La Grande Vadrouille ENG

 Our technical problem is finally sorted out. The “holidays” are over — it’s time to change into high gear! Especially since the sun is back 😎. We hit the road as soon as we left the garage (or almost), even taking the highway (which is pretty rare for us because it’s expensive) to cross the entire Peloponnese and stop at the Isthmus of Corinth, where a narrow strip of land only 6 km long connects the peninsula to mainland Greece. Naturally, a canal was dug there to link the Gulf of Corinth to the Saronic Gulf and the Aegean Sea, also known as “Jéjé’s Sea,” but only according to Jérôme 😂. Built in the 19th century, the canal is impressive with its 63-meter-high walls carved into golden rock: Unfortunately, there were no boats passing through when we were there. Nowadays, commercial ships are too large to use it, so it’s mostly used by pleasure boats. But it still would have been cool to see one go through. What’s even more impressive is that before the canal was built, for about...

We hope you’ve all had a good start to the new year. For us, 2026 is getting off to a quiet beginning, wandering around the Kalamata area while we wait for our small technical issue to be fixed. It was supposed to be done on January 9, but it was postponed to the 13th because the garage made a mistake and didn’t order the right part 😒. So these days we’re more in “baby steps” mode than “long strides.” Still, it could be worse—it’s not like we’re stuck in Drummondville or Tourcoing, and we manage to fill our days nicely by discovering new, beautiful places. And we even manage to squeeze in a little swim here and there, despite the rather windy and rainy weather we have these days. It’s also a good opportunity to devote a small chapter to our everyday life in less than 6 square meters. First of all, the days fly by at an incredible speed! Even though we don’t go to work every day, our days are still very full—and not just by playing tourist. There’s always something to do, and some eve...

Here we are, the sun has set on 2025… And what a beautiful and full year it was!! Especially the second half: first the celebrations for my 50th birthday, surrounded by family and friends, then the preparations for the big departure, followed by the first five months of wandering. Here’s a quick little recap: about 15,000 km traveled, 12 countries crossed, one Rugby World Cup, dozens of magnificent sunsets, lots of wonderful encounters, and images forever imprinted in our minds. But also: four new tires, a run-in with the police, a parking ticket, a long and somewhat difficult 3+ weeks of gray skies and humidity, and to end the year with a little cherry on the top, a visit to the Peugeot garage in Kalamata… When the engine warning light comes on, it’s always a bit worrying and it's best to take it seriously. In the end, nothing serious — just a faulty sensor that needs replacing. But a problem between Christmas and New Year also means no chance of getting the part or fixing it bef...