We took it easy today. Very easy. The spot where we slept by the river was too good to leave in a hurry. Sun, peace and quiet, water nearby... basically, rushing off would have been a rookie mistake. So, a leisurely breakfast, a little stroll, staring at the river for a while as if we understood something... and once we felt sufficiently relaxed, we set off.

We headed northeast, towards Thessaloniki, though without any intention of going into the city. An easy drive, good weather, and no drama. In about two hours, roughly a hundred and fifty kilometres, we arrived at a beach south of the city. We’re not entirely sure what it’s called, but we’ve christened it Korinos, which sounds important.

The place has its charm. A fairly large car park, a little church plonked in the middle as if someone had left it there by mistake, and one other motorhome. And in front... an endless beach. Kilometres to one side, kilometres to the other. One of those that makes you think you could run in a straight line all day and not bump into a soul.

And then there's Mount Olympus in the background, towards the south. The same one we climbed two and a half years ago. Now it’s covered in snow, as if someone had dusted it with icing sugar. It’s impressive to see from afar, although I prefer admiring it from down here, as climbing is more tiring than chasing a ball uphill for an hour. We went for a walk along the beach. A half-hour stroll with the ball in action. I was running, braking, coming back, burying it, digging it up... the usual. More energy than a puppy on three espressos.

During all that time, we only crossed paths with a German couple. Well, half-German, because he was originally Greek. They had a really strange vehicle, like a giant quad bike, but with the look of a small car. Something between an expensive toy and an exploration machine. Very curious. Dad Edu stayed talking to them for quite a while. I took the opportunity to observe from a professional distance. They talked about various things, but mostly about the amount of rubbish on the beach. And it’s true. It’s full of plastics that wash up from the sea: bottles, bits and pieces, shoes... everything. But it’s not "dirty" rubbish. It doesn't smell; it's not immediately repulsive. It’s more like the sea decided to redecorate the beach with things nobody asked for. Weird.

We continued along the beach for a while longer. Dad Edu tried to relax and sunbathe, but of course, with me, that’s complicated. I started burying and digging up the ball right next to him, which ended up with the towel full of sand. And Dad Edu, too. By accident, of course. Well, sort of on purpose.

When the sun started to go down, we went back to the camper. Here the coast faces east, so the sunset is over land, which is a bit strange, but it has its appeal. Behind the beach, there’s a natural marshy area, right next to the car park. Result: mosquitoes. Lots of them. More than one can handle with any dignity. We had to take refuge in the camper quite quickly, because it was worse than trying to sleep with a fly buzzing in your ear. But hey, we’re fine inside. The place is quiet, there’s space, and the beach right there makes up for everything. So, here we’re staying the night. Sand, mosquitoes, and Mount Olympus in the background. Not a bad combo.