I’ve seen so far of your trip
20.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Sounds and looks amazing. Enjoy!
21.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
12 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 5 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 64
- Donnerstag, 19. September 2024 um 18:37
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Höhe über NN: 555 m
- Albanien Krujë 41.509621, 19.79417141°30’35” N 19°47’39” E
2 2 1
Krujë, birthplace of Albania's hero
19. September 2024 in Albanien ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
The Ottoman Empire controlled much of this region for hundreds of years, leaving a lasting cultural and religious influence. In the mid 1400s, Albanian leader Skanderbeg led a rebellion against the Empire. Skanderbeg successfully defended against three Ottoman sieges. Today he is remembered as a national hero, and the Albanian flag is similar to Skanderbeg's red flag standard with a black double-headed eagle.

The 400-year old Ottoman-style bazaar in Krujë offered a mix of traditional crafts and generic trinkets. We encountered a skilled wool artist making the traditional white wool fez hats as well as adaptations that serve as modern lighting fixtures.

We loved getting a taste of Albania's rich culture. The Krujë ethnographic museum shared examples of Albanian agricultural, artistic, religious, and other traditions. We were able to even digitally try on some traditional outfits!Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Cool!
29.09.24Antworten
ReisenderI’m so glad you got onto this penguin site, so great you’re sharing is endless experience with us over here at home.
29.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Wonderful!
30.09.24Antworten
4 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 4 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 66
- Samstag, 21. September 2024 um 13:49
- ☀️ 27 °C
- Höhe über NN: 38 m
- Albanien Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza 41.409778, 19.69710141°24’35” N 19°41’50” E
1 2 5 2
Tiranë is shiny on the surface
21. September 2024 in Albanien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Albania is a country in transition. Thirty years ago, after the Albanian communist dictator Enver Hoxha died, the new leader gradually introduced economic reforms and opened diplomatic ties with Western countries. We heard that today's economy is driven by illegal activities, deepening the divide between that haves and have-nots. This is very apparent in Tirana. So many beautiful new buildings! And, in the country side, many people have subsistence livings.

Like many communist countries, fear was a key tool for keeping the population under control. We visited a museum about the population surveillance during Hoxha's regime. Terrifying and supremely sad.

Tirana was partially on our itinerary because there was a football match! Two local teams played against each other, and there was SO much pride in from the two fan areas.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Interesting looking architecture
29.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender wow!
30.09.24Antworten
Reisender Love to hear more what the kids thought of this.
30.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderThey say the surveillance was sad. And the museum was boring! Lol
30.09.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderAre they museum-ed out yet?
14.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderWe've done few museums but they are SO done with monestaries and churches
14.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderI can see that…I’m guessing Aaron is not done with those yet though…are you able to keep everyone happy mostly? Must be a juggling act to figure out what you can skip and what you should do…
17.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
3 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 2 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 68
- Montag, 23. September 2024 um 11:50
- ☀️ 19 °C
- Höhe über NN: 695 m
- Albanien Lin 41.066068, 20.6419241°3’58” N 20°38’31” E
1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2
Lin has been inhabited for 8 500 years
23. September 2024 in Albanien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
History is visceral here, in stark contrast to Canada. Our last stop in Albania was the town of Lin - a pretty fishing village on the shores of Lake Ohrid. The town is estimated to have been inhabited for 8 500 years, making it the oldest known pre-historical settlement in Europe. The Lake itself pulses with age - it is estimated to be maybe 3 million years old. We soaked in our smallness at this stop.

One warm memory we'll take from Albania is the generousness of the people. At every road side food market, the sellers pushed some food into the hands of our boys - apples, figs, incredible olives.

