I wasn’t lost. Not in the way I could be in mountains and trails like these. But I had no idea where I was or where I was going.
The trip from Belgrade to Bar is about 11 hours, but I rode that train for two weeks.
It’s been three months and the verdict on spontaneous travel is in: I LOVE IT. It hasn’t always been easy, but the experience has changed how I’ll travel in the future.
Did you know Albanians put teddy bears outside their houses to ward off bad spirits? And that some kids in Serbia only go to school in the afternoon? Enjoy some of the things I’ve learnt after spending two months in the Balkans.
Dissing popular attractions in favour or lesser-known destinations apparently makes me a travel snob. But visiting Kotor in Montenegro was a reminder of the experiences I enjoy and value when I travel. If that makes me a travel snob, so be it.
The last month feels like one big highlight of all my travels, but that would make a very long post. So instead I’ve picked some moments that I think capture the experiences I’ve had.
It is as close to “wedding crashing” as I’ll ever get – walking into a wedding ceremony in the Old Town in Bar, on the Montenegrin coast. Good thing everyone was having too much fun to notice I was there.
The Biogradska Gora National Park is stunning part of Montenegro and home to a rare patch of primeval forest, beautiful scenery and a dormouse called Bruno.