A Dynamic European Adventure, from Iceland to Greece and everywhere (well, not really) in between
In and around Europe
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Hello Everyone! Thanks for checking out my summer 2006 travel journal.
I'm back home after 2+ months in Europe, having visited 12 countries [Iceland / England / Slovakia / Austria / Slovenia / Croatia / Montenegro / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Serbia / FYR Macedonia / Albania / Greece], 9 Greek Islands [Corfu / Syros / Tinos / Paros / Antiparos / Santorini / Ios / Naxos / Mykonos], 2 political entities [Republica Srpska / Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina], 1 United Nations-administered province [Kosovo], 1 autonomous province [Vojvodina], and 1 self-proclaimed independent republic [Vevcani]. Don't worry, I can't figure out the Balkans political situation either.
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For me it was a breathtaking journey, and, thankfully, one that did not include falling off any ledges and busting my face or having my wallet stolen by a 7-year old Gypsy girl.
The trip did include stunning scenery, from Iceland's Jokulsarlon to Croatia's Dalmatian Coast and Macedonia's Lake Ohrid, as well as extensive stops at the various war-torn regions of the former Yugoslavia.
Visits to Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Novi Sad, Pristina, Prizren, Sarajevo, and Srebrenica, scene of the worst European atrocity since World War II, vividly displayed the horrors of modern ethnic warfare and the tragic inaction (and action) of the world's powers. Even more stunning is the fact that hundreds of thousands of Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks, Albanians, etc. were only killed less than fifteen years ago.
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While depressing at points, my journey did include hedonistic revelling in the Greek Isles (where three good friends from Boston joined me), more partying with my brother in Albania and Corfu, a visit to a World Cup match in Munich, and yet another week in perhaps my favorite country in the world - Iceland.
Altogether I ended up with approximately 5,000 pictures and 1,000 videos. Way too many to place on this site, but I will make available on my website at some point (those who have seen my website will laugh at the lack of any updates in the past several years).
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For those who are truly interested in reading all those entries and seeing my pictures and recommendations, here are a few helpful tips:
1: Each entry shows usually one to three pictures adjacent to the text; CLICK on VIEW MORE PHOTOS underneath the photo and you will find that I normally upload many more pictures that are not shown in that specific entry.
2: When you click on a picture, you will see "Quick Tasks: Browse Photos" on the right-hand side. Click "Browse Photos" to get a neat overview of all the pictures I uploaded for that location.
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3: Keep checking back for updates - on my main page, there are notations next to an entry that indicate when an entry or journal have been recently updated.
4: All the maps are interactive - click on them, zoom, use satellite features!
5: Create a free profile on RealTravel: you can then comment on any articles or pictures, as well as subscribe to my journals via RSS.
Enjoy reading the journal! I'd love to hear feedback - feel free to e-mail me at andrewdavidnelson@yahoo.com, and check for my full slate of pictures at www.andrewdavidnelson.com .
Peace *A*
Route taken and entries by Real Traveler andrewdavidnelson
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1
USA: Boston
So my flight is in four hours...such a nervous, exciting time. The thought of living out of a backpack for two months is, um, not exactly most p... Continue reading » -
2
Iceland: Jokulsarlon
Yo Yo Yo! It's the night before Iceland's Independence Day, and a bunch of Icelanders and I are pre-gaming in Hafnarfjordur, a suburb of Reykjav... Continue reading »
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3
Iceland: Reykjavik
Iceland never ceases to amaze. After my third visit, it is still my favorite place on Earth. The landscape is unlike any other, the peo... Continue reading »
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4
Slovakia: Bratislava
Yeah yeah, I'm in Bratislava and I haven't been tortured or chopped into a hundred pieces, a la the recent movie HOSTEL.
Bratislava is... Continue reading »
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5
England: Stansted
Well, there is no point to this entry except for the location to be added to the map...Holla!