In Lin, we visited ancient Roman mosaics, what is reputed as Albania's most photogenic bunker, swam multiple times a day, took a possibly too-adventurous bike ride, bought home made pickles and wine, and slowed down a bit.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
ReisenderIt sounds - and looks - wonderful. I’m loving following along with you. What a beautiful place.
03.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender wow!
03.10.24Antworten
Reisender Lovely
03.10.24Antworten
15 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 71
- Donnerstag, 26. September 2024 um 14:58
- ☀️ 22 °C
- Höhe über NN: 685 m
- Nordmazedonien Kale 41.112431, 20.79533541°6’45” N 20°47’43” E
Ohrid, North Macedonia
26. September 2024 in Nordmazedonien ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
The namesake town of this spectacular lake also boasts a paper making shop, with a replica Gutenberg Press that it uses to make beautiful prints.
Übersetzung anzeigen
Gefällt 5 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 72
- Freitag, 27. September 2024 um 09:22
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Höhe über NN: 769 m
- Nordmazedonien Sveti Jovan Bigorski 41.620373, 20.60931641°37’13” N 20°36’34” E
1 1
Monastery splendor and spirit
27. September 2024 in Nordmazedonien ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Travelling up some beautiful green canyons speckled with garbage, we arrived to Bigorski Monastery. This place is treasured by our Macedonian friends we were on route to visit, so we took their advice.

Bigorski was founded in 1020, and today is home to monks who are glowing with joy. Our friend Petar came all the way from Skopje to give us a tour of the Monastery where he lived for a year and also got married. Through his eyes, we were able to feel a small flavour of the peace and beauty of monastic life.

To add to the specialness of the day, Petar took us to Bigorski's sister church, Monastery of St. George the Victorious, where they were hosting a religious celebration. The small church was animated with people in prayer, candles, holy water, and more. The courtyard held the overflow and communion. Everyone seemed to know Petar and were so happy to see him. He kindly introduced us again and again as his Canadian friends. A meal was served to all the attendees.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
ReisenderBoy, that really sounds lovely
02.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderThis fills my cup. Fantastic to have a friend to share their experiences in such a special place.
03.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender That took a lot of work!
03.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Lovely photo!
03.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 4 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 72
- Freitag, 27. September 2024 um 16:58
- ☀️ 26 °C
- Höhe über NN: 424 m
- Nordmazedonien Радишки Рид 42.065775, 21.44301242°3’57” N 21°26’35” E
1 2 2 1 1 1 1
Friendship in Skopje
27. September 2024 in Nordmazedonien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Sometimes you meet people and the connection is instant. This was our experience with our most wonderful new friends in Skopje, North Macedonia: Lidija, Petar, Andrijana and Simon.

One night at our campsite on Hvar in Croatia, Aaron heard music being played, and like a moth to flame, went over to investigate. This chance encounter led to music making, shared meals and drinks in the dark of the Croatian summer, and promises to see one another again in Skopje.

One month later, we were kindly escorted into the city as Petar drove slowly ahead of our camper van. This crew showed us what true hospitality looks like.

We arrived then feasted in Petar and Lidija's backyard, sure that one of our family would explode from the unending stream of salads, rakija (brandy), barbecue, soup, breads, cheeses, dips, and more!

The next day we tried to attend a football game that Judah found online, but were thwarted by poor information. We still aren't sure if the game even happened, where it happened, or if perhaps it was held but it was actually a U13 game :-) Instead, Simon took us for a tour of the downtowns.

Then, we all met up for an incredible traditional Macedonian meal. Andrijana chose a delicious mix of traditional meze which delighted us all. The experience got even richer when local musicians began to circulate around the room playing accordian, wind instruments and guitar. When the room mostly emptied out, the musicians stood around our table, playing folks songs and our friends sang along loudly. It was a night to remember.

On our last day of the visit, Lidija and Petar allowed us to set up shop in their living room while we used the internet. Then, Andrijana and Simon and their daughter invited us for a delightful meal of salads and Simon's dad's home brewed mastik. I want to eat like this always! We then watched Petar perform at a show in the park and cried as we said our goodbyes.

This time together was a true gift.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
ReisenderHi goodness, I am salivating, I'm going to get some thing a little unsatisfying to eat out of my fridge.
13.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderIt's always wonderful to connect with local people. Amazing trip!
14.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Even got a lion in the photo!
14.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderWhenever we can!!!
14.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
10 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 76
- Dienstag, 1. Oktober 2024 um 11:28
- ☀️ 15 °C
- Höhe über NN: 452 m
- Nordmazedonien Medenik 41.954476, 21.3016141°57’16” N 21°18’6” E
1 2
Matka Canyon
1. Oktober 2024 in Nordmazedonien ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
Matka is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in North Macedonia and is home to several medieval monasteries. And, it was highly recommended by our friends from Skopje. So we had to go! And it was delightful.

