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Europe 2026
  • Pat Esler
  • Tracey Esler
  • Pat Esler
  • Tracey Esler

Europe 2026

A 64-day adventure by Pat & Tracey Read more
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  • Europe 2026
    Our first stop in Albania, in Korce, our driver's home town.
    Our first stop in Albania, in Korce, our driver's home town.2Korce has a very nice central area with a pedestrian mall.The view from our apartment in Tirana.Skanderbeg SquareBunk'Art 2Skanderbeg SquarePart of the view from our windowPublic World Cup fan area next to Skanderbeg SquareWe joined the nightly protest.

    Into Albania

    Jun 16–18 in Albania ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We travelled by private car from Meteora, Greece to Tirana, Albania, today. This saved us the time & hassle of backtracking all the way back to Athens (by bus) & flying from there to Tirana. We stopped in Korce for coffee & a wander - it used to be called "Little Paris" & it's a lovely city with heaps of trees & wide avenues.
    Without the step by step photos from our host we would have had no hope of finding our apartment. Chatting with an Aussie couple in the supermarket we discovered that this is normal in Albania.
    After settling into our apartment (and delightedly using the washing machine) We headed out to explore Tirana. We checked out Skanderbeg Square, Bunk'Art 2 Museum, the House of Leaves & the Cathedral before ending the day with dinner, at Panevino. Tirana has a number of gf options within easy walk of us, an improvement on Turkey & Greece. But you have to be careful, even at the good restaurants. Panevino served my gf dessert on a bed of glutenous crumble. Luckily I asked the question.
    Our nightly stroll in Tirana was very eventful. We found ourselves engulfed firstly by the World Cup soccer fans and then by the huge nightly protests occurring in Tirana at present. Our fingers are crossed for the people here, who have already suffered so much.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    The drive up, very narrow roads and some extremely erratic drivers
    The drive up, very narrow roads and some extremely erratic drivers1There PassView down to Theth valley2View from our bedroom window at the Alpet hotel2On the way to Grunas WaterfallThe water colour!Rustic scenes on the way to the waterfallGrunas (aka Thethi's) Waterfall. Quite a steep rocky scramble for the last few 100s of mts6Dinner at AlpetAlpet dining roomThe start of the hike to Theth Blue EyeArriving at a beautiful area close to the Blue EyeThe Blue Eye15Cafe on the track near Blue Eye

    Theth

    Jun 18–19 in Albania ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    We caught the bus out to the airport to pick up our hire car. We are going on an eleven day road trip.
    Our first stop is Theth, a picturesque spot in the Accursed Mountains (Albanian Alps). If you say Theth too many times in a conversation you thtart to lithp.
    Theth ith only 155km from the airport but takes at least 3.5 hours. The last 50km is a very narrow winding mountain road. The mountain scenery is amazing.
    After checking in to our hotel we walked to the Grunas Waterfall.
    Dinner outside (grilled chicken, whole trout) was very nice with a beautiful view of the mountains.
    The next morning we did the hike out to the Blue Eye before driving to Koman with a small detour to see the Mesi Bridge, an Ottoman-era stone bridge.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    The Ottoman-era Mesi Bridge.
    The Ottoman-era Mesi Bridge.Apparently the cow stands on the bridge to get the breeze on hot days.Dinner at Koman ( gf pasta available- amazing)Koman ferry, over 60 boats in this areaA bit squeezyChaosLake Komani ferry to Fierze1From the ferryHunting for wild strawberries2Chestnut Hill home grown fresh &grilled vegetables, pickled vegetables, local feta & cousins steak.The drive up to our guesthouse is through a forest of chestnut trees.We share the road with very relaxed goats, dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, cows and chooks.Valbona RiverStorm over Valbona Alps, luckily as we were enjoying lunchThere were about a dozen horses wandering on and off the road & calmly using the footpath in Valbona

    Koman to Valbona

    Jun 19–21 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We had driven to Koman to catch a ferry along Lake Komani the next morning. On the way to Koman we took a small detour to see the Ottoman-era Mesi Bridge. Much of the road to Koman was newly reconstructed.
    The ferry loading area was crazy busy and chaotic. The ferry was crowded, slow, and had no shade.
    The ferry took us to Fierze, where we had coffee and a snack at the very nice Hotel Diamant overlooking the Valbona River.
    After a quick stop in Bajram Curri for some groceries we made our way up the side of a mountain to Chestnut Hill guesthouse.
    We were greeted by Geri who was a great host for our two night stay there.
    The next day we went for a drive up the very picturesque Valbona Valley.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    1Pat considering life in the Sufi monastery
    1Pat considering life in the Sufi monastery12Manastiri i DeçanitKosovan hospitality! Our coffee was free.Kosova is impressive compared to Albanian