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6
England: Heathrow
After partying all night with my friends on Reykjavik's Indepedence Day, I made it to Keflavik Airport with 20 minutes to spare. It was onl... Continue reading »
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7
Slovakia: Bratislava
My second night in Bratislava was quite entertaining. After walking around the Old Town and the Castle during the day, I decided last minut... Continue reading »
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8
Germany: Munich
I woke up early in Bratislava so I could get to the train station and move on to Munich for the World Cup. Unfortunately, because Bratislav... Continue reading »
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9
Germany: Munich
I finally made it to the World Cup - and it was all it's cracked up to be. Almost impossible to describe in words...
I began by checkin... Continue reading »
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10
Austria: Salzburg
Following the World Cup is a tough act to follow, but Salzburg was absolutely a worthy city. I arrived at the YoHo hostel in Salzburg mid-afte... Continue reading » -
11
Austria: Salzburg
Day two in Salzburg consisted primarily of recovering from the previous evening's intense partying. Why? Well, there were lots of Aus... Continue reading »
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12
Slovenia: Zirovnica
I ended up on an early afternoon train from Salzburg, en route to Lesce-Bled, Slovenia. The train ride was again picturesque, until I got to t... Continue reading » -
13
Slovenia: Bled
Papa Damien''s wake up call came nice and early, and Mama prepared a fantastic breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and an assortment of fresh juices.... Continue reading »
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14
Slovenia: Bled
Another early wake up call in Zirovnica, except this time it wasn't Papa Damien...it was Rachel Verbeek, my travelling partner from Denver who I... Continue reading »
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15
Slovenia: Bohinjsko Jezero
It was finally time to leave Zirovnica, but papa was a little late in bringing us into town; of course this was the only day we wanted to get an ea... Continue reading »
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16
Slovenia: Ljubljana
We spent two nights in Ljubljana (lube-lee-ahna), and it quickly became one of my favorite cities in all Eastern Europe. It is a beautiful ca... Continue reading »
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17
Croatia: Zadar
First major stop after Plitvice Lakes was Zadar, a beautiful city of 82,000 on the coast. Zadar was the birthplace of Pope John IV and Ante G... Continue reading »
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18
Croatia: Zagreb
So we finally made into Croatia, National Geographic's choice for the the world's top summer tourist destination. And it was packed. No... Continue reading »
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19
Croatia: Plitvice Lakes
Arrived at our rental car agency early in the morning for what would be quite the car rental adventure. No joke. You'll see.
<... Continue reading » -
20
Croatia: Primosten
One of the best things about renting a car is getting off the main road and finding places you never would have seen from the bus. Well, Pr... Continue reading »
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21
Croatia: Pirovac
Following the road to the coast from Zadar, we wanted to make our way to a few small non-touristy villages. We got our wish with Pirovac, our... Continue reading »
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22
Croatia: Sibenik
After Primosten, we decided that we had to visit Sibenik in order to see the UNESCO-listed Cathedral of St. James. Sibenik, population 51,000... Continue reading »
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23
Croatia: Trogir
Trogir, population 13,000, is a beautiful city and another inductee on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The old town is small, but beautifully... Continue reading » -
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Croatia: Bol (Brac)
Our final morning in Split we had to return our damaged rental to the dealership, housed in the lobby of a sweet commie hotel. Unfortunately the... Continue reading » -
25
Croatia: Split
We arrived in early in the evening, exhausted and sporting a smashed up rear on our lovely rental. If there was a place to file a fake police... Continue reading »
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26
Croatia: Vrboska (Hvar)
It was hard leaving quaint Bol after only one day, but we had to make it over to the big money capital of Croatia, the island of Hvar. We too... Continue reading »
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27
Croatia: Hvar Town (Hvar)
We finally made it to Hvar Town, population 3600, where we were greeted by our friends from Split, Clay and Dave. We took one of the first rooms... Continue reading » -
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Croatia: Korcula Town (Korcula)
From Hvar Town we took a ferry to Vela Luka on the neighboring island of Korcula. We stayed in Vela Luka all of five minutes before boarding... Continue reading »
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29
Croatia: Dubrovnik
Our bus pulled up at the Dubrovnik bus station around 9:30 a.m. and we were greeted by countless old ladies trying to get us to stay at their homes... Continue reading »
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30
Croatia: Dubrovnik
My long sleep rejuvenated me, and Rachel and I headed into the old town during the early afternoon. I decided to take a walk outside the walls a... Continue reading » -
31
Montenegro: Kotor
Thanks to the wonder of Dubrovnik, Kotor had a tough act to follow. Further, since Croatia was sensational overall, Montenegro had to step up.&n... Continue reading » -
