matthew

You want history?  Read any one of the other blogs about the Balkans.  Paleo…Iron…Rome…Ottoman (but just a smidge) …Austro-Hungarian…Yugoslavia…Croatia…War.  In the early 1990s, ethnic Serbs living in ‘Croatia’ rejected Croatian rule and fought to join with Serbia.  The fighting ending shortly after it started in 1991—that’s is not to say it wasn’t horrible—with a United […]

Let’s talk about Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).  In general, BiH has not yet recovered from war in the 1990s.  Not that there aren’t areas that are beautiful, but those places where the fighting was more intense, the scars remain.  I saw that while looking out the windows of the bus, and in Mostar.  The same

On the bus from Kotor, Montenegro, to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, I noticed that the mountains changed from the steep, rugged, jagged mountains to steep, sculptural, smooth mountains.  Valleys also became wider and better suited to agriculture. I also noticed buildings in disrepair and even ruins.  Montenegro was memorable for well-maintained buildings.  At the time

The history of Montenegro is similar to the rest of the Balkan countries.  Ancient peoples, yadda, yadda, yadda, multiple occupiers across recorded history, yadda, yadda, yadda, and independence (in this case, it came in 1878).  Then came WWI and Yugoslavia.  In 1992, with the breakup of Yugoslavia, Montenegro and Serbia became the Federal Republic of

As you no doubt remember, I changed my itinerary so I could ride the famous Belgrade to Bar Railway.  It’s nearly 300 miles from Belgrade to Bar, or from Bar to Belgrade, and traverses 254 tunnels and 435 bridges.  Allegedly.  What I discovered is quite different.  I discovered ‘darkness.’  Yep.  That Belgrade to Bar train

I bet you’re wondering why I went from Albani to Serbia instead of Montenegro.  Another blunder?  No.  Well maybe.  We’ll see. I heard about a train that runs from Bar, Montenegro, to Belgrade, Serbia.  The train also runs from Belgrade to Bar.  I didn’t ask…  It is considered one of the most scenic train rides

The Illyrian tribes migrated south from central Europe to the region we call Albania in the bronze age, around 4,000 years ago.  it’s a good location, check out a map.  It is just a quick paddle across the Adriatic and/or Ionian seas to anything of importance.  Greeks settled the area, then Rome invaded, as did

The taxi driver informed me of a couple of fun facts during the short, rainy drive from the Pristina bus station to my hotel.  First, he told me that 70% of the buildings in the city of Pristina, capital of Kosovo, were built since 1999.  He did not say why.  I did not ask.  He

People have been in the Balkans for quite a while.  First, there were Neolithic Farmers, then everyone from Greeks, to Romans, to Ottomans, to Austrians, to… Oops, did I skip the Paeonians.  Yeah, they are important to the story.  Turns outs the ancient kingdom of Paeonia, which was north of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia,

Good news, Austrian Airlines loads passengers from the outside in.  Window, then middle, then aisle seat.  Pretty cool, but disheartening if you have an aisle seat and don’t know why you’re getting on last.  Now I know, and approve. Bad news, I spent the first 6 days in Sofia battling a cold I caught from