Mostar, Bosnia Sept 6, 2025 With the collapse of Yugoslavia, this part of the world was engulfed in war and Bosnia and Herzegovina was no exception. It was soon after the nation declared independence in 1992 that it saw ethnic violence of a level unseen on the world stage since WWII. In a country with … More Haunted Still
Mostar, Bosnia Sept 5, 2025 The name of the bridge is Stari Most and it is from this bridge that the town itself got its name Mostar, meaning Bridge Keeper. You might say the very identity of the town is wrapped up in this bridge. Built by the Ottomans in the 16th century CE, both … More Bridge Keeper of the Balkans
Ulcinj (Montenegro) to Mostar (Bosnia) Sept 3, 2025 Having reached Ulcinj in Montenegro, I hadn’t the zip to continue further and opted to stay just out of town in the home of a family. There seems to be a building frenzy in this town too, with every second shop selling building materials and every second … More Where Mountains meet the Sea
From Prizren (Kosovo) to Muriqan (Albania) Sept 2, 2025 In the northwestern corner of Albania are the jagged peaks of the Albanian Alps, known more colorfully as the Accursed Mountains. There are plenty of tales of how they got their name. One story says the devil escaped one day and created them fueled by mischief. … More Through the Albanian Mountains
Prizren, Kosovo Aug 30, 2025 Rimmed by mountains in a large valley is Prizren, one of the best preserved towns of the Ottoman era. The red-roofed houses climb up the hillside, overlooked by the stone walls of the old Ottoman fort. The Sinan Pasha Mosque as well as other mosques date from this era as … More An Ottoman Town
Belgrade, Serbia Aug 21, 2025 Wandering out to see Belgrade, I head to the central area. Outside the engineering department of the university is a statue of Nikola Tesla, a famous son of Serbia. Down a busy thoroughfare I come to the Terzije Fountain and next to it is the famed Moskva Hotel. An iconic … More In the White City
Belgrade, Serbia Aug 19,2025 I had intended to end this summer’s trip in Finland and was supposed to fly back home from Helsinki. But this trip felt unfinished in a vague way; something was not quite what I’d expected although I would hard put to put a finger on exactly what. More than one person … More Not quiet on the Eastern Front
Tampere, Finland Aug 17, 2025 On a blustery rainy evening in Krakow some weeks ago, a few of us were sitting around the kitchen table in the hostel and trading tales. That is when I met her. Merve is irrepressible with the gift of making ordinary comments bounce with laughter. She is from Diyarbakir in … More You Must Come Visit
Suomenlinna, Finland Aug 15, 2025 The Helsinki harbor is dotted with many little islands, some inhabited, some too small to support more than a cabin for occasional use. The most famous of them are a group of six islands; on these was built a sea fortress called Sveaborg, or Sea Fortress. Begun in 1748, it … More Fortress at Sea
Helsinki, Finland Aug 14, 2025 I had imagined a basic ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki. But this was no mere ferry, it was a huge ship. I have never been on a cruise ship but I imagine it must be similar to this. Multiple decks at multiple levels, cafes and restaurants and even duty-free shops … More In the Northern Reaches
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 