For our last stop in the Balkans, we arrived in Dubrovnik. Like Kotor, Dubrovnik is based on the Adriatic Sea and is surrounded by a city wall. Unlike Kotor, Dubrovnik is much larger and has a long-standing history of being an independent nation-state. Obviously nowadays it is part of Croatia, but from 1382 to 1804 it maintained independence.

Dubrovnik actually competed against Venice as a key naval trader. Back in the day, the Ottoman Empire (current day Turkey, more or less) gave Dubrovnik full trading rights within the Ottoman realm. This gave Dubrovnik a unique advantage compared to other Christian nations in Europe.

For most of our time in Dubrovnik, we were pelted with quite a bit of rain. We were able to get some good weather on our last day and could enjoy the views. I spent time wandering around the city, enjoyed a local dancing show, and met some good friends at the local Irish pub. Good times had by all! On our last day we hop on a ferry and cross over to Bari, Italy. This is an eleven hour boat ride. Hopefully the seats are comfy!

The Wandering Shawn

Along the Adriatic Sea, we find ourselves in the stunning Bay of Kotor! This is a sight to behold. High mountains enclose the bay, sparkling blue water dotted with boats and kayaks, and a once mighty fortress overlooks everything!

The old city is enclosed within the walls, and is very well-preserved. I spent a bunch of time just walking around the city and taking in the Venetian style architecture, and climbed up to the fortress that overlooks the city. On a trail going towards the fortress, I came across a herd of goats that gave me a bit of a stare down. Once they realized I wasn’t going to bother them, they let me pass without a hinderance!

One day while in Kotor, we took an “All Montenegro” tour. We traversed a large chunk of the country (as you can see on a map, Montenegro is quite small). Some highlights were the Njegos Mausoleum atop Mount Lovcen. There are 461 steps to the mausoleum, adorned with beautiful sculptures, and enjoys a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. Amazing! Njegos was a king, spiritual leader, and national hero of Montenegro. He received a burial-place made for a king!

Another stop was Lake Skadar, a bird sanctuary and national park. Our group took a 1.5 hour boat ride along the reserve, enjoying the scenery, many bird species, and the tranquility of the Montenegrin countryside. From here we headed back to Kotor. One more stop before we cross the sea to Italy!

Cheers, Shawn

We hopped a shared taxi to Shkoder, a town in northern Albania. From there we caught a ferry to the beautiful Valbone Valley. This ferry took several hours, and provided amazing views of scenery and a glimpse into the lives of the local people. We past several little villages and farms along the way, who’s only access to the outside world was the ferry that I riding. I can imagine that you would have a unique perspective growing up in a place like that!

Once off the ferry we made our way to the guesthouse, which was surrounded by amazing views and mountain peaks. We took a stroll around, and had a sumptuous Albanian dinners. To finish off, we had a glass of Rakia, a strong brandy type drink!

The next morning the real hike began. We started early in the morning, and got lost! It was rather embarrassing that we couldn’t find the trailhead, haha! After 45 minutes of meandering, we found the trailhead and met up with some fellow travellers and hiking buddies.

The terrain to cover was climbing up the mountains that surrounded the Valbone Valley, crossing the pass, and making our way down towards a town called Theth on the other side of the mountains. The trek from Valbone to the pass was quite cloudy, so we were bummed out about missing the views. Then we crossed the mountain pass – it was like night and day! All the clouds were held back by the mountains, and we had a spectacular view of the Theth side of the mountains. It almost seemed like something you’d see in a Lord of the Rings movie – some powerful force holding back the wrath of the storm! Very cool!

We made our way down to the little village of Theth, and stayed the night there. The next morning we took a van back to Shkoder over a crazy mountain road. From there we head into our next country – Montenegro!

Cheers, Shawn

Not many travellers consider visiting Albania – I highly recommend that you do! The pace is relaxed, and there’s plenty to see and do!

Our first stop was in Tirana, the capital. We learned about the unique history of this country, such as previous to 1990, there were only 5,000 vehicles in the entire country! The country used to be controlled by an extremely reclusive communist dictator who didn’t want western influences. Instead, he built over 700,000 concrete bunkers all throughout the county. The theory was that in case of an invasion, any able-bodied person should grab a gun and head to a bunker to protect the country! On top of this, the Albanian communist party even cut itself off from the USSR and the rest of the Eastern Bloc, as they weren’t communist enough! Albania was cut off from every other country in the world! Demands for change resulte in the gradual shift towards democracy and a new republic. Fascinating history.

