Traveling around Europe for 7 weeks 🛫⛵️🍝☀️👒🍷🍕🌊🐙👙🥗🍯🏖
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Europe bound!
I have every emotion about this trip.I am eager for the adventures: the new places, foods, languages, ideas.I am nostalgic for what I will miss at home: the people, the events, the fear of missing out.I am grateful for the flexibility, freedom, and courage to be able to go on… READ MORE
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Jet-lagged layover in London & airport transfers
When I originally booked my flight to Europe, I hadn’t mapped out my route yet. I was just trying to find the cheapest way into the continent. After I decided that I was going to spend the majority of my time in the southern parts of Europe, I wish that… READ MORE
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Prishtina first impressions
People drive on the right side of the road. They walk mainly on the left side of the sidewalk, though it seems people will walk on wherever side they want. I have met people from nearby cities: all over Kosovo, as well as Turkey and Montenegro. Everyone is incredibly nice.… READ MORE
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Kosova
Kosova, ending in an -a, is the Albanian name for the country. Kosovo, ending in -o, is the Serbian name and the accepted English name. The ethnic majority of Kosova is Albanian, being over 90%, with the next largest ethnic group being Serbian. Later in my trip, I will head… READ MORE
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The helpfulness of a guide
Typically I try to find my own way around places. This time, I stopped into a tourism office. I am happy that I did. I originally went into the office to ask about the Ethnological Museum of Prizren. My sister’s friend who gave me a lot of recommendations for Kosova… READ MORE
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Theth → Valbonë
The hike between Theth and Valbonë is a famous hike in the Albanian Alps. When visiting Shkodër, I decided that I should do the hike, too. I had the option to start in either Theth or Valbonë. I opted to start in Theth due to time constraints. (If you start… READ MORE
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Kallmet grapes and the city of bikes
The town of Shkodër, “the city of bikes” is quite nice. Bikes rule the road and the cars must be very defensive drivers and yield to them. I rented a bike from my hostel and biked a route by Skhodër Lake. The bike seat wasn’t very comfortable, but otherwise it… READ MORE
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Tirana
Tirana is very walkable and bike-able, and feels safe. I could live happily here. There are a lot of cafes and it seems like there are a lot of things to do here. I went on the free walking tour with a local guide, Eri. He told us about the… READ MORE
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Mësonjëtorja
Korçë has the first Albanian school. The Mësonjëtorja (it means “classrooms”) opened in of 1887, and was the first place where the written Albanian alphabet was taught to students. The building is now a museum. Knowledge is power, and the occupying Ottomans and the Greeks did not want Shqip (the… READ MORE
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Language lessons
Traveling with a few Albanian men, I was able to ask about certain words, phrases, and traditions. I’m grateful for these friendships as they are deepening my understanding of the country and the culture. I enjoyed listening to the 3 guys talking in Albanian. I noticed at least in American… READ MORE
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Camping and Përmet
Ilir’s friend, Juli, has a car. The three of us hopped in the car and headed to Përmeti. We were joined by Ensuid, Ilir’s friend from Tirana. We got a late start to the trip and left after 2pm. I expected that we might leave earlier in the day, but… READ MORE
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Hitchiking and brain soup
Today is a day of adventure. I tried mish koke, soup made with the meat from the head of the animal. Mine was from the head of a cow. I ate pieces of meat that were brain and pieces that were tongue. I felt very brave and determined to eat… READ MORE
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Renting a car
Gjirojastër is a beautiful town. I am excited to rent a car from here because that means that I will get to return. Serendipitously, there will be a cultural festival in Gjirojastër when I return! The car rental man copied my driver’s license and drafted up a contract. I softly… READ MORE
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Festival Folklorik Kombëtar
I’m honored to be here in Gjirokastra during the Festival Folklorik Kombëtar! The town itself is beautiful, and with the added events and visitors, it felt even more full of life. The entrance fee to castle was waived for the festival, an added bonus! Inside the castle, I saw authentic… READ MORE
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Roadtrip Superlatives
These superlatives contain the notable things from my 8 day Albanian road trip on the southern coast between Vlorë and Ksamil. Best Seafood The shrimp at Eni – Bar Kafe – Traditional Food, between Ksamil and Saranda. Yum it was perfectly cooked and so flavorful that I ate up all… READ MORE
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Stopover in Corfu
I stayed near Corfu Old Town since I only had one night there in order to take the airplane to Italy. I originally planned to travel around Corfu for 8 days, but opted to stay in Albania for longer this trip. I wandered around the narrow streets of the old… READ MORE
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Naples Pastries
It was cheaper to stop at Naples than to fly straight to Sicily, so I took advantage of the scenario and am visiting the Almafi Coast. On my way to the coast, I decide to stop at a pastry shop so I don’t get too hungry on the journey. I… READ MORE
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Al limone
The region is well known for their lemons. A list of all the lemon treats I consumed during my time on the Almafi coast (in no specific order). Delizia a limone The name means “lemon delight,” and I was extremely delighted by this treat. It is a sponge cake filled… READ MORE
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The Almafi Coast
A dreamy location full of beautiful towns, nice beaches, curvy roads, delicious foods, and amazing views. It’s easy for someone to get overwhelmed here with all the crowds and travel logistics, but my plan was look beautiful, eat good food, and people watch all the stressed tourist instead of becoming… READ MORE
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Ischia
I visited Ischia last time I was in Europe. I remember loving the hot springs, the spa products, the bruschetta, and the town of Forio, and I knew I wanted to return. It wasn’t as good as I remember, though. The hostel was especially disappointing; the rooms were a bit… READ MORE
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Maltese Food Tour
I heard that Maltese food was unique and had a lot of international influence, and I wanted to really learn and experience, so I booked a guided food tour: The Valletta Street Food and Culture Walking Tour. It was incredible. Not only did I try many different foods that I… READ MORE
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Sicily
I arrived to Sicily feeling a bit under the weather. My first meal there, caprese salad and tiramisu, was tasteless. I tried a few other foods and couldn’t taste anything. Oh no! To be in a food paradise and not have access to taste… my covid tests came back negative.… READ MORE
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Weary traveler
I joined a food tour in Palermo, Sicily, the morning before my flight. Being on a guided tour helped my weary self get out and explore the town. Here are the foods we tried: My backpack had gotten so heavy with all the clothes, foods, and other souvenirs. I was… READ MORE
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