Paris Olympics + more Europe

July - August 2024

Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Slovenia and an organized tour of the Balkans Read more

List of countries

Portugal
Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Montenegro
Albania
North Macedonia
Bulgaria
Romania
Croatia
Slovenia
Hungary
Austria
France
Canada
Show all (14)

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Couple, Sightseeing, Sports

18.9kkilometers traveled

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Footprints
Photos

Paris Olympics + more Europe
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- Day 21
- Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 10:37 AM
- ☀️ 30 °C
- Altitude: 129 m
- Romania Constitution Square 44.428487, 26.08753944°25’43” N 26°5’15” E
2 1
Bucharest to Bran Castle 🧛‍♂️
August 13, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Our tour started in earnest this morning with some sightseeing around Bucharest culminating with a visit and tour of the Palace of Parliament, the world's second-largest administrative building (after the Pentagon) and former communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu's vanity project. It was appalling to see the resources he poured into the building. It’s estimated that it cost $4 billion. Ironically, he was executed before it was completed.

We then drove about 3 1/2 hours into the Carpathian mountains into Transylvania where we had dinner followed by a private visit to the iconic Bran Castle which was one of Vlad the Impaler’s hideouts. Vlad and this castle are said to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. We also learned about Queen Maria of Romania, the last inhabitant of the castle.

The castle was built in 1388 and Vlad ruled from 1431 to 1476. You can read more about him here:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/hist…

It was eerie to walk the halls that he had walked.Read more
Traveler Very homey on the inside
8/13/24Reply
Traveler Oh handsome! 😉
8/15/24Reply
Traveler🤣
8/18/24Reply
11 likes
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- Day 22
- Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at 9:13 AM
- ☀️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 586 m
- Romania Brasov Council Square 45.641955, 25.58868345°38’31” N 25°35’19” E
2 1 1
Brasov and Peleș Castle
August 14, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Our hotel is in Brașov, in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania. Brașov is a beautiful medieval city founded in 1211 by the Teutonic Knights. We started the day with a walking tour around its Town Hall Square, the Black Church, and the city walls. Wonderful!

We then travelled along the Prahova Valley to the Sinaia mountain resort area to visit Peleș Castle. It was built for King Carol I of Romania between 1873 and 1914 and is both Neo-Renaissance and Gothic Revival. It was the first European castle to be powered by electricity and has more than 160 rooms. The lavish rooms are filled with art, armor and tapestries. Sensory overload!

We returned to our hotel in the early evening and went out for dinner at a traditional Romanian restaurant.Read more
Traveler Wow! ❤️ Beautiful ❤️
8/14/24Reply
Traveler Beautiful!
8/15/24Reply
Wow! I can’t imagine all the staff needed just to dust the place. [Judy Burrell]
8/15/24Reply
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- Day 23
- Thursday, August 15, 2024 at 10:40 PM
- 🌙 27 °C
- Altitude: 180 m
- Bulgaria паметник Велчова завера 43.083397, 25.6408243°5’0” N 25°38’27” E
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Hello, Bulgaria!
August 15, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ 🌙 27 °C
Today was a travel day, crossing the Danube into Bulgaria. It should have taken a few hours but it took much, much longer. The process of getting over the border from Romania to Bulgaria alone took roughly three hours due to volume and construction! (Flashbacks to the Gardiner these days😉)

We drove on to Veliko Tarnovo, the City of the Tsars, where houses cling to the cliffs of the River Yantra, making it one of the country’s most beautiful towns. It’s also the former capital of Bulgaria. Looking forward to exploring it tomorrow.Read more
Traveler Beautiful ❤️
8/20/24Reply
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- Day 24
- Friday, August 16, 2024 at 8:44 AM
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 186 m
- Bulgaria Стадион Юнак 43.083764, 25.63937543°5’2” N 25°38’22” E
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Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanas and Sofia
August 16, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
This morning, we had a short walk around Veliko Tarnovo where houses cling to the cliffs of the River Yantra, making it one of the country's most beautiful cities. Next we climbed up to the Tsarevets Fortress ruins with stunning views. It was a bit of a climb so we were grateful that it was still morning and overcast.

From there, we visited Arbanasi, one of Bulgaria’s most beautiful villages and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We toured a traditional 17th-century merchant's house and the Church of the Holy Nativity.

After lunch, it was about a three hour drive across the Balkan Mountains to Bulgaria's capital, Sofia. It was a relief to be on the coach since the temperature had climbed to 35 degrees Celsius.

We didn’t waste any time once we got to Sofia and took a walking tour and explored the key sites and the St. Sofia Church.Read more
Traveler The frescoes looking stunning. Beautiful bright colours.
8/17/24Reply
TravelerIt was!
8/17/24Reply
Traveler No surprise attacks here!
8/17/24Reply
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- Day 25
- Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 12:09 PM
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitude: 555 m
- Bulgaria Sv. Petka Samardzhiyska 42.697903, 23.32338842°41’52” N 23°19’24” E
2 1
Exploring Sofia
August 17, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We had the option today of taking an excursion about two hours outside the city to a monastery. We opted to stay in Sophia and explore it further on our own. We were able to have a leisurely morning and joined a walking tour at 11 a.m. that took us around the old town, some of which we saw yesterday afternoon.

Once again, it was steaming hot reaching 34 degrees Celsius but we had dressed appropriately and certainly drank plenty of water. Following the tour, we ventured to the promenade and had lunch at a cafe and did some window shopping. By late afternoon, we returned to the hotel for a bit of a rest before our dinner at 7 p.m with our friend Stephen at a restaurant called Moma which serves traditional Bulgarian food. We then decided to walk home along the promenade and go to our hotel’s rooftop for a drink.

