Nothing Day
July 30, 2023 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Today was just a throw away day as I recovered from the night before. Nothing really occurred during the day apart from the UFC and some Formula one that occurred on the Sunday. This ended up being the perfect way to recover. However, it does need to be mentioned that it got in the way of me being even slightly productive. There is a lake about 6km from the hostel that hosts many, many flamingos that I really wanted to see, but I got roped into sport instead. Then, as we drank watching the sport, we eventually became too drunk to be bothered to head to the national park and instead just continued to drink. Im not too fussed as i should see flamingos in africa, but it would have been cool to see in Montenegro as well.
Today was my last night at Pirates, and although everyone was drinking, the nightlife in Ulcinj was pretty average, so most figured to stay in instead of hit town. There were raves that apparently occurred at the beaches, but they were quite far away, and I wasn't all that interested. This ended up being great regardless. The hostel had a great vibe, and the people were awesome, so it was cool to just sit around and chat. We had some drinks at the hostel, but this is as much as really occurred throughout the whole day. Once again, the photos I have reflect an equally boring or uneventful day.
The only photo includes Tony, my favourite cat ever.Read more
Shkoder
July 31, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
After what felt like an eternity, I finally managed to leave Montenegro. I'd originally planned to spend about a week there. Seventeen days later, I was still there. I had seriously considered skipping Albania altogether, but pretty much everyone I'd spoken to treated that idea as sacrilege. Apparently, there was no way I could travel through the Balkans and leave Albania off the list. So, Albania it was. This does mean I'll have to cut some time from other parts of the trip, most likely the French Riviera. Given that Albania is cheaper, less crowded and has beaches that are supposedly just as good, I figured I could rush through the south of France without feeling too hard done by.
I headed straight from the Pirate Hostel to Shkodër via a transfer organised by the hostel. It was little more than a van, but it did the job, and within an hour we had arrived. Shkodër is a cute little town sitting near a lake, and my main plan was to spend most of the day relaxing while waiting for Lewis and Erin to arrive. The three of us were planning to tackle the famous hike through the valley from Valbona to Theth. I dropped my stuff at the hostel and headed out to explore the streets of Shkodër and get my first taste of Albania. I bumped into a couple of the other people from the Pirate Hostel who had been on the same transfer, so we grabbed a beer together before continuing to wander around.
Shkodër has a really nice atmosphere. There were people selling all sorts of little items and knick-knacks along the streets, most of them clearly aimed at tourists. There were some pretty cool Albanian souvenirs, and I was tempted to buy a few, although the quality didn't exactly scream "this will last a lifetime". Like much of the Balkans, there was something about the town that made it feel much smaller than it actually was. Everyone seemed to know everyone, people looked out for each other, and there was a relaxed atmosphere that made wandering around incredibly enjoyable.
Then I saw perhaps the most Balkan thing I could imagine. A man was being pulled over by the police while driving around with a monkey sitting on his wing mirror. It's worth mentioning that pretty much every other road rule appeared to be optional in Albania, so this was already a strange reason to be pulled over. I couldn't understand what was being said, but from what I could tell, the police officer wasn't particularly interested in the traffic violation, he just wanted to meet the monkey and give it a pat.
After continuing to wander around, I grabbed some food from the main strip before heading back to the hostel. I had a big hike coming up, Lewis and Erin were arriving soon, and I figured a good night's sleep was probably the best way to prepare. After 17 days in Montenegro, I was finally ready to see what Albania had to offer.Read more
Waiting...
August 1, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
Because I had left Montenegro a couple of days before the people I planned to do the Valbona to Theth hike, I was forced to spend a couple more days in Shkoder than I would have liked. So I was killing time around the main part of town and just eating while I wandered. The most exciting thing was the mosque that resides very close to the mains strip. A part from this I just ate and had a few drinks to let time pass. Even after all this time travelling, I still don't always check the hostels with much detail before booking. As a result, the hostel I booked doesn't have aircon and is blisteringly hot in Montenegro at the moment. It is, however, quite cool, with a pool table and a bar. Hopefully, I get to utilise these facilities and still get some decent sleep despite the heat.
The logs for the past couple of days have been quite boring, but they will get exciting soon as soon we begin the hike and the road trip. Stay posted.Read more
The Albanian Alps
August 2, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C
Today, I met up with Erin in the morning to organise everything for our hike the following day. The Wanderers Hostel is usually the go-to place for backpackers doing the Valbona-to-Theth hike, but unfortunately, it was fully booked for the dates we wanted. Instead, we found a pretty shitty hostel down the road and simply paid a little extra to join the hike through Wanderers. It was worth it. A bunch of the mates we'd met along the way were doing the hike through them, and we wanted to join the group. It also worked out cheaper than some of the other options we'd looked at because Wanderers specifically caters towards backpackers.
Once the hike was organised, there wasn't too much else on the agenda. We spent most of the day wandering around Shkodër, exploring beyond the main strip that I'd already seen the day before. We discovered that Mother Teresa was Albanian, so we checked out a few monuments dedicated to her before heading out for some drinks. While we were making our way towards the bars, we randomly ran into Lewis.
This was particularly surprising because Lewis had been without a phone for quite some time, so there was no way we'd been able to organise meeting up. Pure coincidence. Luckily, it worked out perfectly, and we spent some time together before eventually heading back for the night. With a huge couple of days ahead of us, getting some proper sleep was probably a good idea.
Shkodër is a beautiful little town, although we didn't end up doing its biggest attraction: Lake Shkodër. The reason was pretty simple - money. We'd looked into hiring bikes to explore the lake, but they were more expensive than we'd expected. At this point in the trip, I had to start taking my budget a little more seriously. I'd expected to have sold my car before leaving Australia, and I hadn't properly accounted for the fact that I hadn't. That meant it was time to start being a bit more frugal. So, no bikes and no lake. To be fair, walking around Shkodër was enough. It was a cool little town and gave me a good first impression of Albania.
More importantly, though, it was time to get some rest. Tomorrow, the Albanian Alps.Read more
Shala River
August 3, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
We had paid €105 each for the two-day trip, including transport and the hike itself, but by the time we'd finished the ferry ride towards Valbona, we already felt like we'd got our money's worth. We spent about an hour and a half meandering down the Shala River, and it was absolutely beautiful. The enormous mountains and clear water made for an incredible start to the trip. The landscape seemed to change constantly. At times, there were green forests and rolling hills that flowed gently into the water. Other times, the scenery turned into enormous sheer rock faces that dropped directly into the narrow cavern of water. It often felt like we were squeezing through giant cliffs with the river barely wide enough to fit the boat. We entertained ourselves with beers and our completely unqualified attempts at estimating the size of the cliffs.