We spent a little under a week in Tirana. Upon first impression, the city seems a little intimidating – it doesn’t have the refined feel of other European capitals. But there is a huge benefit, no one was trying to sell us anything! As tourism is relatively new, the locals just let you go about your business. They are very friendly and helpful if you need directions, but otherwise just go about their usual lives. I recommend that travellers visit this beautiful country before tourism hits with a greater force!

In Tirana we mainly relaxed, chilled, and drank the great local beer. We stayed at a very homey hostel, Trip’n’Hostel. We met up with some fun fellow travellers, and recharged for our upcoming journey into the mountains! Off to northern Albania!

Cheers, Shawn

The deep blue water of Lake Ohrid is spectacular, and made for some fantastic kayaking! We spent about 5 days here and enjoyed the ruins of a medieval fortress, a cathedral, and a Roman amphitheatre. The little Church of St. John of Kaneo overlooks the lake and makes for some very picturesque shots. Check out the photos below.

We met up with some fellow travellers, Yaya and Baptiste, and rented a car together. Thanks again to Baptiste for driving! We took a day trip and wandered around Western Macedonia and Eastern Albania. The mountains and lakes in this area are very beautiful. Along the way we sampled some beer from the brewery in Korce – highly recommended!

From Ohrid we’ll catch a bus to the Albanian capital of Tirana. Onward and forward!

Cheers, Shawn

We arrived in the Macedonian capital of Skopje around ten in the evening and proceeded to walk to our hostel. On the way we came across the huge plethora of newly renovated government buildings and huge statues in the city centre.

While travelling in Europe, I’m used to seeing statues of dudes on a horse. However, the statue of Alexander the Great in the city square is something else. It is a whopping 22 meters high, and is surrounded by an elaborate water fountain. This is part of a project by the Macedonian government to boost the country’s claim to the Macedonian epoch, even though much of historical Macedonia now belongs to Greece. Even though locals in Skopje are unhappy with the country’s resources being spent on such lavish things, it is quite the sight to behold!

If you’re travelling to Skopje, you MUST take a day trip out to Matka Canyon. This canyon and river are surrounded by sheer rock cliffs that provide stunning views. We hiked along the side of the river, and also rented kayaks to gain a view from the river. Check out the photos below!

As we’ve been spending time in the cities, we’re now heading to a smaller town called Ohrid in southwestern Macedonia, which is on the shore of Lake Ohrid. Good times await!

Cheers, Shawn

We made it to Sofia, the Bulgarian capital! We’re staying at an awesome hostel with travellers from all of the world, free breakfast/dinner, and a great location! Check out Hostel Mostel if you’re in Sofia!

In our first day we did a walking tour to gain an insight into Bulgaria’s history, and see some of the highlights. In the afternoon we also went on a communist tour, which outlined the pervasive effect of communism on the country. Even though the country still struggles with corruption and government waste, there is much optimism as Bulgaria progresses as a democratic state.

On day 2 we made a day trip to Rila Monastery, which is a stunning Orthodox religious sight near the top of Rila Mountain. The monastery is covered in frescoes in the iconic style. The elaborate works of art is really a site to behold! While we were there we climbed through a narrow cave where one of the founding monks lived for several years. Talk about dedication!

From Sofia we head into Macedonia, to Skopje. Until then!

Cheers, Shawn

From the city we headed down to a little beach town in southern Romania – Vama Veche. This was a great place to relax, lie on the beach, and drink beer. I consider it a vacation from my vacation!

From Vama Veche we headed south into Bulgaria to Varna, which was another Black Sea beach town. While a little too cold for enjoying the beach, we wandered around this town, checked out some curious communist monuments, and enjoyed some fantastic Bulgarian food.

We ordered a salad for dinner, which was accompanied with three kinds of delicious cheese! And the Bulgarian custom is to have a drink called rakiya with your salad. This is a fruit brand type of drink that packs quite a punch. I’ll try bringing this custom back to Canada!

Overall we had a very relaxing time on the Black Sea, and decided it was time to head westward to Sofia, the Bulgarian capital. A seven hour train ride awaits!

