Few times our plans have changed (for reasons beyond our control), so we decided to get some ‘cool time’ and went to Greece, and then to Romania and Moldova, and then to Crete.
Greece, Moldova - April-July 2026
Lefkada - Greece
April 30, 2026
At any given moment there is a place in the world that is “out of season”. And we are looking for that place.
Out of season everything is a bit dormant, many places are closed and you can only imagine what it is like in season. On the other hand, everything that is open welcomes you happily like the “long lost son”. The owners of the restaurants and guesthouses have time to chat with you about this and that. There is parking for most and a queue is a ‘dirty’ word. True, the water is a bit cold (which does not deter some of us 
), the menu is limited and the frequency of the ferries is not that great.
So, we decided to have a short visit in Greece, to shake off the dust of war and sirens. So far two weeks of peace and calm but the season starts here in three days, and we are in a panic 
.
Corfu - Greece
May 5, 2026
Corfu, the city. One of the nicest places in Greece. An ancient city on the seashore, not particularly busy (at least not in this season). Hidden alleys and corners, quiet souvenir shops and simple restaurants, a long promenade along the coast, a wild park around a palace and hidden beaches that are intended for locals only. In short, a great city…
Then a cruise ship arrives, one with thousands of tourists, and for a few hours the city is simply flooded. Huge groups with or without a guide. One group decides that this ice cream parlour is the thing, and everyone queues there. In another group, a rumour spreads that only this shop has these scarves, and a long line is formed.
Then, suddenly, the swarm disappears and the city sinks back into a nap. Most of the shops close and silence returns to the sleepy city.
We don’t envy, neither the residents of the city nor the cruise ship passengers who haven’t really seen Corfu city.
MIMI winery - Moldova
June 24, 2026
That’s it, we’ve checked out Europe .
We’re in Moldova. The last country we haven’t visited yet… except for Malta, but we probably won’t go there.
Initial impressions of southern Moldova, probably the simplest region of the country.
Everyone who heard that we were going to Moldova first asked “why?” and then mentioned its wineries. And so, we planned a winery trip. Some of us like wine and the rest like lemonade. Indeed, the number of vineyards is enormous. Impressions of the wine – first, it’s cheap and secondly, it’s okay! As mentioned, this is an initial impression and we’re still working on it.
In general, the country resembles the Soviet Union of the 1970s. Some of us have been there. Many houses are shacks with asbestos roofs, some of the cars are antiques, old tractors, and the officials are tough, don’t smile and provide the minimum information required.
Most interestingly, everyone speaks Russian. Suitable for some of us… we brought Russian from home . The roads, on the other hand, resemble Africa. Some of them have multiple holes in the asphalt.
Tomorrow we will arrive in Chisinau and see what the initial impression is worth.
HE 