We camped by a river, parking high on the bank after a warning from a local that the dam releases water at night. Very glad we got that tip, as even in the higher spot the water came up to our tires.

The couple parked close to us were Spaniards who work at police officers. The woman served in the army and was last in the region as a peacekeeper during the 1990s wars. She said it was a bit disorienting being back.

Our walk through the canyon featured some beautiful views, a monestary, and ended at an artificial lake so followed by a boatride back over to the main shore.

We tacked on a trip to a Go Kart place, as our earlier waterpark plans were thwarted by end-of-season closures. And, the boys were needing some plain-ol-kid-fun.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender who won??? ;)
17.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderJudah or Aaron, depends who you ask
17.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisenderlooks like a nice place to visit and I am glad about the water warning
17.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderMe too!!
18.10.24Antworten
Reisender So FUN!
20.10.24Antworten
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 80
- Samstag, 5. Oktober 2024 um 15:52
- ☁️ 25 °C
- Höhe über NN: 24 m
- Griechenland Kapani Market 40.636286, 22.94281440°38’11” N 22°56’34” E
1
Rosh Hashana with family in Thessaloniki
5. Oktober 2024 in Griechenland ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
We were so happy our Danish family came down to Greece for the Jewish New Year. We stayed at a delightful Airbnb, went swimming in the Agean, visited the city of Thessoloniki, and rested together.

Before World War II, Salonika (as the town is also called) had the largest Jewish community in Greece. At the time of the German occupation, the Jewish population was about 50,000. During the war, 96% of the Jewish community here, were deported and exterminated in Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was sad and a little bit sweet to be celebrating Rosh Hashana with this history behind us.

Before Jeffrey, Britt, Frida and Esther arrived, my family celebrated a bit of Rosh Hashana with the local Jewish community. On the night the holiday started, we joined the Thessolaniki Chabad for quick and uninspiring services and delicious dinner with about a hundred people, many of them travellers. Sadly, the next morning we were too late to attend the other local synagogue. By the time they had confirmed our identities after our mid-morning arrival, services were basically over! It was disappointing.

So, we made our own new year reflections together with our two families around the dinner table.

Our Airbnb hosts Martha and George were incredibly generous! Greek hospitality is beautiful. First, they served us dinner the night we arrived. Then, they invited us campervan folks to stay an extra day, which we greatly appreciated. When they arrived to say goodbye to us, they came with pastries! Then, when they learned the boys loved the pomegranates growing on their property, they took us next door to the neighbour's pomegranate farm and gifted us a whole large bag of the fruits! When we were saying goodbye they gave us bottles of their home-cured olives to bring home to share with Britt and Jeff. It was humbling and so so very sweet.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Whoa so plentiful! And the colour!!
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 5 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 83
- Dienstag, 8. Oktober 2024 um 11:03
- ⛅ 16 °C
- Höhe über NN: 539 m
- Griechenland Grevená 40.075218, 21.42833640°4’31” N 21°25’42” E
1 1 1 1
Meteora
8. Oktober 2024 in Griechenland ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Meteora means "lofty" or "elevated" in Greek, and this place is certainly both things. This outstanding stop on our journey featured soaring rock columns and Byzantine monasteries perched up high.

We camped fairly close at a site where we could ride to some of the views. Memorably, a huge herd of goats came by while the kids were doing school work. And, cows loudly mooed us to sleep.

We woke up early to watch the sunrise come over the valley. It was gorgeous.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Beautiful people and land!
20.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Amazing where one can build.
20.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Stunning!
23.01.25Antworten
Reisender Who would’ve looked at that landscape and decided that was the best place to build??!!
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 86
- Freitag, 11. Oktober 2024 um 13:00
- ☀️ 26 °C
- Höhe über NN: 3 m
- Griechenland Skiathos Ferry Port 39.162084, 23.49079839°9’44” N 23°29’27” E
3 1 3 1
Skiathos: dreamy Greek Island
11. Oktober 2024 in Griechenland ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
After moving at a fairly constant pace over the last many weeks, we knew we wanted some time to rest and slow down while in Greece. The digital worldschooling community helped us find a group of unschooling families located on a beautiful island.