Cheers, Shawn

We hopped in the car with Bogdan and headed towards Romania’s capital. Instead of taking the direct route, we took the Transfagarasan Highway, which winds through the Carpathian Mountains. The highway and scenery are stunning – it’s almost hard to believe that a highway like this could have been built. If you ever make it to Romania, this is a definite must see!

Near the top of the pass, you can stop in at Balea Lake. The lake water is pristine, and the views are breathtaking. If you feel adventurous, you can hike above the lake to a pass that overlooks the entire mountain range. Once over the pass we stopped by the Poienari Fortress, which was ruled by Vlad the Impaler, the prince who inspired the Dracula legend.

We made our entry into Bucharest, where we stay for four days. While in Bucharest we’re able to meet up with Irina, whom Mike and I worked with back in Canada. The old gang is back together for 4 days! We had good visits and got caught up on each others lives. Good times!

While in the city we checked out a football (soccer) game, the FC Steaua Buchuresti. The game was quite exciting, especially as we were able to slip into front row seats. We also checked out the Romanian parliament building, which is absolutely massive! Quite a site to behold.

It is in Bucharest that Mike takes his leave back to Nova Scotia, with a stopover in Frankfurt. It has been a blast travelling with you Mike. All the best with your future endeavours!

Now Jon an I head to the Black Sea coast to the beach town of Vama Veche!

Cheers,

Shawn

Off we go into the Romanian mountains. We met up with our guide, Bogdan, in Brasov and drove to the Bucegi Mountains. Bogdan is quite the character, who told us his nickname is the Colonel, as he is a retired Colonel in the Romanian military. Bogdan provided us with a detailed history of Romania stretching back to the BC era with the Dacian people. Romania has a fascinating history, and dealt with many aggressive neighbors throughout their history (aka – Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, Austro-Hungarians, etc).

In addition to history, we discussed with Bogdan about global politics, religion, military tactics, sports, the meaning of life, and human happiness. I think I have quite met my match in Bogdan regarding philosophical inquiry. Good discussions!

Back to the mountains! Our first day was relatively easy, with about 4-5 hours of hiking. We hiked up to a nice waterfall, and had some great views of the countryside. Once we made it back to the car, we drove out to a little farming village to our guesthouse. We had a very sumptuous dinner and some of Bogdan’s “elixir,” which is a liquor type drink consisting of wild blueberries and a very strong homemade alcohol. Needless to say, we had a good sleep!

Day 2 – As Bogdan was satisfied with our performance on day 1, we pressed on to the northern ridge of Piatra Craiului. This is a beautiful ridge of sheer rock, which is surrounded 360 degrees with mountain ranges. The climb was quite tough, and as we followed the ridge, we often had to climb on all fours to stay on the trail. The views were amazing, and really put our legs to the test. I was very grateful for my hiking poles (yes, I carried my poles with me throughout the entire trip). On the way back we had stopped in to a lodge house for some lemon beer, which was perfect! The total hiking time in this day was 12 hours!

Day 3 – We begin our ascent of the southern ridge of Piatra Craiului, which is even more trying than the northern ridge that we did in day 2. The views are even more breathtaking, especially when we climbed across the “saddle”of the ridge, named appropriately as this section resembles a horse saddle. At one point I was climbing around an overhang, where there was sheer rock above me, and a very steep cliff below me. Using all fours I made it around the overhang and found a very nice plaque commemorating someone who died there over the cliff edge. Yikes! Luckily we all made it back.

On the way back we stopped in to a local shepherd’s house, and he cooked us up some polenta. The polenta is made of a corn meal type food that he cooked in a large pot over a fire. He then scooped out the polenta and took a fist size of goat cheese (literally) and surrounded the cheese with the polenta. He then roasted this on the fire. This huge meal was in good order after 11 hours of hiking!

Day 4 – We took it easy on day four and went ziplining! The walk to the zipline was about an hour, and we ziplined down enjoying splendid views of the forest, rivers, and scenery – all the while dodging hikers on their way up! We then drove back to Brasov for a couple of nights to let our muscles recover!

We had a great time in the mountains, and certainly got in better shape! We’re not quite finished with our guide, Bogdan, as he will be driving us to Romania’s capital, Bucharest, through the Transfagarasan Highway (the intense and winding road as seen on Top Gear). Onward and forward!

Cheers, Shawn