Eventually, we arrived in Valbona, where a flurry of buses were waiting to transfer us to our accommodation. We stayed at a guesthouse that was basically the Albanian equivalent of a cheap ski resort. It sat right alongside a slow-flowing, shallow river, which looked incredibly inviting after the day we'd had. However, the altitude meant the water was freezing. Our questionable estimation skills came out once again, and we decided it was probably around 5°C. The worst part was that you couldn't just jump in. You had to slowly walk into the river, meaning your feet and legs would be completely numb before you even reached water deep enough to properly submerge yourself. I managed one quick dip before deciding I'd had enough.
Instead, I sat in the much more pleasant mountain sun and enjoyed the scenery. Afterwards, we played some volleyball and started getting to know the other people doing the hike. The group was still heavily Australian, but the proportion was noticeably lower than what we'd become accustomed to throughout the Balkans. Usually, Australians seemed to make up about 70% of every backpacker group we encountered. This time, it was probably closer to 40%. There were a few Canadians, some Irish people, a couple from the US, and people scattered from all over Europe. It was a nice change.
Eventually, dinner was served, which was supposed to prepare us for the big hike the following day. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly the feast we'd been hoping for. We'd barely eaten throughout the day, and the dinner wasn't particularly substantial. Still, it was enough to get us through. We were also given the opportunity to make lunches for the following day. It was essentially a free-for-all. I, along with a few of the other guys, decided to wait until the rush had died down before making ours. This was probably a mistake. By the time we got there, we were left with the scraps. Luckily, I'm not a massive eater, so I knew I'd survive.
After dinner, there wasn't much else to do. We had to be up at 5 a.m. for the hike, so we got ourselves organised and headed to bed. The hike was expected to take around seven hours, but the early start was important. The first section was a steep climb, and starting before sunrise meant we'd avoid as much of the brutal direct sunlight as possible. And, more importantly, we were all looking forward to reaching Theth and having some well-earned celebratory drinks.
Tomorrow, the real adventure begins.Read more
Theth National Park
August 4, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
After a brutal early morning, I managed to drag myself out of bed and onto the first shuttle to the starting point of the hike. The shuttle cost €2, but it saved us two hours of walking. Given that we were doing a hike anyway, we were initially keen to cop the extra distance and extend the hike. However, we soon learnt that the two hours was essentially just walking along a road, with very little in the way of views or serenity. So, we were happy with the shuttle.
The hike began by taking us through a riverbed that must flow heavily in spring as the ice melts off the tops of the mountains. It was really cool: white rocks lining the bottom of the path, dense forest surrounding us, and huge mountains rising in the background. This went on for about 30 minutes, all the while we anxiously looked up at the mountain we would eventually have to climb to reach the other side. It was quite cold at this point, so the walk was actually very enjoyable. And, most importantly, it was flat. Just as the sun started to get a bit of bite to it, the landscape changed drastically and we entered a well-shaded forest area. This side of the mountain must escape the effects of the river, as there were small farming properties and little animals scattered throughout the landscape.
This was probably the most enjoyable part of the hike, but eventually the steep ascent began. Although the sun was still far from its full force, it packed a punch. The ascent was relatively short, but quite intense. Although we didn't know it at the time, Erin was suffering from the early effects of pneumonia, so she especially struggled with the climb. We took regular breaks to make sure nobody was left behind.
After a gruelling couple of hours climbing up a very steep and rocky mountain face, we eventually reached the section where you can pass through the mountain and begin the descent towards Theth. However, there was a peak not far from this point, and given the distance we had already travelled, it seemed silly not to experience the full view of the valley from the top. So, we picked ourselves back up and began trekking even further up the mountain to one of the peaks. It was very much worth it. We had 360-degree views of both the valley we had just trekked all the way up, the valley we would eventually descend into, and all the mountains that sprawled as far as the eye could see. We felt accomplished seeing where we had started our journey. We had done all of this by about 9 a.m., too.
The final section was the descent into Theth. I'm normally a much bigger fan of descending than ascending, but this was a particularly rough descent because of how long it was and how loose the material underfoot was. We had perhaps been fooled into a false sense of accomplishment by reaching the peak so early in the day. We thought we were just about at the end, but we weren't even halfway there. The loose rocks and stones made the descent particularly difficult. That being said, the change in landscape provided some distraction. Although it was still heavily forested, this side lacked the shrubbery that existed on the other side of the mountain range, creating an eerie, wooded landscape. Just endless trees rising out of the ground. This continued for what felt like forever, and eventually my knees started to give out on me. I've never had knee problems before, but what started as a small, sharp pain gradually became worse as the constant force through my knees with every step took its toll. By the end, I could barely bend my leg.
Luckily, we eventually stopped for a beer, which gave my knee a chance to rest. It helped in the short term, and although we still had a bit of a hike ahead of us, we considered the beer a celebration of having completed the hike. Once again, we had been roped into a false sense of achievement. It was also at this point that we realised it was barely 11 a.m. and we were already drinking. The early start had completely thrown our sense of time out of whack, but we earnt the drink nonetheless. The hike continued for another couple of hours, with some particularly harsh downhill sections that were crippling me with every step. Eventually, though, we made it to the small town of Theth.
By pure coincidence, the three of us who had organised to rent a car the next day had been given our own guesthouse, as the other one was full. This worked out really well. Erin got her own room to try to recover from the hike and pneumonia, while Lewis and I had a room to ourselves. The place itself was beautiful. It was a tiny, remote little house tucked away in the valley, so wholesome that it was hard to describe. The lady who ran it was incredibly sweet and helpful, and we couldn't have been better looked after. It was exactly what we needed after such a brutal hike. Not to mention, she cooked the greatest meal I have eaten on my journey so far. I was absolutely starving and worried that we wouldn't get solid portions, as had happened at the last place. Instead, she cooked us a feast: chicken, rice, pastries, chips, salad, vegetables, and anything else you could possibly want after a massive hike. I will be thinking of this meal for a long time coming.