We parked a few days on Ilektra's eco-property, helping out with a few small tasks. She has a beautiful way of encouraging freedom on her land and with those around her.

One of the families hosted a week of art classes, and we joined an open session. It was so fun. Mathai and Susanna got really into a process of sunprinting on fabrics with cyanotype. Theo was a great teacher. Aaron painted a portrait, and Judah sampled a range of the art modalities.

We were able to drive our camper right up to the sand's edge at a number of our camp spots. We heard the waves at night, and swam all day.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender This is beautiful...
20.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender These are SO neat! Can you teach us when you return?
20.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderLet's do it!!!!
20.10.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
8 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 4 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 92
- Donnerstag, 17. Oktober 2024 um 18:31
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Höhe über NN: 5 m
- Griechenland Skiathos Airport 'Alexandros Papadiamantis'39.17244, 23.49497139°10’21” N 23°29’42” E
1 1
Skiathos: community and sandy beaches
17. Oktober 2024 in Griechenland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Beaches and the local football club were the other highlights of our wonderful visit to Skiathos. (In addition to community!) The boys were warmly welcomed on the football pitch by both coaches and fellow players. They played in the beating hot sun, learned that "shoot" is somewhat universal football language, and bumped into their teammates around town.

We spent 2 nights on a fairly deserted beach. Dreamy. And it was full of garbage. So we split into 2 teams for a garbage collection contest. Mathai and Aaron won both bragging rights and some extra screen time.

On our last full day, we joined a workparty for Sarai and Kamil. The plans for the day started with building a sandbag wall, then changed to fixing the back of a broken trailer. Emergent! While the adults worked, the kids played hard.

We capped off the workday with a BBQ over a steel drum. During the last round of roasting, the fish sadly fell to the bottom! We were not to be deterred though. Ingenuity meant that we tried various ways to save the fish. Kamil scooped them up with two sticks, one forked and one straight. The best laughs ensued, with cheering, and the fish was delicious.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender That’s a lot of garbage!!! Thank you earth stewards! The purple bags are interesting…
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Neat pattern!
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 93
- Freitag, 18. Oktober 2024 um 18:46
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Höhe über NN: 8 m
- Griechenland Volos Ferry Port 39.363759, 22.94059239°21’50” N 22°56’26” E
1 1
Volos
18. Oktober 2024 in Griechenland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Romaniotes are Greek Jews, distinct from Sephardim and Ashekenazi. The Volos Romaniotes are one of the oldest Jewish communities in existence! (Since the second century C.E.)

The city had a thousand Jewish people in 1913, even with high levels antisemitism in the area. Three quarters of the Volos Jews managed to escape before the Nazis rounded them up, with the help of locals and religious authorities, one of the few good stories from that time. (Another is the story of the Danish Jews.)

Today Volos has about 100 Jewish people. We joined the local synagogue for kabbalat shabbat and Sukkot. The melodies were beautiful and very different than the ones used in North America. The congregation was mostly elderly, and all were warm and friendly. A very sweet experience.

In 1988, the Volos municipality, appreciating the contribution of resident Jews, and to memorialize the victims of the Nazis, erected a Holocaust Monument.

In Volos we also had the most delicious Souvlaki!Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Oh yum!
23.01.25Antworten
Reisender I love learning about Jews from other parts of the world. This synagogue is otherworldly. I also always felt so connected to other Jews while travelling because while the melodies of the prayers may differ, the Hebrew words are the same!
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 4 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 94
- Samstag, 19. Oktober 2024 um 14:05
- ☁️ 14 °C
- Höhe über NN: 345 m
- Griechenland Litochoro 40.103693, 22.48906340°6’13” N 22°29’21” E
1
Mount Olympus
19. Oktober 2024 in Griechenland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
We went to visit one of the world's most famous mountains, and all we got was clouds. You win some, you lose some. Still very cool to visit the home of Zeus, Hera and other Greek gods.
Übersetzung anzeigen
ReisenderI was tempted to say was Zeus home!!!! giggles...
14.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender I guess this answers my question on your last post - different mushrooms!
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 2 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 95
- Sonntag, 20. Oktober 2024 um 14:38
- ☀️ 19 °C
- Höhe über NN: 77 m
- Bulgarien Kozhuh 41.459139, 23.26376341°27’33” N 23°15’50” E
Baba Vanga & Rupite Hot Springs, Bulgari
20. Oktober 2024 in Bulgarien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
A famous contemporary mystic lived in Bulgaria. Known as Baba Vanga, we visited her home, gardens, and temple. This blind Bulgarian woman is credited with the gift of prediction, and she had quite a following in Eastern Europe! She was sometimes called the Nostradamus of the Balkans and was renowned for predicting global events, although almost none were written down during her lifetime, so it's all to be taken with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, the grounds were beautiful as was the homage visitors paid to her sculpture and temple.

