Tag: balkans
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Welcome to Albania! | Traveling Solo in Tirana – A Memoir
“Nice lady, think. You need to ask yourself, why do people not come to Albania?” I was sitting in a loud outdoor cafe with a lit American Spirit cigarette in hand, while looking directly into the eyes of my server. He had just set down a silver bowl of ice cream and a glass of…
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Visiting Skopje | Discovering North Macedonia
If I were to break it down to two things that stood out for me during my visit to the capital of North Macedonia, Skopje; the amount of prominent statues that line the streets, and the amount of friendly stray dogs, who made me part of their pack. I do like statues and I do…
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Beautiful Old Town Budva | Exploring Montenegro
While I was exploring Montenegro, I was fortunate enough to spend time in the enchanting town of Budva. I was staying in the capital city of Kotor, and I made it a point to visit Budva. It is a magical seaside town in Montenegro that is bursting with a relaxing atmosphere, charm, and a fascinating…
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Visiting Zagreb | The Capital of Croatia
Zagreb is the vibrant capital of Croatia, and is an absolute charmer. Most people head to the country’s most talked about locations of Split, Dubrovnik, or the Plitvace National Parks, which I did go to on this visit. On my future visits to Croatia, I plan to explore more of the country, but I wanted…
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The Cultural City of NOVI SAD | Discovering Serbia
I had an extra day or two while I was visiting Belgrade in Serbia, and decided on a quick solo trip to the second largest city, Novi Sad. This was a very easy trip that I strongly recommend for those who are visiting Belgrade. The travel time was only 1.5 hours, and the bus cost…
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The Abandoned 1984 Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh & Luge Track | Bosnia and Herzegovina
Finding myself standing alone on the abandoned 1984 Sarajevo Olympic Bobsleigh & Luge track, was in the simplest and most overused American adjectives- Amazing! I had just learned about it hours before while I was on a free walking tour of Sarajevo. I overheard another traveler talking about it and my wanderlust mind took over,…
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The House of Nicolae Ceauşescu | Discovering Romania
When I had first posted my photos on social media of my visit to the House of Ceauşescu, I recieved mixed reviews after my Romanian-American friend re-posted them. The thoughts of some were upsetting, especially for her friends that had lived through Nicolae Ceauşescu’s dictatorship regime. My friend had explained that it was more informative…
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Stari Most in Mostar – A UNESCO World Heritage Site – Bosnia and Herzegovina
The first time I saw the Old Stone Bridge of Mostar, was a photo from an American backpacker that I met in Czech Republic many years ago. I could not help but feel that traveler’s pull in my core when I saw the beauty of the stone bridge, which arched over the turquoise Neretva River.…
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Rock Hewn Churches of Ivanovo in Bulgaria | A UNESCO World Heritage Site
There are many fascinating sites in this part of the world (Eastern Europe), and the Rock Hewn Churches of Ivanovo can be categorized as fascinating in my book. I have been to hundreds of churches, cathedrals, convents, and monasteries during my travels; but this church that was hewn out of solid rock in beautiful Bulgaria…
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Zlata Ribica | A classic restaurant in Ljubljana, Slovenia
As a traveling gastronome, one of my goals is to taste as many traditional dishes in the country or city that I am visiting. Slovenia had several regional dishes that I was curious on trying, and I found three of them under one roof. Restaurant Zlata Ribica is considered one of the oldest eateries in…
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What I ate in the BALKANS – Part 2 – A Food Journal
I am “real” and so are my food journals. There are times when I travel and I eat great things, and other times the food is just ordinary. While traveling through the Balkans, there were times that I ate whatever was available, and it was uneventful. That is life and that is travel. This…
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What I ate in THE BALKANS – Part 1 – A Food Journal
Over the last five years, I had traveled to every Eastern European and Balkan country- Hooray! This also means that I had tasted and journaled a lot of interesting cuisine along the way. This food journal covers three of those Balkan countries: Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Croatia. As I traveled from country to country,…
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What I ate in ROMANIA, MOLDAVIA and BULGARIA – A Food Journal
What we label “organic” and “natural” is what they call normal. I was not sure what to expect with the cuisine in Romania, Bulgaria, and Movdavia. I did a little research, but not as much as I would have wanted to. I had to quickly change my plans from Turkey to Romania, which is another…
Trixie Navarre 