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Kicking about in the southern Balkans Read more

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  • TravelerAegean Greecefully

    Liverpool

    April 13 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Ah yes, the famous Aegean city of ... Liverpool.

    Can I have a c''an uh c''oke un s'um c''hic''ken lad.

    It's a funny old city. Some parts are straight out of some mega city, but turn a corner and it's not hard to find the run down terraces. Started the day on the suicide (... sorry, Merseyside!) by integrating into northern culture with not one, but two Gregg's. Perused the docks, and took a gander at the museum of Liverpool where I was surprised to see how keen the exhibits were to highlight just how deprived this part of the country really is.

    Anyhow, tried out my sea legs with a boat tour, said hello to John, Ringo, Paul and other one, then jollied up in a pub to witness the 'pool squeeze a typical shoddy victory vs West Ham. Ran some pre-trip errands, gandered some markets, then rounded off with a gawp at the largest cattedrale in England (it's mahoosive!)

    The culture is so football-centric up here it's wild.    Read more

  • TravelerAegean Greecefully

    Boyana

    April 15 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    Country #39: Bulge Area.

    Something about soviet era concrete and the Cyrillic alphabet just scratches this weird itch in my brain, so stepping out from the airport into the dreary Bulgarian day really got my dopamine receptors firing.

    Skipping the evening of arrival because that's boring but Boy(ana), writing this has made me realise I've really not been taking many pics, but y'know, living in the moment and all that.

    With a fresh day I immediately channelled my inner artsy girl by gobbling breakfast (a delish acai bowl and latte) at a swanky cafe. Quickly navigated the tekky tram system (LOVE the trams fyi) over to Vitosha, a mountainous area straddling the city and home to bears, boars and wolves.

    First though, I stuck my weirdly shaped head round the door of Boyana Church, significant for boasting medieval frescoes from as early as the 10th century; its stylistic depictions a bastion of insight into a time otherwise lost to the dusts of time. Armed with my newly found culture, I stomped my merry way up through eery woodland to Boyana Waterfall, its cascades shrouded in spray and mist. Encounters with stray dogs and deer aside, it was a gentle descent upon the city where I found this gem of a shack to sink some lunch.

    Following that, the afternoon was spent perusing the museum of Bulgarian history, situated in an impressive soviet era building nestled next to the president's residency. The museum was really interesting, albeit had some glaring omissions. The exhibits were conveniently... vague about certain aspects of Bulgaria's involvement with the axis powers in WW2, and completely 'forgot' to include anything at all from the communist regime. 👀👀

    Not sus at all guys! 👍    Read more

  • TravelerAegean Greecefully
    3

    Sofia & Vitosha

    April 16 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Started the day bright-eyed and tail-aloft, as I catapulted my way up to Aleko Hut (not really, that would be ridiculous).

    The objective of the morning was to give it a good crack at Cherni Vrah, the tallest peak in Vitosha. Now, April is an awkward time for mountains in the Bulgarian calendar. Not quite ski season, but not quite hiking season either. But to hell with it, I thought, and I bulldozed up the slopes (steepness might be lost in the photos). Of the 550 m ascent, I must've made 200 m before my legs started caving through the metres-thick layer of melting snow, disappearing into unfathomable caverns and oxford-county council severity potholes. My decision to turn back was confounded by the fact I forgot to bring suncream and sunglasses even with the glare (can you believe it, I really never learn!)

    So I scooted back down to the hut; I believe the technical term is glissading, except I used my bum rather than an ice axe, so you know... close enough. I did what any defeated man would - drown my sorrows with traditional chicken soup and a beer in the mountain hut before running away to go and haggle with old men over soviet badges (hell yea).

    THE landmark of Sofia is the Alexander Nevsky cathedral, an awe-striking icon with golden domes and intricate guildings. But outside the cattedrale, there were all sorts of flamboyant trinkets, relics and gizmos for sale, including swastika clad bits and bobs from the Nazi-era (?!), and soviet badges (my kryptonite).

    This leads flawlessly into the 'communist walking tour' I then then joined with guide Dino around the city. A touchy subject in Bulgaria it seems, but honestly super interesting to learn about. I'll spare the gory details because I'm afraid one of you reading is a soviet informant but during the walk I met three young gals, Matilda, Anna and Charlotte, from Oxfordshire of all bloody places! After the tour, they invited me out for a gyals' night with some dinner and drinks, where we clinked cocktails and sadly didn't get pedicures (or any photos?)