    Kosova

    June 22 in Kosovo ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Our route from the east side of the Albanian Alps to northern Montenegro took us through Kosovo. At the border crossing the Albanian booth was unattended and the Kosovan official just waved us through!
    Once we entered Kosovo we were struck by the well-maintained appearance of everything, unlike Albania.
    We visited the Monastery Visoki Decani. It is a very important site for the Serbian Orthodox church, and is guarded by NATO troops!
    After the monastery visit we stopped at a small neighbourhood coffee joint. Blokes smoking, but... We had 2 nice cappuccinos & because we were tourists, they were free. Kosovan hospitality!
    We had a few things we wanted to see on our quick trip through Kosovo, but we had a long way to go, and when we got stuck in a traffic jam in Peja trying to get to an ATM we decided to just head for the border. Heading up the winding mountain road towards the border we passed an accident scene involving a Porche and another car.
    Once in Montenegro we drove through beautiful alpine forests of mainly conifers.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Ethno restaurant, our first stop in Montenegro
    Ethno restaurant, our first stop in MontenegroEthno restaurantNorth-east Montenegro3Black Lake Walk, Durmitor NP1View back towards ZabljakDurmitor ring road2Curevac point walkDurmitor ring roadDurmitor ring roadDurmitor ring roadNo, not seeing double. The road along Piva Dam is amazing- the scenery, the tunnels and bridges.Piva River. Northern Montenegro

    Zabljak, Durmitor NP

    Jun 22–23 in Montenegro ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Once we had crossed into Montenegro we stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the mountains, then continued to Zabljak, the main town in the Durmitor National Park area. The next morning we went out to do the walk around Black Lake which is beautiful, and anything but black.
    After another hike up to the Curevac lookout, we drove along the north side of the Durmitor Ring scenic route. This is a very narrow scenic road. Whenever you encounter an oncoming vehicle you have to slow right down (from your max 30kph!), move over and hold your breath as the rear view mirrors almost hit. Sometimes one vehicle has to back up to a wider section.
    We had booked a river rafting tour on the Tara River, and we were heading for the Waterfall Rafting Centre to stay the night in a cabin.
    After we left the Durmitor Ring road we took a slight detour into Pluzine to get cash (needed to pay for the rafting) and petrol, then headed north along the Piva River canyon. This is quite a good road and very scenic, with many tunnels through the rock, often sharply curving.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Our cabin at the Waterfall Rafting Headquarters on Piva River
    Our cabin at the Waterfall Rafting Headquarters on Piva River1Waterfall Rafting CentrePiva RiverLaunching the rafts on the Tara RiverFrom our rest stop about half way.2Our first white water rafting was fun!

    Tara River Rafting

    Jun 23–24 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    We didn't really know where the Waterfall Rafting Centre was, but as you drive north along the Piva River canyon you can't miss the sign on the road, so we turned off the road down a rough stony track.
    After about 1.5km we came to a parking area and a steep stepped track to a building we could see below by the river. The vehicular track was blocked by a chain at that point, so Pat left Tracey, the car and the luggage and walked down and got the ok to drive down to drop the luggage at our cabin.
    Driving back up the track to the parking area, the hire car started to make a very disturbing screeching noise. Unable to see any obvious cause, Pat decided to walk back up with Tracey in the morning to investigate before deciding what to do next. Although we had paid the hire company's full insurance which included roadside assistance (22€/day, not a hard decision to make in the Balkans), and had permission (+50€) to drive into Montenegro, we were a long way from Tirana and down an unauthorised gravel track. Happily when we walked up to investigate in the morning the noise had fixed itself. Whew!
    The Waterfall Rafting Centre is all on its own in a beautiful shady clearing next to the Piva River, with a small waterfall right across the river. The cabins are small but adequate. The off grid power stops at midnight.
    After we checked in and got settled into our cabin, we sat outside to sip our complimentary firewater. Pamela, an American woman travelling with her two young children, joined us for a long chat.
    Waterfall runs on a very late schedule, with dinner supposed to be at 8, changed to 9, actually 9:30, and breakfast from 9:00, and rafting briefing and equipping (wetsuits, boots, helmets) at 11.
    We were driven about 20km to Brstanovica where we launched the rafts. The guide in our raft was a Serb called Lazar, the lead rafting guide who had studied law but chose to work as a rafting guide, and had rafted all over the world. The other four people on our raft were an American family (very anti Trump).
    We travelled about 13km down the beautiful Tara River, with crystal clear blue water, steep forest-covered hills on both sides, and went through numerous grade 2-3 rapids. It was beautiful and great fun.
    After a very late (~3:30) lunch we hit the road for Kotor.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Manning the guard tower on the city wallsThe Sea GateST Tryphans Catholic CathedralReliquaries- a bit macabreBeautiful old books in the cathedral's attached museumPorto Montenegro, home base for the yacht crowd.2

    Kotor Montenegro

    Jun 25–29 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    A four day stop to recuperate and have a look at Old Town Kotor and surrounds.