We say goodbye to Bulgaria tomorrow morning. We have found Bulgaria noticeably different from Romania. There is far more of a Mediterranean vibe here as opposed to Slavic. This is most evident in the food. We’re seeing lots of salads on menus as well as dishes made with filo pastry and feta-type cheeses. Baklava as a dessert is now standard on menus.Read more
Traveler Love late night strolls in ancient cities
8/17/24Reply
TravelerAnd it was cooler out🥰
8/18/24Reply
Traveler I like this place. Roof top bars are a thing when there aren't many to be found.
8/18/24Reply
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- Day 26
- Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 2:04 PM
- ☁️ 35 °C
- Altitude: 249 m
- North Macedonia Macedonia Square 41.996242, 21.43278841°59’46” N 21°25’58” E
4 2
Skopje, North Macedonia
August 18, 2024 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C
We left Bulgaria this morning to travel to the North Macedonia’s capital, Skopje. The border crossing in this case was far more routine and didn’t take us three hours like the last crossing. It was another hot day, but that didn’t stop us. It’s a modern city juxtaposed to an ancient bazaar, where Turkish influences persist.

What’s astounding about Skopje is the seemingly endless number of statues in the city. They’re everywhere. Frankly, there are so many it’s kitschy. This article gives an explanation:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/19/world/europe…

Once we were done our tour we checked into our hotel and quickly went out again to explore the bazaar area on our own. We then went back to the hotel to relax before dinner.

Getting to dinner was a bit of an adventure. Seven of us got stuck in the hotel elevator!
None of us had noticed the four people maximum sign before it was too late. It was just like in the movies where the elevator made a peculiar sound and a bit of a lurch. We knew something was quite wrong. Sure enough, Brad, and another of our group, Tony, managed to wedge the door open and determine that we were in fact between floors. After about 15 or 20 minutes, the hotel staff managed to get us out by having us hop down through the opening. Such excitement!Read more
Traveler They are every where!!!
8/18/24Reply
TravelerYes!
8/19/24Reply
Was the bazaar fun? I imagine the umbrellas are to protect people from the hordes of pigeons attracted by the statues. 🙃 [Judy Burrell]
8/18/24Reply
Traveler🤣
8/19/24Reply
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- Day 27
- Monday, August 19, 2024 at 1:04 PM
- ☁️ 27 °C
- Altitude: 692 m
- North Macedonia Struga 41.177822, 20.67890341°10’40” N 20°40’44” E
Lake Ohrid and Tirana, Albania
August 19, 2024 in North Macedonia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Today we left Skopje and travelled to Lake Ohrid for lunch on our way to Tirana, Albania. Lake Ohrid straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern part of North Macedonia and eastern Albania. It’s one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes. It’s a popular vacation destination.

Crossing the border today was easy. But traffic in Albania was brutal. It took far longer to get to Tirana than we had expected. We’re learning that traffic problems in the Balkans are as bad or worse than any we experience in North America.

Once we arrived in the city we had a walking tour. It’s a colourful, growing city that has advanced quickly since its communist government fell in 1981. There’s a feeling of optimism and momentum here that has me wishing we were here for another day.Read more
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- Day 28
- Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 9:13 AM
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 6 m
- Albania Mabë 41.935755, 19.57066341°56’9” N 19°34’14” E
Bye, Albania
August 20, 2024 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
An early start as we cross the border to Montenegro.
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- Day 28
- Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 1:02 PM
- ⛅ 28 °C
- Altitude: 92 m
- Montenegro Uvala Zakolac 42.209828, 18.9343242°12’35” N 18°56’4” E
2 1
Montenegro
August 20, 2024 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Montenegro is a small, mountainous country with a population of about 600,000 on the Adriatic Sea. The landscape is spectacular.

We visited Kotor and its Old Town which is medieval and beside a beautiful bay near limestone cliffs. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can learn more about Kotor here:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Kotor

After enjoying Kotor, we got on the road again and headed to the border to enter Croatia and ultimately check into our hotel in Dubrovnik. Getting over the border was once again an ordeal and took us about 90 minutes. Can’t wait to explore Dubrovnik tomorrow.Read more
Traveler Fabulous!♥️
8/21/24Reply
Traveler Nice top, Brad !!! 😍
8/21/24Reply
TravelerFrom New Zealand 😉
8/22/24Reply
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- Day 29
- Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at 9:12 AM
- ☀️ 25 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
- Croatia Pile Gate 42.641738, 18.10673642°38’30” N 18°6’24” E
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Dubrovnik - Day 1, daytime
August 21, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Oh my! What a spectacular city! (We’re not Game of Thrones fans but we understand that this is a big deal place for fans of the series.)

Starting with our hotel room, we have a balcony with a lovely view. The city has excellent public transportation and is soooo walkable. Two thumbs way up in our books.

But it’s the history and architecture that captivates. It’s a place where you can’t stop taking pictures. You turn a corner and there’s another beautiful shot.

This morning, our group went on a tour of the old town and learned a great deal about the history of Dubrovnik as well as Croatia in the larger context. Once that was over, Brad and I did some wandering on our own and had lunch at one of the many restaurants in the old town. It was hot but we decided we’d walk back to the hotel which took about an hour.Read more
Traveler Very cool 😎😊
8/21/24Reply
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