There is a photo as evidence, but I can't decide which picture of the hike to remove to make room for it, so that will have to wait until I'm home and can share them all properly. After dinner, we grabbed a couple of beers and went to meet up with the other guys from the hike for some drinks. We played card games and drank throughout the night, and it was a great way to finish the day.Read more
The Road Out of Theth
August 5, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Today, we woke up to a rainy and cloudy Theth. I had initially thought the weather would take away from the experience, but somehow, it seemed to add to it. A light drizzle settled over the valley, while clouds covered the mountain tops, making the whole place feel like something out of a storybook. It was so beautiful that I sat out on the steps for a good 30 minutes just taking it all in. Lewis, however, had a much less enjoyable morning. He had woken up incredibly sick after spending the night vomiting and shitting himself. We tried to work out what might have caused it, but I had drunk everything he drank and eaten everything he ate. Whatever it was, I had somehow managed to dodge sickness yet again. There is some sort of guardian angel looking over me.
Lewis had originally planned to stay another night in Theth and do the Blue Eye, a short hike away, but between his sickness and the weather, those plans quickly changed. He decided to join us on the journey back to Shkodër instead. The bus that was supposed to arrive at 11 a.m., however, didn't show up until 2 p.m., resulting in several hours of very boring waiting around. While we were enjoying the rainy Theth experience, it was pretty clear that the weather was making it difficult for the buses to get in and out of town. At least, that was the theory.
When the bus finally arrived, it turned out to be one man in a very banged-up old van who had apparently come specifically for the three of us. He didn't pick anyone up from the other guesthouse, which made us think they had simply forgotten about us and sent this random guy just for the three of us. We eventually found out that the bus that had arrived to pick up the others had also been late, got bogged, and then eventually broke down. So, it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for anyone. Still, I maintain that they forgot about us.
Unfortunately, our relief didn't last long when the old man finally arrived in his battered old van. The vehicle did not look particularly suitable for the roads we were about to take, but we had very little choice other than to get in. Because I was still pretty tired, I laid down across the seats, taking advantage of the fact that there were only three of us. Apparently, this was a blessing in disguise. The old man nearly drove us off the road on multiple occasions, but thankfully I was completely blissfully unaware of this until we arrived.
We eventually collected our bags and started walking towards our accommodation. It was a bit of a trek, but eventually we arrived and prepared to park up for the night. Our accommodation was next to an old, abandoned train track with a surprisingly large number of goats wandering around.
Just to provide some context for the photos I'll include.Read more
Road Trip
August 6, 2023 in Albania ⋅ 🌧 23 °C
After a night to rest in Shkodër, today was the day we were going to rent a car and begin our road trip through Albania. Transport throughout the country can be quite difficult without a car, while renting one isn't overly expensive. As a result, the three of us could split the cost of a car for a week and pay around €140 each. There were cheaper options available, but we had mates who had used this company before, and we were happy to pay a little extra to avoid getting stitched up with hidden fees.
From everything we'd seen, the roads through Albania looked hectic, so we decided to play it safe and get an automatic. This ended up being a hugely important decision. I'm not sure I would have survived driving through the cities in a manual with the craziness that happens on the streets. Not to mention, they drive on the other side of the road, which although not a huge issue, the gear stick being on the wrong side steering wheel is. Having to adjust to shifting gears with my right hand instead of my left would have been very challenging. In retrospect, the worst drive was the very first one. Because I was the only one over 25, all the insurance was in my name, meaning I was supposed to do the majority of the driving. So, I climbed into the car, drove it out of the rental place and headed towards the highway.
Unfortunately, the crazy drivers of the city don't suddenly become less crazy once they hit the highway. Additional lanes appeared along the shoulder whenever someone was in a rush, shepherds herded sheep along the side of the road, and people sold puppies through car windows while everyone was stuck in traffic. It was comical and stressful all at once, but genuinely a unique experience. And the roads are apparently even worse in the north of the country, so driving in general was just a bit chaotic from the moment we left. Before we left Shkodër, we also encouraged Erin to go to the hospital and get her cough checked out. She'd had two weeks of basically non-stop coughing, so she finally obliged. While she was there, Lewis and I watched some boxing - Diaz vs. Paul. It was basically an exhibition match, but I watched it anyway.
We then picked Erin up from the hospital and learnt the news: pneumonia. She'd been given antibiotics to treat it, but it meant she wouldn't be able to drink for almost the rest of the time we had together. Either way, she was very keen to get rid of the sickness and get back to normal. Eventually, we arrived at our first destination: Durrës.
We were mostly using Durrës as a stopover, but the main esplanade was really cool and surprisingly lively. Lewis and I wandered around while Erin stayed at home to recover from her pneumonia, which we still didn't fully appreciate the severity of at the time. We grabbed some groceries and headed back to cook up some dinner and get to bed. A classic backpacker meal of frozen vegetables, sauce and pasta was more than enough to keep us going. Nothing fancy, but it did the job.Read more
Vlore
August 7, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
The second stop on our road trip was Vlorë, but before heading there, we spent the morning exploring Durrës after a quick breakfast. This mostly consisted of wandering around an old Roman amphitheatre. Lewis is an incredibly curious and talkative individual, so it was hilarious watching his brain unravel as he questioned what each section might have been used for. It definitely added to the entertainment value.
Although the amphitheatre was relatively small, the unrestricted access to all the different areas made it really interesting. There were some brief historical explanations scattered around, although they weren't exactly the most detailed or exciting descriptions. Still, we spent about an hour wandering around before heading off to find a sports bar to watch the Women's World Cup. Australia were playing Denmark, and it was a big game for both teams. We initially struggled to find somewhere showing the match, but the old reliable Irish pub came through once again and managed to find a way to put it on. We were the only Aussies watching, but that didn't stop us from getting very invested in the game. When Australia got the win and secured their place in the quarter-finals, we celebrated before setting off towards our accommodation in Vlorë.
By the time we arrived, we only had time to briefly park up at the hotel before heading out to find some dinner. It was already quite late, so we took a quick walk along the waterfront to see what Vlorë was all about. There was quite a bit happening. It was summer in Europe, so it seemed like there was always something going on, but it was particularly nice walking through the streets at night and seeing families and groups of people out enjoying themselves.
Despite Lewis and Erin somehow managing to get us lost, I eventually took charge and navigated us back to the accommodation. This is noteworthy because I'm absolutely shocking with directions, while the other two are constantly bragging about their incredible memories and sense of direction. Vlorë itself wasn't quite as nice as Durrës, but I think our accommodation was much better. For the first time in a long time, we could actually sit on a couch, eat snacks and watch Netflix like we were back home.
