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Lyons Worldschooling Adventure
  • Lyons Tale
Jul 2024 – Jun 2025

Lyons Worldschooling Adventure

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    22Pretty nice classroom! Learning about cave formations1Doughnuts are a regular part of Montenegrin breakfasts!

    Lipa Cave

    September 16, 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.    Read more

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    Five Heroes of Vig, murdered just before the Partisan's victory over the Germany Fascists.

    Shkodër, Albania

    September 16, 2024 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 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.Read more

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    Valbona, epic hike part 1

    September 17, 2024 in Albania ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Read more

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    Teth, epic hike part 2

    September 18, 2024 in Albania ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Read more

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    2Our campsite had wild turtles!Skanderbeg museum2Traditional olive oil processWomen's roomMen's room for entertaining1Wool artisan at work

    Krujë, birthplace of Albania's hero

    September 19, 2024 in Albania ⋅ ☁️ 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!    Read more

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    1Skanderbeg!Amazing indoor play spot25Typical Albanian house style2Traffic was very messy and chaotic in Albania

    Tiranë is shiny on the surface

    September 21, 2024 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

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    1Byzantine Church mosaic from the 6th Century. Caretaker uncovered it for us.1Many endemic species in Lake Ohrid1Such a joy to buy fresh fruits and veggies this way!Albanians (and other southern Balkans) are REALLY into car washesWe bought the most delicious honey packed with nuts hereBee keeping is found everywhere in the Balkans2112The women of Lin sell their pickles, wines, rakija and more2Abandoned factory in Albania.

    Lin has been inhabited for 8 500 years

    September 23, 2024 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

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    Monastery splendor and spirit

    September 27, 2024 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

  • Lyons TaleTravelerLyons Worldschooling Adventure
    Cat cuddles at Petar and Lidja's1Garbage throughout the Balkans is a real issue.2298% of North Macedonia's Jewish people were killed in WWII. Insane.111Sweet preserved figs. Delightful1

    Friendship in Skopje

    September 27, 2024 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

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    12Monestary entrance

    Matka Canyon

    October 1, 2024 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

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    Rosh Hashana with family in Thessaloniki

    October 5, 2024 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Read more

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    Meteora

    October 8, 2024 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

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    31Albanian bakery owner in Volos introduced us to the local Greek delicaciesCaulking the cob pizza oven - first pizza was made a week later3The original way to make grapes!Our favourite beach, bordered by pine trees1

    Skiathos: dreamy Greek Island

    October 11, 2024 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

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    Skiathos: community and sandy beaches

    October 17, 2024 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Read more

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    Volos

    October 18, 2024 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 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!    Read more

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    Mount Olympus

    October 19, 2024 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 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.

  • Lyons TaleTravelerLyons Worldschooling Adventure
    The statue's hands are shiny from visitors' touches
    Nuts packed in honeyMineral deposits near the hot spring source

    Baba Vanga & Rupite Hot Springs, Bulgari

    October 20, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Read more

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    1Painted wooden Easter eggs21212

    Rila Monestary and National Park

    October 21, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Read more

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    St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral
    1SubwayMany copper onion dome roofs in the city3rd largest synagogue in Europe. Couldn't go in though, Aaron had just bought a knife at the market!Monument to the unknown warriorTsar Samuil, enraged by defeat and his soldiers taken prisoner and blinded by the Byzantines2Our campground had kittens!

    Sofia, capital city

    October 22, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 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.Read more

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    Veliko Tarnovo

    October 23, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 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!    Read more

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    The Choral Temple, Orthodox synagogue in Bucharest2Simchat Torah at Bucharest's synagogue1The most beautiful synagogue I've ever been to1Dance performance and clowning at Caru' cu bereFamous doughnuts and beer#vanlifeThriller flash mobKürtőskalács, Romanian chimney cakeMany people were finishing in the city's canals - I wouldn't want to eat anything from those waters!2

    Bucharest: Last Campervan Stop

    October 24, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Read more

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    Rosa and the guy who walks her
    Danish cold plungingTraditional sod roofBathing rules!View from our guest room window at the Haas'1Happy birthday JeffreyThe cousins make pancakes for dinner

    Return to the Haas' in Copenhagen

    October 27, 2024 in Denmark ⋅ 🌧 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.Read more

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    Practice runGreat Synagogue of Copenhagen before Friday night services11Reacting to Jeffrey's compilation video of Frida over the years2Multiperson solitaire

    Frida's Bat Mitzvah

    November 2, 2024 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Read more

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    Boys Trip to Milan!

    November 6, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 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!    Read more

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