Hiking up Mount Srđ above Dubrovnik, Croatia
DAY 121 – What do you do when you're hiking in the middle of nowhere and are running out of low glucose food? You keep hiking, and cursing yourself for your poor preparation. [keep reading]
Jewel to jewel: Bus from Kotor to Dubrovnik, Croatia
DAY 120 – While planning our route out of Europe and back to the US, Masayo and I decided to first go back to Croatia to see Dubrovnik, which was close to where we were. It's a simple bus ride there, and my BG was pretty good most of the day. [keep reading]
Strolling the stunning alleys of Old Town Kotor, Montenegro
DAY 119 – After climbing the hill all afternoon yesterday, Masayo and I kept it quiet today. Kotor was quieter too; the wind was gone, and we walked around Old Town before having some more delicious fresh grilled fish (and wine). [keep reading]
Climbing up Kotor Fortress for Montenegro’s most famous view
DAY 118 – Day 118 was a good one: despite all the wine I had last night, I managed my BG through a long, steep climb up the hill to see the UNESCO-inscribed fortifications of Kotor. [keep reading]
Bus through the Montenegro hills to the hidden gem Kotor
DAY 117 – Today was a travel day again, from Podgorica up to the UNESCO World Heritage Bay of Kotor area. Our host was amazingly friendly and gracious, and my BGs were neither super high nor low enough. [keep reading]
Walking around Podgorica, Montenegro and its bizarre transformer figures
DAY 116 – In between some slightly high and very-high BGs, I got to see more of Podgorica on foot today. We saw more Transformers statues, a United Nations building, and some very nice parks. [keep reading]
First impressions after arriving in Podgorica, Montenegro
DAY 115 – A day of great BGs. We said goodbye to the Montenegrin coast, for now, and left Ulcinj for the capital, Podgorica. Our room in Podgorica was super nice, and we walked around the small city a little before relaxing. [keep reading]
Exploring Ulcinj, Montenegro’s very own “Riviera”
DAY 114 – Masayo felt good enough to go exploring today, and we strode down to the beach with its big violent waves, and walked around the stone wall-dominated Old Town in the rain. [keep reading]
All day on a hilltop with a view in Ulcinj, Montenegro
DAY 113 – Our first full day in Montenegro was quiet, as we stayed in our room in Ulcinj, trying to warm up and enjoying the views over the sea. Our food continued its casual junk food theme. [keep reading]
Fun bus ride on small roads to Ulcinj, Montenegro
DAY 112 – We left Albania from Shkodër by bus, riding about 90 minutes to the Montenegrin town of Ulcinj. It's a hilly town on the Adriatic coast, very scenic. My BG was ok at first but was high all midday. [keep reading]
Obscure little Rozafa Castle in Shkodër, Albania
DAY 111 – My BGs were a little up and down today, but it was a fun day: Masayo and I used the free bicycles at our hotel in Shkodër, Albania to go visit Rozafa Castle on a hill near Lake Shkodër just outside town. [keep reading]
Non-official minibus through Albania to Shkodër
DAY 110 – After four hours of sleep, I made it out of Tirana to the northern Albanian town of Shkodër. It was rainy the whole day, and we stayed in the room and had local burek. [keep reading]
Communist amputees and other oddities in Albania’s capital Tirana
DAY 109 – Our last day in Tirana was spent on two unusual things: a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci made of nails, and statues of Communist leaders abandoned behind a museum. Then I stayed up all night to watch Super Bowl XLIX. [keep reading]
Tirana, Albania is a weird patchwork capital city
DAY 108 – Tirana is an interesting place, still rebuilding after decades of closed, paranoid Communist rule. There is a ragged urgency in the streets, though things were dampened for us today by the rain. [keep reading]
A wild bus into unknown eastern Albania
DAY 107 – We strode down to the bus station on the edge of Skopje and took a bus over the Albanian border to the capital, Tirana. It was raining there, but we walked to our hotel and checked in, taking it easy all evening and having pizza. [keep reading]
Kale Fortress and the rest of curious Skopje, Macedonia
DAY 106 – Today was a great day in Skopje, Macedonia -- sunny and warm for January. We walked around the ruins of Kale Fortress, and wound around the endless small pathways in the Old Bazaar. [keep reading]