    Fun day! The end.    Read more

  • TravelerAegean Greecefully

    Rila

    April 17 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Spent too long writing the last two days so for this one I'll keep it realer/Rila (shut up okay).

    Rila is the site of the largest monastery on the Balkan peninsula, the crux of Bulgaria's largest religion: Eastern Orthodox Christianity. I had planned to combine a visit here with hiking the seven lakes, the emerald alpine lakes of the Pirin mountains. But after the tour I'd booked called it quits over excessive snow cover, I had to change it up. So instead I shared a taxi with two American girls, Emily and Davey, and Bristolian boys, Kieran and Johnny from the hostel. Two taxi hours shot by as I learnt way more about Berlin threesomes than frankly I bargained for, though I do have a fun fact for you: Kieran holds the world record for losing a game of countdown by largest ever margin.. so I've officially met the world's best celebrity, it's only downhill from here🔥🔥

    The monastery itself was massive, but being tucked away in the nooks between the mountains, had a calming air of tranquility. And although forbidden to photograph, the internals were a sight to behold too, glimmering in gold and punctuated by rich tapestries of religious imagery.

    A mere £4.30 train trip later from returning to Sofia, and I was plodding in Plovdiv, where I devoured a sensational £2 burger from a kebab shop, and decided it'd be great character building to ascend the endless stairs of the Alyosha monument at 11 pm at night. Could've been sketch, but sadly I survived to see the panoramic views from the top, where there were only a few doggers. Result!    Read more

  • TravelerAegean Greecefully
    1333

    Plovdiv

    April 18 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Plovdiv is home to a cobbled old town, leafy parks with singing fountains and pastel coloured buildings which crest the longest pedestrian street in Europe. Most interestingly though, the city is one of the longest continually inhabited places on the continent and is built upon the ruins of an ancient Roman stadium, Philoppopolis. As a result, the grand columns have been excavated in chunks all over the place, including apparently in half of the dining room of the hostel I stayed at (a delightful little place btw.)

    There's also some fun backstory to the Alyosha monument which dominates the skyline; a tribute to the soldiers of the Red Army, and for which Plovdiv has tried (and failed) to have removed on several occasions. It needed only one opportunity to get rid of me though, and after a dandy visit I was back on the road, or in this case, the tracks.

    One of the many joys of travelling the Balkans is bearing witness to its broken transport culture. Take this train for example, didn't leave for 30 minutes after it was meant to (after all, the driver needs time for good smoke first, that's unavoidable!) We did eventually get moving though, even if the carriage shook like a maniac when working up to its max speed (i.e. jogging pace). I'm slightly surprised to have actually ended up in Bansko after 4h30, we didn't even derail once :( Check out the last pic for a chuckle at the route it took.

    JJ out.    Read more

  • TravelerAegean Greecefully
    141

    Bansko

    April 19 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Let's play a game! I call it 'don't wake the hibernating bear'. *Losers may be eaten (bears are very hungry in April).

    You won't ever see a bear really, not unless you're bushwacking on the northern slopes of the Pirins, says ChatGPT. Except oh, that's exactly what I was doing. Okay, spoilers here, I didn't die and no, I didn't see a bear, but I did stumble across an eery abandoned hut via a forlorn forest footpath. From my ankles tasting the shrill cold of the thick snow breaching my boots in one direction, I decided to hedge my bets on the other, la-dee-da-ing my way up a forgotten path which was littered with obstructing tree trunks and an explosion of springtime vegetation, including the first suggestion of bluebells emerging through the lingering ice.

    Sunlight spattered through the pine sprigs and birds chirped in the distance until I emerged into a deathly quiet clearing, where I was faced by a huge and haphazard hut, decaying in its state of abandonment. I was tempted to entertain my curiosity and even stuck my big crooked nose through a few shattered windows, but I soon heard something unsettling - rumbling, glass smashing. Oh hell no, I thought, fuck this. I legged it.

    The remaining day was at the pace of a trot and a canter; I'd eaten strudel at a sleepy café, I basked in the sun with a beer at the mountain hut, I read from my hotel balcony as the evening grew long. Oh, apart from a nerve wracking few minutes in the cable car. The power stalled for a good while, leaving me there hanging in the crosswind, agonising at the graffitied doors of the car and the hypothetical distance to plummet downwards. Needless to say, it was fine (only a little bit of pee came out.)

