B A L K A N S (part 6 – Kosovo)

I was *very* excited about going to Kosovo. I was excited to visit given its history, its location, its politics and its place on the international scene in recent years. I was also excited to be able to say i’ve been to the world’s newest country (newest generally recognised country) – until I remembered that South Sudan exists and was thoroughly disappointed. But regardless, given the few tourists (especially few from the UK) who visit, it would be an exciting new experience.

B A L K A N S (part 5 – Montenegro)

Montenegro is another of these places i’ve always wanted to visit, without being entirely sure of the reasons why. One of Europe’s newest countries, it narrowly voted by referendum in 2006 to become independent of Serbia and go it alone. We’d already driven through Montenegro on our way from Albania to Dubrovnik, but this time we would be driving to the capital city, Podgorica (pronounced pod-gore-itza) and using it as a base to explore the rest of the country.

B A L K A N S (part 4 – Dubrovnik and BiH)

Dubrovnik is hardcore, unadulterated sightseeing. This is the kind of place you can go on a two-day walking tour of, and still only have seen the main streets. The Old Town (Stari Grad) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for culture, as well as being one of the most visited places in the Mediterranean and as a setting for Game of Thrones. Its position in Europe also makes it easily accessible from Central Europe, and Croatia’s position in the European Union has given people easy access to visit. Walking down toward the Old Town it is clear to see why this walled city has become so popular.

B A L K A N S (part 3 – Driving to Dubrovnik)

How can 265 kilometres take 5 and a half hours to drive? Easily, it turned out. The epic trek from Tirana in Dubrovnik through the entire country of Montenegro was certainly an experience. We decided to add Dubrovnik to our itinerary because a) Rich is a huge game of thrones fan and b) I had no say in the matter whatsoever. I suppose it would have been a shame to go so close to Dubrovnik and not actually visit – and also meant we got to visit another country – Croatia.

Travel writing take 2 – Balkans

I started this blog after finding my travel notes from the Middle East, and wanted to write them up into prose so I don’t forget the things I’ve done. I found myself really enjoying this – actively taking the ephemeral scribblings of my trip and constructing them into a more logical narrative – so have decided to just keep on writing, this time about my most recent trip to the Balkans (Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo). Considerably more contemporary than my Middle East trip, what I’m going to write might actually be useful for anyone thinking of undertaking a slightly different but fantastically rewarding European adventure – so hopefully this manages to inspire someone to do something a little different to usual.