We settled on Beasts of No Nation. This was a mistake. It was an incredibly confronting movie and, while it was genuinely very good, it was absolutely not the movie we should have picked given the occasion. We were looking for something uplifting and light-hearted. Instead, we scarred our mental health, caused decades of emotional damage, lost faith in all of humanity, and questioned the state of planet Earth before heading to bed.Read more
Himare
August 8, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Today, we planned to beach-hop our way to Himarë. Unfortunately, almost every beach we'd identified on the map as having potential turned out to be within a naval base. I'm not sure how we managed to overlook that, but there wasn't much we could do about it. So, we just moved on to the next one. Luckily, this was the main beach we wanted to see anyway, so we weren't too fussed. As it turned out, the drive there ended up being the greatest part of the whole experience.
I was driving, so I didn't get the best photos, but the road itself was incredible. We drove down from the top of the mountain along a winding, zigzagging road, with pristine white beaches sitting at the bottom and the ocean stretching out beyond them. It was one of those drives where you really wish you weren't the one behind the wheel so you could properly take it all in.
The beach itself didn't disappoint either. The water was insanely blue and the perfect temperature. It was so nice to finally jump in and cool off. We couldn't stay as long as we'd planned, though, because the wind eventually picked up and started ruining the fun. Since it was a rocky beach, the wind was blowing tiny rocks straight into us, and they were hitting with enough force that it felt like they were embedding themselves in our skin. So, we decided it was probably best to pack up and make our way to Himarë.
When we arrived, we headed to the hotel we'd originally booked, only to discover that they'd rejected our booking for some reason. So, we suddenly found ourselves needing to find accommodation at the very last minute. We already knew that accommodation in Himarë wasn't particularly cheap or easy to find. Two Irish girls we'd met, who happened to be staying in Himarë at the same time, had actually been forced to stay at a campsite because they couldn't find anywhere else. Needless to say, this scared us a little. Eventually, though, we found a really nice hotel. It was fairly expensive but splitting it three ways made it much more manageable. We ended up paying €30 each, which is around what you'd expect to pay for a hostel anyway, except we had our own private place. This worked out really well because eventually we caught up with the Irish girls and made the most of a €5 cocktail happy hour. We then headed back to the hotel to continue drinking.
By this point, we were probably six cocktails and a few beers deep, and the drinking only continued from there. So, it's safe to say it turned into a long night. Unfortunately, Himarë doesn't have much of a nightlife scene, so there wasn't really anywhere else to go. But honestly, we weren't complaining. We had plenty of drinks, good company and a lot of fun, which was more than enough for us.Read more
Sunbakers Sunsets
August 9, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Although we were staying in Himarë for two nights, our accommodation had cancelled on us, and the replacement only had availability for one night. So, once again, we were forced into a checkout deadline. Being viciously hungover, this was becoming increasingly annoying. We'd yet to stay anywhere for more than a single night, meaning a proper sleep-in was becoming almost impossible to come by. At least this time, we were only driving across the small town of Himarë rather than having to tackle another long drive.
That night, we were staying at Sunbakers Hostel – the first hostel we'd stayed in since getting the car. We started joking that we were officially vacationers rather than travellers, as the last few days of living in relative luxury had made us incredibly spoilt. Despite having spent weeks living the hostel lifestyle, it still took some adjustment to get used to it again.
That being said, it was good to be social again and have the opportunity to meet new people. When we checked in, we were recommended a very secluded beach that required you to rappel down using a rope. It sounded slightly terrifying, but apparently the difficulty of getting there meant the beach was much quieter than the others around Himarë. The only downside was that there was absolutely no shade, meaning we had to spend most of our time in the water to avoid getting burnt. It was worth it, though. The beach was beautiful, the water was the perfect temperature, and it was easily one of the nicest beaches I'd been to in Europe so far.
Afterwards, we walked along some of the main beaches in Himarë, which made us even happier we'd gone to the secluded one. The other beaches were busy and relatively small, although they were still nice if you could manage to find a spot. Unfortunately, the nightlife in Himarë was also pretty lacking, so we ended up spending the afternoon at the hostel drinking and playing cards. Eventually, we were treated to one of the nicest sunsets I'd seen in a while.
The three of us grabbed a pizza and a beer and parked ourselves at the hostel to watch the sunset. It was a great way to finish the afternoon and transition into the night. This was also the second time I'd managed to get hold of some bag while travelling, the first being in Split. At this hostel, it was apparently available over the counter, so we bought a couple between us and continued the night. Unfortunately, Erin ended up having too much and spent the early hours of the morning wigging out on the stairs. I stayed with her and helped calm her down until she was feeling more like herself again.
We ended up drinking pretty heavily again, and it was well into the early hours before we finally headed to bed. And, because we were heading south again the next day, we'd once again been given a checkout deadline.Read more
Ksamil
August 10, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Because we had to return the car in Sarandë, we decided to skip it for now and head further south to Ksamil. This meant we could finish the trip in Sarandë and avoid having to make the drive back there on our final day. We had a slow morning, with the hangovers from the previous few days starting to accumulate, but eventually we dragged ourselves into the car and began the long drive south.
By the time we arrived in Ksamil, we were tired and it was already getting late, so we decided to keep things simple and find somewhere to grab some food. This was also the first day Erin could properly drink again after finishing her antibiotics. Despite being tired and hungover, we figured it would be rude not to have a few drinks with her. We'd felt bad watching her sit on the sidelines while we repeatedly got drunk over the previous few days, so it only seemed fair that we finally have a few drinks together. It also gave us the chance to explore Ksamil at night. The town was really cool, although most of the nicer places were pretty expensive it was good to be somewhere with a bit of nightlife. So, naturally, we found another cocktail happy hour and settled in for another night of drinking and playing cards.
It was a nice, relaxed night, but we were heading to Sarandë the next day and had to be up early. I was already seriously lacking sleep, so we decided to call it a reasonably early night and prepare for a big day tomorrow. Given the long drive, we didn't get much opportunity to explore Ksamil, but we had plenty planned for the following day.Read more
Ancient Cities & Mountain Roads
August 11, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Today, we had to leave Ksamil and check into our accommodation in Sarandë. Before doing that, though, we wanted to visit the Roman ruins at Butrint. We expected it to be a relatively small Roman city with a handful of ruins. Instead, we arrived at a massive 200-hectare peninsula that contained the infrastructure of a fully functioning ancient city. There were baths, theatres, houses, basilicas, fortifications and much more. The only major feature that seemed to be missing was the aqueduct, which had supplied the city with water for centuries but was unfortunately no longer visible. The information throughout the site was really interesting. It covered the entire history of the area, with evidence of occupation dating back as far as 50,000 BC and continuing until its last known occupation in the 19th century AD.