Nearly adjacent to the Baba Vanga grounds was some incredible natural hotsprings. Muddy but not very sulphery. The best was sitting in the baths in the nighttime, feeling the cool surrounding air.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
ReisenderLike an Eastern European Dead Sea??
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 96
- Montag, 21. Oktober 2024 um 15:35
- ☁️ 16 °C
- Höhe über NN: 1.183 m
- Bulgarien Rila Monastery 42.133725, 23.33982142°8’1” N 23°20’23” E
1 2 1 2 1 2
Rila Monestary and National Park
21. Oktober 2024 in Bulgarien ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
Rila Monestary is a thousand-year old spiritual and literary centre for the Bulgarian people. Its beautiful Orthodox Christian architecture is striking. And its long lasting bakery has some pretty great doughnuts.

Located in a gorgeous national park, we absorbed fall mountain vibes, saw frost for the first time this season, and fended off a pack of wild-feeling sheep herding dogs.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisenderthey wanted some donuts, no doubt!!!
10.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender gorgeous!
10.11.24Antworten
Reisender Aaron is very focused on not killing sheep....
10.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender🤣
10.11.24Antworten
6 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 5 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 97
- Dienstag, 22. Oktober 2024 um 15:36
- ☀️ 18 °C
- Höhe über NN: 526 m
- Bulgarien Vrabnitsa 42.740281, 23.28736142°44’25” N 23°17’14” E
1 2
Sofia, capital city
22. Oktober 2024 in Bulgarien ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Cities can be hard for us. Most activities tend to be very adult oriented, or very kid oriented. In Sofia, we walked, we took photos, tried (and failed) to see live traditional music, and ate yummy food cooked by an Italian and his family.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender That must have been a big hit!
13.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderI'm loving reading all your adventures and the joys and challenges of foreign travel. Love to see your smiling faces , your rising to the occasion and leaping in to all that life on the road has to offer. While I sit quietly and comfortably on rainy dear ole Saltspring!! The boys seem to be growing up faster than you are ageing!! Thanks for sharing it all .
13.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
ReisenderThe buildings are absolutely incredible. I was told that sometimes a craftman(for I think they were men) sometimes spent their entire lives working on the same building. I'm enjoying living vicariously through your stories and pictures...I've never been to the places you are seeing...thanks for taking me along...hugs to you all...and many thanks
14.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisendercan you imagine it? Working on such a huge project? It's amazing.
19.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
2 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 2 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 98
- Mittwoch, 23. Oktober 2024 um 17:01
- ☀️ 20 °C
- Höhe über NN: 184 m
- Bulgarien Veliko Tarnovo Old Town 43.081527, 25.64353843°4’53” N 25°38’37” E
1 1 1 2
Veliko Tarnovo
23. Oktober 2024 in Bulgarien ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Veliko Tarnovo has an incredible wax museum. We learned through these great exhibits about the Second Bulgarian Empire, which was based in Veliko Tarnovo for a couple hundred years. Then, the Ottoman Empire invaded, ruling Bulgaria for the next 500 years. Their struggle for independence rose and fell (was crushed?) many times before the late 1880s when Veliko Tarnovo was once again named the nation's capital for a time.

This town also has a great art, coffee and craft beer scene. Very livable!Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender Heart melt!
18.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Great photo!
18.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Great photo!
18.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
3 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 2 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 99
- Donnerstag, 24. Oktober 2024 um 13:30
- ☁️ 18 °C
- Höhe über NN: 108 m
- Rumänien Stavropoleos Monastery 44.43203, 26.09820244°25’55” N 26°5’54” E
2 1 1 2
Bucharest: Last Campervan Stop
24. Oktober 2024 in Rumänien ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Our return to Romania was bittersweet. It was such a wonderful trip, full of adventure and learning and fun and togetherness. It also had lots of hard times, moments of too much togetherness, bickering, destinations that were closed, and roads unfit for our large campervan.