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Montenegro: Budva
A short minibus ride away from Kotor is the walled city of Budva, population 10,000, and one of Montenegro's most popular summer resorts. There... Continue reading » -
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Montenegro: Cetinje
Once we got our accommodation settled in Budva we quickly headed out on a minibus to Cetinje, the ancient royal seat of Montenegro. The road to... Continue reading » -
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Montenegro: Sveti Stefan
Upon our return from Cetinje we quickly set out on a minibus to the oft-photographed resort of Sveti Stefan, located on a picture perfect peninsula co... Continue reading » -
35
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Trebinje (Republika Srpska)
We had a smooth journey into Bosnia, accompanied by some magnificent lake and mountain scenery. Our border check was quick and we actually arriv... Continue reading » -
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Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mostar
Our vintage 1970s bus rolled into Mostar just before midnight. The city Mostar is not part of Repulika Srpska, but instead the unofficial cap... Continue reading »
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37
Montenegro: Podgorica
During every trip there's always a day where nothing goes right and your plans are thrown out the window. Count July 9th, the day of the World C... Continue reading » -
38
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Međugorje
We walked up to the bus station around 10 in the morning and bought our ticket to Medjugorje, approximately an hour+ south of Mostar. Medjugorje... Continue reading » -
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Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mostar
Upon our return from Medjugorje we set out to see the famous Stari Most, built in 1557 and commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ott... Continue reading » -
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Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo
We took the train to Sarajevo (there are literally only four trains a day from Mostar to anywhere), as we were told the scenery was outstanding and fa... Continue reading » -
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Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo
Sarajevo is a scarred, but brilliant city. The largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina with 308,000 (the population before the war was over 530,0... Continue reading » -
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Bosnia and Herzegovina: Srebrenica (Republika Srpska)
We rose early to catch the 7 a.m. bus to Srebrenica, a town of 30,000+ located four hours northeast of Sarajevo and located entirely within the Republ... Continue reading » -
43
Serbia: Belgrade
Getting a bus to Belgrade from Sarajevo clearly exhibits the divisions that still exist between Serbs, Croats, and Muslims. Sarajevo has a... Continue reading » -
44
Serbia: Belgrade
We spent our first full day in Belgrade exploring the major sights in the downtown area. Milos and Jovana dropped us off at the Temple of Sai... Continue reading »
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45
Serbia: Novi Sad (Vojvodina)
I got woken up early by Rachel because she had to get the train to Budapest, where she would fly home to Denver and back to work. Certainly a sa... Continue reading » -
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Serbia: Belgrade
For my final day in Belgrade, Milos and Jovana brought me to a Serb cookout for a wireless company Milos was associated with. The cookout was... Continue reading »
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47
Kosovo: Pristina
Almost every single Serb I met who knew I was going to Kosovo asked me the same question - why? I was told that the Kosovar Albanians were li... Continue reading »
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48
Kosovo: Prizren
I took a 20+ minute early-morning walk to the bus station for a ride to Prizren in southern Kosovo. En route to the terminal I wandered throu... Continue reading »
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49
Kosovo: Pristina
Upon my return to Pristina, I met up with the crew from the Kosovo Law Center and we all went to dinner at a lovely upscale (for Pristina) restaura... Continue reading »
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50
Macedonia: Suto Orizari
For a long cab ride we only paid a few dollars. Anywhere else and it would have been $20.00. Few tourists venture to Suto Orizari, also... Continue reading »
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51
Macedonia: Skopje
From Kosovo I hopped on a bus to Skopje, the capital of Macedonia and a fairly short ride away from Pristina. Jeanne, a Princeton student and... Continue reading »
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52
Macedonia: Struga
I got off the bus from Vevcani and took a stroll through the resort town of Struga. Although obviously not as wealthy as Ohrid, Struga had it... Continue reading »
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53
Macedonia: Ohrid
I bid farewell to Jeanne and boarded a packed, piping hot bus to the resort town of Ohrid, located on the shores of one of the Balkan's most beauti... Continue reading »
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54
Macedonia: Ohrid
I got back to Ohrid and headed to my apartment. The old man and his wife asked me where I went, and I told him about Vevcani and Struga. ... Continue reading »
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55
Macedonia: Republic of Vevcani
I took a short minibus ride to the resort town of Struga, from where I would catch another bus to the self-proclaimed Republic of Vevcani. Vevca... Continue reading » -
56
Albania: Pogradec
Albania. Where to begin. I don't even know.