The site was occupied by the Greeks from around 800 BC until approximately 44 BC, when the Romans began taking control. The Byzantines eventually took over again in the 9th century, before ceding control to the Venetians in the 14th century. The Ottomans were the final major occupants before the site was eventually abandoned and left for a couple of centuries before being rediscovered. The information boards did a great job of showing how the area changed throughout these different periods, particularly how the influence of so many different rulers shaped the architecture and design of the buildings. There were artefacts and archaeological discoveries from the various periods, and even floor mosaics that remain in their original locations and incredible condition. One particularly impressive mosaic is still present in the baptistery, although it remains covered for most of the year to protect it from damage. Unfortunately, we couldn't see it in person and had to settle for the photos.
As always, it was hilarious watching Lewis run around like a child with ADHD, trying to wrap his head around the age and sheer scale of the site. The whole place was genuinely enthralling, and it was easy to lose track of time exploring it. By the time we felt like we'd seen the whole site, it was already early afternoon.
We realised that if we wanted to see Gjirokastër as well, we'd better get moving. The drive took around an hour and a half, and before we knew it, we'd arrived in Gjirokastër. As we'd discovered, the roads are significantly better in the south of Albania, making driving much faster and far less stressful. After some of the drives we'd endured in the north, this was a blessing. After grabbing some lunch, we started wandering around the town and taking in its unique architecture. The white stone houses extending over the walkways, complete with wooden detailing, were unlike anything I'd seen in Europe before. I know Berat has similar architecture, but for me, this was the first time I'd experienced it.
What made it so impressive was how consistently the whole town followed the same aesthetic. Rather than simply wandering into an old town within a modern city, it genuinely felt like we'd stepped out of the car and into a completely different time period. We didn't have a huge amount of time, so we mostly stuck to the main areas around the tourist centre. The next stop was the castle overlooking the town from the top of the hill. The castle was another highlight, particularly because of the views. From the top, we had almost complete 360-degree views over Gjirokastër and the surrounding mountains. The unrestricted access to most areas of the castle also added to that feeling of being completely immersed in the past. There were some interesting information boards throughout the castle, covering its history as well as the wildlife found in the surrounding area, which was a nice change from the usual historical information.
This has easily been one of my most challenging logs to summarise in just 20 photos, given how much we managed to fit into the day. But I've done my best. Unfortunately, that means I've had to leave out the incredible drive home. We were driving through the mountains around sunset, and the way the sunlight caught the tops of the mountains while leaving the valleys below in shadow made the whole landscape look like a painting. I managed to squeeze one photo in, but there are plenty more that capture just how beautiful the drive through the Albanian mountains was. It certainly made it a little easier to stay awake for the drive home. By the time we finally arrived back at our accommodation in Sarandë, though, we were completely exhausted and basically passed out. No drinking tonight.Read more
The Blue Eye
August 12, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
We gave ourselves a well-deserved sleep-in, although this was once again interrupted at around 9 a.m. This time, however, it wasn't because of an annoying checkout deadline. We were actually excited to get up. Today was the Women's World Cup quarter-final, with Australia facing France, the former champions. It was a high-energy, incredibly stressful match that had all three of us screaming at the TV at the top of our lungs, probably much to the frustration of our neighbours. The match went all the way to penalties, and after an unbelievably stressful and heart-wrenching shootout, Australia eventually beat France to progress to the semi-finals. It was one of the longest and most intense penalty shootouts I've ever witnessed. By the end, I was just glad it was over. My heart couldn't take much more.
After the game, we headed to one of my biggest bucket-list items from the trip: the Blue Eye near Sarandë. I'd heard incredible things about the crystal-clear water that springs from deep beneath the earth, and it had been something I was particularly keen to see. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we discovered that it involved a 2km walk to reach it. In the heat we were experiencing, it was a bit of a slog. But when we finally arrived, it was absolutely worth it. The water was even more colourful and beautiful than I'd imagined from the photos I'd seen. It was almost impossible to believe how clear it was. We soon learnt, however, that you're not actually supposed to swim in the water. There were plenty of people doing it anyway, but we felt like swimming in the main areas took away from some of the experience for others. So, naturally, we found a quieter spot where nobody could see us and jumped in anyway. Despite being freezing, it's hard to describe just how pristine it felt. The water was so clean and clear that it genuinely looked like something you could drink straight from the source. After walking around in the heat for so long, though, the cold water was actually very welcome.
Unfortunately, the photos do a terrible job of capturing the clarity of the Blue Eye. You need to be high enough above the water to properly see the colours and patterns on the bottom, meaning that most photos taken at eye level look nowhere near as impressive as it does in person. I managed to get a few decent shots, but nowhere near enough to properly capture how beautiful the place actually was. It was a fantastic experience and definitely something I'll remember forever. That being said, the Blue Eye isn't a massive area, and after a few hours we'd seen pretty much everything there was to see. So, we headed back to the car and drove towards our accommodation in Sarandë.
When we arrived in the hills above the city, we quickly realised we'd become very lost. The roads were basically dirt and rocks for most of the way, and eventually we pulled up at a location we thought might be where we needed to be. A man walked out, so we figured he was probably a good person to ask. He didn't speak a word of English, but he somehow understood when we said "Villa Mehmeti", the place where we were staying. Without being able to communicate with us at all, he simply got into our car and started directing us towards the villa. We were very confused but decided to trust him.