    I arrived in Bansko late last night and was greeted by the friendly hotel owner who was keen to warn me that I'd arrived in the town's low season. Fretful though he was, I've really enjoyed that matter. It's been nice to appreciate the place without jostling with other English natives.

    That's all folks.    Read more

  • TravelerAegean Greecefully

    Thessaloniki

    April 20 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Country #40: Grease, the musical.

    9 days into the trip and the punchline finally makes some sense (maybe)! I even had some time to celebrate; I swirled my tongue in the Aegean, I exchanged a naughty high five with Aristotle, I even wished Happy Easter to my plate of feta cheese.

    Rewind to the morning though and it was a case of manning the action stations. I'd booked a coach from Blagoevgrad to Thessaloniki for 08:40, with the full knowledge that I had no way of getting there from Bansko by public transport (1hr away) before the planned departure time. Why did I do that? No idea, but I did. I knew there were no buses, certainly no trains.

    Hitchhiking it was to be then, and I set out my stall at a petrol station's corner, bracing my friendliest expression and adorning my carefully inscribed cardboard sign. Slight hiccup - it's 7 am on Easter morning, where are all the cars? It's almost like everyone's still sleeping...

    It was around then that I met Ellie, a digital nomad / journalist from Devon who had been living in Bulgaria of all places. By stroke of pure luck, it turned out she also needed to get to Blagoevgrad station, and soon. Perfect then, and we teamed up to try and flag down the sporadically populated road. Persisting for as long as time permitted, we eventually caved, splitting the cost of a taxi then the joy of some anecdotes. I came to learn a few interesting things - that despite not speaking any Bulgarian, she'd been living in Bansko since covid, had bought her house there for £22,000 (!), travelled to ~70 countries, and that there was actually a sizeable English speaking community in the area. Who'd have thunk! And lucky though it was, once we parted ways at the station a small part of me wanted to shake its fist at the universe for failing to fulfill my hitchhiking prophecies.

    Thessaloniki is a bustling metropolis. Towering apartment blocks cast comforting shadows over aggressive, wide boulevards. Away from the cars, never have I seen such a large city be quite so dead. With church services presumably concluded and workers liberated for Easter, I can only tell you that Greeks must love a nap (me too tbf).

    Night!    Read more

  • TravelerAegean Greecefully
    1

    Meteora

    April 22 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Meteora is everything you dream it to be and more; 24 monasteries perch proudly, precariously, impossibly atop colossal pillars of rock which surge skyward as if carved by the hands of the gods. These 14th century refuges cling to the cliffs like eagles' nests, suspended between earth and the heavens. Painstaking staircases chiselled into the crags speak of the monks who once hauled their world skyward by rope and faith. Their life's work overhangs the mind-boggling rift into the plains of Thessaly, supported only by the absurdist sandstone spires upon which they are mounted (yes, sandstone btw!!!).

    Mist curls around their weathered walls at dawn, and the golden light of sunset bathes the stone in a holy glow, casting long shadows over the silent valleys where tortoises roam free and unhurried, tracing ancient paths through sunbaked earth and wild scrub. Their shells mottled like the stones upon which they wander, they are keepers of time, time which drifts like the wind through the ravines, reverent and eternal.

    ...It was alright I guess.

    Ok great, now that I've got my English creative writing GCSE out the way, I can continue writing more garbage. Had a blast and a half exploring the monasteries, taking Meteora's meaty aura in my stride, flashing my erotic knees at some naughty nuns too. I think they promptly cast a curse on me though (or is that witches?), as I stepped right on a snake shortly after! I've come close to this disaster many times before, but it was a horrifying first to step ON a snake, its tail wrapping and writhing as we both floundered in an adrenaline-fuelled frenzy. But not to worry, I sucked the venom from my fang shaped wounds, bit the cheeky fucker back and was soon back on my way*.

    Honestly, there's too much else to cover from Meteora and Kalabaka, but I hope that gives you a good taste! Other highlights include: witnessing the slow setting sun with a few beers with hostel girls Manon, Sara and Frederica, greedying myself on Greek food: Souvlaki, Moussaka, Tzatziki (you name it), witnessing a flaming feud between two Greeks over spilled coffee in the coach station, and meeting chill asf German trekkers Nora and Hannah en route to Athens.

    Thanks again for tuning in, same time again tomorrow?

    *The snake did not actually bite me mum calm down (everyone else you can all put your party poppers away. 😤)    Read more

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