My objective was simple. I was meeting my brother and two of our friends... Continue reading »
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57
Albania: Tirana
Since I had no power or water in the hotel room, I went for a stroll through downtown Tirana. The main square, Skanderbeg Square, is massive... Continue reading »
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58
Albania: Tirana
My second day in Tirana did not turn out so well. When I woke up my stomach felt upside down. My head was killing me too. Since w... Continue reading »
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59
Albania: Durres
No entry here - just a route marker for the map. Although Durres looked pretty grimy on the way through... &... Continue reading » -
60
Albania: Vlora
Our plan for the next day or two was to make our way down to a small coastal town called Dhermi on the Ionian Riviera. When I first bought the L... Continue reading » -
61
Albania: Dhermi
Dhermi is Heaven. Really. Laid back and beautiful, unique and rustic. It makes my top three chill out locations of all-time (Ilha... Continue reading »
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62
Greece: Agios Gordios (Corfu)
We took the surprisingly fast ferry across the Straits of Corfu and arrived in Corfu Town, the major town on the Greek island of Corfu (Continue reading » -
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Albania: Saranda
Leaving Dhermi was difficult. In many ways. Difficult to leave because it was so beautiful. Difficult to leave because it was Albani... Continue reading » -
64
Greece: Pelekas (Corfu)
After sleeping late, refreshingly, my brother and I took a cab to the beach below Pelekas Town, another location Sean had visited fifteen years earlie... Continue reading » -
65
Greece: Corfu Town (Corfu)
Our bus dropped us off in the late afternoon at Corfu Town, the largest town on the island. The town is sprinkled with intricate architecture, m... Continue reading » -
66
Greece: Ermoupolis (Syros)
Due to my late afternoon ferry, I didn't arrive in Syros until 8:00 p.m. Ermoupolis, the largest city in the Cyclades chain with 13,000 resident... Continue reading » -
67
Greece: Athens
Ugh. There's not many things worse than a 6:00 a.m. flight after two nights at the Pink Palace. Unfortunately, we didn't have much of a... Continue reading »
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68
Greece: Tinos Town (Tinos)
I jumped on an early afternoon ferry to the neighboring island of Tinos, another member of the Cyclades group. A photographer from New Bedfor... Continue reading »
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69
Greece: Kastro (Antiparos)
From Tinos I took the ferry to Paros, another beautiful Cycladic island that I had visited in 2002. Paros was not exactly my destination. ... Continue reading » -
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Greece: Paroikia (Paros)
The island of Paros is one of the most enchanting and charming of all the Greek isles. Not as touristy as Santorini, but not as sleepy as Antipa... Continue reading » -
71
Greece: Firostefani (Santorini)
I left Paros ready for the final leg of my summer tour - two+ weeks with my friends from Boston in the party islands. This was my true vacation.... Continue reading » -
72
Greece: Fira (Santorini)
Despite our late night, Mike and I were ready for a full day of sightseeing, as were Mark and Phil. Our first order of business was to rent a... Continue reading »
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73
Greece: Milopotas (Ios)
Ios, Ios, Ios.
First, we almost didn't even make it to the hedonist den. Since there are only about 20-30 taxis on the entire island of... Continue reading »
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