Eventually, through a combination of hand gestures, grunts and pointing, he successfully guided us to the right place. When we got out, we tried to offer him a lift to wherever he was going. It turns out, however, that he was actually heading to Villa Mehmeti himself to meet his wife and have a drink with the owners of the hotel. The exchange between the husband and wife as he got out of our car was hilarious. Neither of us spoke a word of Albanian, but somehow we understood the entire gist of the conversation. After that little adventure, we headed to the shops and made ourselves a cheap noodle dish. It wasn't anything special, but it was decent enough to keep us going.Read more
Road Trip Complete
August 13, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Today was the last day that we would have the car, and so it was quite sad. We did, however, have one more night with the three of us before Lewis left us to head toward Turkey. After some minor fucking around, we managed to drop the car off, and head back to the hotel where Erin was waiting with all our bags. We then proceeded to do fuck all, watching netflix, calling our parents and taking naps. We had a big week of travelling, and now we had to recover for a few days. The only time we left the hotel was to get food before returning for sleep. There are no photos for today because nothing happened - just a photo of the Audi that was our rental car for the week.Read more
Sarande Sunsets
August 14, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Today was equally as uneventful as yesterday – although perhaps a little more emotionally significant. We checked out of our hotel and said goodbye to Lewis, who was heading towards Turkey. Given that I'd been travelling with him since Žabljak in Montenegro, it was pretty sad to say goodbye. These things happen when you're travelling, though, and I'm sure we'll stay in contact. Although he's Australian, he's from Perth, so realistically, it's unlikely we'll cross paths again anytime soon.
It would only be a couple more days before Erin and I also went our separate ways. Until then, we'd managed to find accommodation for a couple of nights in Sarandë. Erin and I had become quite close during our travels, but she was also heading towards Turkey in a couple of days. Meanwhile, I needed to get back on track with my itinerary if I was going to make it through Slovenia, northern Italy, southern France, Spain and Portugal in the roughly six weeks I had left. She tried to convince me to join her in Turkey, but it just didn't make sense. I'll be there myself in a couple of months for a tour anyway, so I'd rather stick to my original plan. Still, it's one of the harder parts of travelling. You meet people, become close, spend weeks together, and then eventually have to say goodbye knowing you may never see each other again. But I suppose that's just how travelling works.
Before we could check into our new accommodation, we had to get a taxi there because we no longer had the car. This ended up being the biggest fuck-around and probably the closest we'd come to being properly scammed so far. We were quoted €30 to get up into the hills, and although I was keen to walk for a little while first, we decided to just pay for the taxi and save ourselves the effort. The driver arrived and we jumped in, but the traffic was horrendous. We barely moved for the first half hour, and the driver seemed increasingly stressed. I eventually told him we could just pay part of the fare and get out so he could go and do other trips, but he insisted it was fine. About half an hour later, he increased the price because of the amount of time the journey was taking. We figured that was probably fair given the circumstances, and by that point we didn't have much choice anyway.
Then, just as we finally escaped the city and the traffic cleared, he told us he couldn't drive any further because his workday was finished. We had about another 10 minutes of driving left. Instead, he dropped us off and told us we'd have to walk the remaining 30 minutes. He then asked for €40. I argued that we hadn't even been taken to our destination, so it seemed pretty unreasonable to expect the full amount. He wasn't budging, though, and eventually we had little choice but to pay it. It was incredibly annoying, but I suppose these things happen when you're travelling. After a 30-minute walk through the midday heat carrying our massive bags, we finally arrived at the hotel. Thankfully, the family running the place were incredibly lovely. They even told us that if they'd known we didn't have a car, they would have come and picked us up themselves.
We planned to do absolutely nothing for the rest of the day, but then the family offered to drive us down to the beach. Given that we no longer had a car, it seemed like the easiest opportunity we'd get to make the most of the afternoon, so we accepted. It actually ended up being really nice. The weather hadn't been great, so there weren't many people around, but luckily it cleared up almost as soon as we arrived. We spent the afternoon doing very little – having some drinks by the beach and relaxing until the sun started to set. We then moved over to the rockface overlooking the water so we could properly enjoy the sunset. It was pretty special. Afterwards, we stuck around for some drinks and food. We'd become incredibly sick of shitty Albanian pasta, pizza and burgers, so when we saw sushi on the menu, we had to jump at something a bit fresher. It was about €17 each, which was more expensive than we'd been paying for most meals, but at that point we desperately needed something different. And it was actually fantastic. It was some of the best sushi I've ever eaten. I'd always heard that Europe had terrible Asian food, but this was my first real experience trying it, and I was seriously impressed. Maybe it was simply because it wasn't another plate of Albanian pasta, but either way, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
After dinner and a couple more cocktails, it was time to head home. The only problem was that we had a massive walk back up the steep hills, and after our taxi experience earlier in the day, we were absolutely not getting another one. So, we grabbed a couple of roadies and started walking. We stopped for a drink whenever necessary, eventually making our way back to the hotel completely exhausted.Read more
Rinse and Repeat
August 15, 2023 in Albania ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
It is quite comical how similar today and yesterday were. We relaxed and enjoyed our morning, with breakfast provided by the hotel. Until eventually, they offered to take us to the beach again. We obliged once more as we had to do something with our day, and the beach was the best option that wouldn't be too draining. Today we got to the beach earlier and it was a nicer day, but as a result we had to pay for the beach lounges. It was worth it, however, as we spent a lot of time there. In some form of protest, we decided we would bring our own drinks and snacks to the beach to recoup some of the money we spent on the lounge, we were backpackers afterall. This was a vodka concoction that Erin made, and some chips to keep us going through the day. We once again chilled here for a few hours until the sun began to set before we once again repositioned to the rockface to fully enjoy it. We then went and got sushi (it was that good) and had some cocktails before starting the long journey home. Like I said, the exact same day as yesterday. But I'm hardly complaining. It was relaxing and good to spend some time with Erin before we part ways tomorrow.Read more
Goodbyes & Corfu airport
August 16, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Today was the day I would officially depart from my friends and restart life as a solo traveller. I'm now just over two months into my trip, and I barely feel like I've actually been solo travelling. I was with Jack throughout most of Italy and all of Croatia. Then I spent some time on my own until reaching the south of Montenegro, but since then I've been travelling with either Lewis or Erin. I absolutely loved my time with all of them, but just as happened with Jack, there eventually comes a point where you start getting excited about the freedom that comes with travelling alone again.
Erin and I said our goodbyes as she boarded the bus to Turkey, while I headed towards the port to catch a ferry to Corfu. It was pretty sad. Like Lewis, Erin will also be heading home soon, so there's a good chance I won't see her again for quite some time. She lives in Sydney, though, rather than Perth, so there's at least a slightly better chance we'll cross paths again at some point. Regardless, it was always going to happen eventually, and I'm sure I'll keep in contact with both of them.