In Bucharest we celebrated Simchat Torah (conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings) in the MOST beautiful synagogue we had ever seen. Built in Moorish Revival style, its golden and intricate designs were captivating. It was delightful to see so many local families and older adults participating in this celebration.

We found a city parking lot where we began to pack and clean. We purged the things we didn't want to take back and packed what we hoped would be a suitcase under the weight limit. We swept, wiped, and cleaned!

Our city adventures included a visit to the famous Caru' cu bere - a gorgeous Neo-Gothic building offering home-brewed beer and insanely good doughnuts! We also visited a local Halloween event, warming us up for the festivities to come in Copenhagen.

The van drop off was a bit nerve wracking. Three months driving with a rental van meant there could be many issues that we were and maybe weren't yet aware of. Mostly, it went well enough.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
ReisenderGlad the return of the van went smooth
17.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Wow, that is incredibly beautiful!!
18.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Just wow!
18.11.24Antworten
6 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 102
- Sonntag, 27. Oktober 2024 um 11:51
- 🌧 13 °C
- Höhe über NN: 2 m
- Dänemark Hellerup Lystbådehavn 55.741183, 12.5817855°44’28” N 12°34’54” E
1
Return to the Haas' in Copenhagen
27. Oktober 2024 in Dänemark ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
Family is a verb and a noun. For over two weeks this fall, we had the joy of living with Jeffrey and Britt, and their two wonderful daughters. We familied. Watching the cousins spend time together is awesome - they get along like wild fire.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender LOL!!!!
25.11.24Antworten
ReisenderLooks like our labradoodle, Orvie...they are so loving and such fun...
25.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Gefällt 3 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 108
- Samstag, 2. November 2024 um 13:07
- ⛅ 9 °C
- Höhe über NN: 16 m
- Dänemark Nørreport Station 55.681126, 12.57376755°40’52” N 12°34’26” E
1 1 2
Frida's Bat Mitzvah
2. November 2024 in Dänemark ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
Our niece / cousin Frida Gabriella Haas became a bat mitzvah on November 2. She did an incredible job of preparing and delivering her d'var torah (commentary on the week's Torah reading) and chanting from the Torah.

Family from all over the world came to Copenhagen to celebrate. It was delightful to reconnect and spend time together after so many weeks of being in a nuclear family unit.Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
ReisenderWow!! What a party!! How wonderful, for young people to feel, all that support and love fjust for them. Very
25.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisenderlove that reflection Judith
02.12.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Gorgeous portrait!
23.01.25AntwortenÜbersetzen
4 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 2 mal
Reisender Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
- Reise anzeigen
- Zur Bucket List hinzufügenVon der Bucket List entfernen
- Teilen
- Tag 112
- Mittwoch, 6. November 2024 um 12:12
- ☁️ 10 °C
- Höhe über NN: 133 m
- Italien Conca del Naviglio 45.458869, 9.177545°27’32” N 9°10’39” E
1 1 2 1
Boys Trip to Milan!
6. November 2024 in Italien ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
While Susanna was in Hungary with her dad and brother, Aaron took Judah and Mathai to Milan to experience a Champions League soccer game at San Siro Stadium. It's one of the largest stadiums in Europe, with a capacity of 80,000 fans. The match (featuring Inter Milan vs Arsenal, Judah's favorite team) was a thrill.

We spent our remaining time in Milan tasting all the amazing foods we could find, checking out some cool museums, wandering around in front of the city's majestic Duomo, and navigating Milan's transportation system during a nation-wide transit strike. Short and sweet!Weiterlesen
Übersetzung anzeigen
Reisender The perspective room is great!
26.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender Fantastic!
26.11.24Antworten
Reisender Wait a minute, how does THAT one work?!
26.11.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
Reisender@bruce the grey wall on the left is actually the floor, and the bench is fastened to the right hand wall of the room. Rotate the photo back 90 degrees counter-clockwise and it'll make sense :-). So clever!
02.12.24AntwortenÜbersetzen
3 weitere Kommentare
Gefällt 4 mal