High5 from Pozzo di Golino

We are lucky enough that this place is almost in our back garden. It only takes a little effort to walk all the tiny humans down the ancient stairs of giants until the river bank. Once we arrive and kick off the shoes, the energy that comes through the sole of our tired feet is priceless.

First visit this year, on a not too hot sunny evening. The beach was almost deserted when we arrived. Only a handful of people passed during our brief visit.

5 – Five things we SEE with our eyes

  • White petals floating on the surface of the water
  • Large logs on the shore and in the river
  • Iron colour rocks forming the edge of the river bank
  • Sun rays playing through the trees, highlighting the depth of the river ground with a large spectrum of colours
  • Extinguished fire pits surrounded with large stones – I wonder: What was yamm was cooked under the sky

4 – Four things we FEEL/TOUCH

  • Soft silky sand under the feet
  • Cold mountain river water until the ankle – painfully cold but refreshing
  • Warmth of the sun on my face – at the same time,
  • Chilly evening breeze on the skin

3 – Three things we can HEAR

  • Splashing water when logs and rocks landing the basin
  • Birds playing their evening chatter songs
  • Bells of the cows from Vasco’s farm nearby

2 – Two things you can SMELL

  • Delicious barbecue from a nearby restaurant
  • Freshly cut grass from the nearby farm

1 – One thing we can TASTE

  • Slightly salty / sweaty taste on my dry lips

This place is truly magical. It is shaped by spring storms and floods. The water level can be shallow one year, but shoulder deep the following season. Soon as the nights get warmer and the days become hotter from sunrise to sunset, the beach will be filled with locals, and tourists. It is a vivid place, where people share memories and stories. I cannot wait for the first barbecue festa.

High5 from Meriggio Playground, Losone, Ticino, Switzerland

Meriggio is a popular chilling spot in Losone. It is a huge open space with plenty to offer.

We visit this place regularly with friends and family. Today we biked there with my two older kids. One on his bike, while my daughter behind me on the kiddo seat. It takes about thirty minutes to reach this park from home.

When out and about we like to play ‘High Five’ game while we catch our breath and rest our legs.


5 – Five things we SEE with our eyes

  • Sun behind the clouds
  • Clouds in front of the sun,
  • Feet in the sky,
  • Bark mulch
  • children playing

4 – Four things we FEEL/TOUCH

  • Breeze on the skin while rocking back and fourth on the swing
  • The rope swing on our palms
  • Wooden mulch under our feet
  • Our hair flying while swinging

3 – Three things we can HEAR

  • Music from the nearby bar
  • Distant chatter from all directions
  • Dogs barking


2 – Two things you can SMELL

  • Ready meals from the bar
  • Wooden mulch on the ground

1 – One thing we can TASTE

  • Water from fountain

Indeed we love this game so much, I decided to dedicate a category to such posts. I hope that once the kids are more tech savvy, they may like to take pictures of the high fives they come up with. For now we just aim to notice and add an adjective to the thing we highlight.

Do you play a similar game when the kids are bored or not feeling confident to join other kids on the playground? I am all ears, share in the comments please.

Goodbye January: Welcome Back Sunshine

cloud above snowy mountain lit by hiding sun

January is a month filled with short days. Our January – if I would need to chose a theme – would be noise. Yes, NOISE. Now, put your hands up if you are not great with noise. That’s me. My soul rests when there is no noise around. Does it happen often? Nope. My poor chimming heart gets heavy and sweaty trying to race with the loudness. My breaths get shorter and rapider. When I bare no more, I remove myself from this atmosphere and spend some time cooling down.

Bandi Gianee

New experience alert. This month we got to know the story behind Bandi Gianee. A custom typical to the Italian part of Switzerland. In particular to Locarno and its close vicinity.

What do you need? Some empty cans on a long string that can be tragged around town, making as much noise as possible.

Winter is still in full swing in the mountains, however in the warmest part of Switzerland, the locals are already calling for the spring and summer. Here, in Centovalli, the sun arrives to the valley towards the end of January. So it makes sense to make as much noise as possible to scare the winter away for another year.

It is yet another great opportunity to spend time outdoors with the community. The celebration often ends with a ‘merenda’. All participants contribute with some drinks and snacks. We got to spend it with a group of amazing, dedicated parents and caretakers. With the tummies filled, the guitarist took his instruments and the sound of the music gathered all the singers around. Time flies when you are having fun.

1000 Hours Outside Challenge

With a fresh start, I am logging the time spent outdoors (roughly). In January, with the winter flu blooming, we spent 35 hours and 15 minutes outdoors. This is a tiny bit more than one hour per day on average. I expect, it is the toughest to show results in the first month of the year. My tiny peeps are not a big fan of cold and dark. So the window of opportunity is pretty narrow. Based on that I am happy with the results and I am looking forward to seeing some longer days to come.

  • kids with instruments scaring the winter away