The unfortunate part about the timing of my ferry was that I was going to miss the Matildas' next World Cup game. As a result, I wouldn't know the result until I reached Corfu. I hadn't had any mobile data throughout the Balkans, but I was expecting it to work once I reached Greece. So, I held onto the hope that my data would kick in somewhere along the ferry ride and I'd be able to follow the game. Unfortunately, it came too late. As we arrived in Corfu and my internet finally started working, I learnt that Australia had lost 3–1 to England. It was pretty heart-breaking. Everyone back in Australia had started following the tournament incredibly closely, and Lewis had even mentioned that the previous game against France had attracted a larger audience than the AFL Grand Final. Insane stuff if true.
Still, the show must go on, and I had a lot to fit into a single day in Corfu. I started by finding a nice little café for some food to fuel me through the day. I'd heard Greece was expensive, so I expected this to be my only meal until midday the following day, when I reached my next destination. At this point, I needed to be extremely careful with my budget to make sure I had enough money to last until I could sell my car. Thankfully, the meal was cheap and more than enough to keep me going.
I dropped my bag off at a little luggage storage shop and headed out to explore. My plan was essentially to wander aimlessly around the town, only stopping whenever something caught my interest. The whole town was adorable. The narrow streets filled with little shops were incredibly wholesome, and everyone seemed friendly. The architecture and design of the town were also amazing. It was clearly old and full of character, but unlike some places I'd visited, you never felt unsafe walking around. It didn't have quite the same level of history I'd expect to find elsewhere in Greece, but I still got my history fix by visiting the Old Fortress. It was really cool to explore, and the views over Corfu from the top were incredible. Unfortunately, the sun made it difficult to capture the views properly in photos. It looked amazing in person, though, which is what really matters.
After exploring the fortress, I started making my way back towards the luggage storage before it closed. Along the way, however, I came across a traditional Corfu dish called pastitsada. It was only about €9, so I was easily tempted into trying some traditional food before leaving the island. It was interesting. At first, the flavour seemed quite bitter, but I quickly got used to it and ended up really enjoying it. Highly recommend.
After collecting my luggage, it was time to complete what I consider to be one of the essential backpacker experiences: Sleeping in an airport.
Accommodation in Corfu was expensive, and the reality was that paying for somewhere to sleep, only to wake up early and pay for a taxi to the airport, seemed like far too much effort. It also meant saving around €100, which was a pretty easy decision for me. More importantly, I wanted to avoid the stress of waking up early, organising a taxi and potentially missing my flight.
I'm not a huge fan of flying, despite it being a fairly regular part of my work, which is why my original travel plan was designed to minimise the amount of flying I'd have to do. In fact, I wasn't supposed to catch a flight until 14 weeks into the trip. That clearly didn't go according to plan.
So, I found a seat near the very entrance of the airport, where it was relatively quiet, and settled in to wait until things died down. It quickly became obvious that I wasn't the only person with this idea. By about 10 p.m., people had already spread themselves across rows of seats with sleeping bags, eye masks and whatever else they needed for the night. I respected the commitment but decided to wait until a little later before taking over a full row of seats. That decision almost came back to bite me.
A woman eventually laid down across the seats I'd been eyeing, and for a moment I thought I was going to be forced to sleep upright for the entire night. Eventually, some space opened up next to her daughter and she moved, giving me the opportunity I'd been waiting for. I immediately claimed the seats before anyone else could. By now it was around midnight, I asked a girl sitting nearby, who had briefly woken up, to keep an eye on my stuff while I went to the bathroom. When I came back, I took a sleeping pill, covered my head with a towel... And bang. Lights out.
I slept far better than I ever expected under the circumstances. I managed about five solid hours of sleep, which was significantly more than I thought I'd get. I woke up just in time to check in my luggage and get ready for the flight. And with that, I'd officially completed another major backpacker rite of passage: Airport accommodation.Read more
Travel Day #2
August 17, 2023 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
After my long night in the Corfu airport, I was rewarded with a busy flight to Frankfurt, followed by a heavily delayed flight from Frankfurt to Ljubljana. I wasn't overly upset about the delay, though, because at one point I thought I'd actually missed the flight entirely. Luckily, time zones exist, and I was gifted an extra hour to make it to the original departure time. As it turned out, that extra hour was completely unnecessary. The flight was delayed by another hour and a half anyway. Followed by 45minutes sitting on the tarmac waiting for take-off. Eventually, though, we were in the air.
After roughly three hours of waiting around, I finally arrived in Slovenia – although the actual flight from Frankfurt was only about an hour. I jumped off the plane, onto a bus, and eventually arrived just outside my accommodation in Ljubljana. The hostel itself was pretty average. I didn't have access to a power outlet for most of my stay, and the kitchen was constantly dirty, but thankfully I spent very little time inside anyway.
Given that I'd be in Ljubljana for a few nights, I thought the responsible thing to do was make a big feed of pasta that would last me a few meals. So, I gathered whatever energy I had left and headed to the grocery store. The pasta wasn't particularly good, but it did the job. Four meals for €9 isn’t bad either.
And that's basically the entire day. After the chaos of the previous night, followed by flights, delays, buses and airports, there wasn't much sightseeing to be done. In fact, the pasta is quite literally the only photo I have from the day. Not exactly the most exciting entry, but that's travel sometimes.Read more
Ljubljana Fever Dreams
August 18, 2023 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Today, I wanted to properly explore Ljubljana. I'd heard some amazing things about the city, but I was still completely unprepared for just how beautiful it was. I'd come straight from the Balkans, which in comparison felt much more impoverished and underdeveloped, but even compared to some of the cities I'd visited in Italy, Ljubljana stood out. It was cleaner, greener, historic, beautiful and, perhaps most importantly, lively. I'd become accustomed to major European cities being dirty and covered in rubbish. Given the population density, you had come to understand and expect it. But I genuinely don't think I saw even the smallest piece of rubbish lying around Ljubljana, despite it being the capital city.
The greenery was probably what stood out to me most. It wasn't just a few superficial trees lining the roads, there were natural, recreational and relaxing areas at every corner. It reminded me a lot of Australia in that sense. Ljubljana also has a large student population, which may contribute to the atmosphere, but whatever the reason, the result was a city that felt incredibly relaxed. Then there is the river. Aptly named the Ljubljanica. This runs directly through the heart of the city and is beautifully clean. It's also the centrepiece for so much of Ljubljana's social and cultural life, with restaurants, markets and people gathering along its banks.
At the same time, Ljubljana hasn't sacrificed its history. The city is more than 1,000 years old, or if you believe legend, stretches as far back as Greek Mythology, and the architecture reflects that. The combination of greenery, historic architecture and an incredibly well-organised city made Ljubljana one of the most amazing places I'd visited in Europe so far, and easily one of my personal favourites. I started my long tour of the city at Tivoli Park, the main park in Ljubljana. It's absolutely enormous, and I wouldn't have had anywhere near enough time to explore all of it, but I got a good glimpse by walking along the main path. The park was full of people reading, attending classes, chatting and playing sport. It was incredibly wholesome.
In hindsight, Ljubljana would have been the perfect city to do a walking tour in. Unfortunately, I simply ran out of time. I didn't have much of a plan for the walk, so I headed towards the city and started exploring the marketplace that runs along the river. It was absolutely bustling with life and energy. The stalls sold everything from ribs and fruit salads to burgers, crepes and basically anything else you could imagine. Everything smelled incredible. It wasn't particularly cheap, and I was still keeping a close eye on my budget but I did allow myself a fruit salad, and wandered around while eating it. The diet has taken a bit of a hit while being away, surviving off one main meal, and no fruit. This was a welcome change.
From there, I continued towards the Dragon Bridge. This is one of Ljubljana's main attractions, although I have to admit I wasn't particularly blown away. It's essentially a normal bridge with some dragon sculptures on it. The dragon is an important symbol of Ljubljana, representing strength, power, courage and wisdom. After that, it was a short walk to Ljubljana Castle, which overlooks the city from the top of a hill. Getting there meant a surprisingly gruelling walk uphill, but the legs were getting used to all the steep walking.
The castle itself was free to enter, although there were some sections that required payment. I decided to skip those, and a couple of guys from my hostel had already warned me that they weren't really worth paying for anyway. Even without them, I still felt like I got the full experience. The castle wasn't particularly large, but it was really cool to walk around, particularly because of the medieval artefacts and historical information throughout the site. Given its size, though, I didn't spend too long there before beginning the walk back towards the hostel.
On the way home, I stopped at an Irish pub for a drink. Mostly, I just wanted somewhere to sit down and watch the world go by, and the pub had some really nice views over the river. I also tried my first Irish coffee. It was horrid. Perhaps not the best place to try one in hindsight.
Eventually, I headed back to the hostel and lay down for a while to recover from the day's walking. I then got talking to an English bloke, who invited me downstairs for a drink with some of the other people from the hostel. I had no idea it at the time, but this was the beginning of one of the strangest nights of my life. I hadn't heard much about Ljubljana's nightlife before arriving, so I was curious to see what the city had to offer. We started at an Irish pub for a few drinks before heading to a club. By this point, I was already pretty drunk, so I have absolutely no idea who decided where we were going next. Wherever it was, it turned out to be one of the most unique places I'd ever drunk.
We headed just outside the city to a rundown little gated community consisting of maybe four or five houses. The buildings had clearly been abandoned or neglected for years and were covered in graffiti. We walked inside and were greeted by strange statues, decorations and artwork that made the whole place feel incredibly dark and gloomy. Not sure if this was actually old, abandoned buildings or if it’s part of the aesthetic but given their decrepit condition, I’m thinking that these may all just be an abandoned community. Then the music started and it got even stranger. Heavy metal Slovenian music.
Every house seemed to have its own bar and slightly different music, although I have absolutely no idea whether any of it was actually legal or what the whole setup was. I included a video as a little taster of the music because it's almost impossible to explain the atmosphere properly in words. Despite how dark and bizarre the place looked, everyone was incredibly friendly and happy. People were dancing, getting everyone involved and genuinely just having a great time. Somehow, despite everything about the place suggesting otherwise, I never once felt unsafe. None of it felt real to be honest. The whole experience felt like one enormous fever dream. Or a bad trip.Read more
Lake Bled
August 19, 2023 in Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Another major bucket-list item of mine was Lake Bled, just north of Ljubljana. My sister had told me how amazing it was, and Hairy had mentioned that the water was some of the most beautiful he'd ever swum in. So, after giving myself a decent sleep-in to recover from the previous night's hangover, I headed to the bus station and jumped on the bus to Bled. It was pretty packed, but I'm slowly getting used to that in Europe. When I got off the bus and made my way towards the lake, I immediately understood what everyone had been talking about. It was breathtaking.
The crystal-clear water, surrounding greenery, and mountains were incredible, and then there was the castle perched precariously on a steep cliff overlooking the lake, adding to the almost surreal feeling of the whole place. The lake itself is about 6km around, so I decided to walk the perimeter and take it all in. Eventually, I reached the point where Bled Island came into view. Sitting in the middle of the lake, the island is home to a church that rises peculiarly above the water. I don’t understand who’s idea it was to build a church there, given the logistical difficulties they would have come across, but it made for one hell of a site and tourist attraction. But whatever the reasoning, it looks incredible from the mainland.
You can catch a boat across to the island and visit the 17th century church for a fee, but it was fairly expensive, so I decided to skip it. You can also swim there, which I was very keen to do, but travelling alone meant I would have to leave my backpack unattended with my phone and all belongings inside. So, unfortunately, I never made it onto the island. I did, however, get the chance to go for a swim, and I couldn't believe how good the water felt. Some water just feels incredible on your skin, and this was one of those places. It was particularly nice to escape the salty Mediterranean and experience some proper freshwater for a change. I think I'll have to come back to Lake Bled one day. I knew there was a hike you could do that gives you some of the best views over the lake and the town, and I would have loved to do it.
The next best viewpoint was the castle overlooking the lake and island. It made for an incredible photo opportunity, but I'm not sure it was worth the €15 entry fee. I tried to get a student discount, but when the woman asked for my student ID, it was too late to back out of paying. The view was really the main attraction. The castle itself was cool, but there wasn't a huge amount else to see, so I didn't spend too long inside before heading back down the hill towards the bus.
Given how busy the bus had been on the way there, I figured I should get in line as early as possible to make sure I actually got a seat on the way home. I stopped at the church on the way down, which was pretty cool, and briefly explored the town of Bled. The town was cute. It had the feel of a small ski town, with almost Bavarian architecture, quiet little roads and a really wholesome atmosphere. After that, I jumped on the bus back to Ljubljana and got ready for another big travel day tomorrow. Lake Bled definitely lived up to the hype.Read more