  • Europe 2026
    2Jazz Beach on Sunday on a heatwave.
    2Jazz Beach on Sunday on a heatwave.3Sveti Stefan IslandPat, enjoying a well earned beer at Hotel Muja Tirana airport.

    Back to Albania

    June 28 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    After a few restful days in our apartment near Kotor we are on our way to Budapest. Today we drove to a hotel near Tirana International (Mother Teresa) Airport. In the morning we fly to Budapest. The record-shattering heat dome has made it to the Balkans, and the outside temp was 37 for much of the drive, reaching 39.5 at one point.
    The hire car, a Seat Arona, is very basic but the air con works well enough.
    It was about a four hour drive, stopping at a few viewpoints along the Montenegrin coast, and about a thirty minute crawl through the border crossing.
    Now in our very nice, newly renovated room at Hotel Muja near the airport (75€, 7100LEK).    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Andrassy Avenue
    Andrassy AvenueFIFA World Cup againOur apartment. Old building but renovated inside.Great statues around the CityOpera HouseScraffitti ?Heroes Square, still in Andeassy AvenueVajdahunyad CastleVajdahunyad Castle11Sandor, nobleman and philanthropistAnonymous, ancient historian12St Stephens Basilica5Scruffins, brownies, carrot cake and coffee2

    Budapest Part 1

    Jun 29–30 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    Our flight from Tirana to Budapest was memorable only for its queues and crushes. Tirana, even at 6.30am, was crowded and chaotic - a disorganised crush for an hour at the Ryanair bag drop plus normal queuing at passport and security.
    At Liszt airport, Budapest, we queued for an hour and a half to clear passport control, even though we had previously entered the EU & been fingerprinted and eye scanned. They needed separate queues, working passport machines and officers who didn't spend half their time chatting.
    Fortunately, when we finally exited the airport, a lovely young lady in a nice cool car met us within a few minutes and whisked us into Budapest to our comfortable, central apartment. First appearances were slightly shocking - damaged entry doors, common areas a bit grotty and the central courtyard in the midst of what appears to be a neighbourhood rubbish collection. The apartment itself though has a good feel and is v well set up. After the worst of the heat had lifted, about 7pm, we headed out for a local reccy and some supplies from the supermarket & pharmacy.
    Our first full day in B, saw us sightseeing by 7am, (30°). (The apartment is in District V, where all the main old city buildings are). Budapest is a grand old city, with an abundance of beautiful and stately buildings and avenues, such as Vajdahunyad Castle, St Stephens's Basilica, the Opera House, Andrassy Avenue & Heroes Square. This is all on the "Pest" side.
    After a lunchtime haircut and an afternoon rest, we found an excellent gluten free Mexican restaurant for dinner. The gluten free options here are much better than anywhere else we have travelled this trip,.
    Tomorrow, we cross the Danube and do the " Buda" side.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Chain BridgeHoly Trinity SquareParisi PassageParliament1Our young English friends, med student Ben & sister and girlfriend, Fyla & Isle"The Shoes"

    Budapest Part 2

    Jul 1–3 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Another very warm day and another early start . We headed, via free for senior citizens, public transport, to Holy Trinity Square, probably the prime spot in Budapest. The 13th cent, Catholic Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle, aka St Matthias, and the Fisherman's Bastion are big magnificent structures and, up on the hill, provide panoramic views back over the Danube to the Hungarian Parliament building and "Pest". The church was heavily renovated in the 19th cent.
    Back over the river we wandered the old city, visited Parisi Passage and dropped in on our bike shop to finalise arrangements for picking up the bikes tomorrow afternoon.
    After an afternoon rest, we joined a Danube night cruise and took in the spectacular riverfront of Budapest.
    "The Shoes" is a monument to the Jewish people who, during WWII, were dragged from their homes, ordered to take off their shoes and shot into the river.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    2Leaving our apartment in Budapest
    2Leaving our apartment in BudapestLeaving Budapest via Margaret IslandSzentendre2Coffee in SzentendreSunflowersLast remaining Triumphal Arch in Hungary, at VacVac Cathedral - choir practice in progressVac town square

    Budapest to Vác

    July 3 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We had picked our rental bikes up the previous day so we could get an early start, although thankfully the heatwave has passed. Quite good quality KTM touring bikes, but heavy. We got an eBike for Tracey so she can lead Pat into the headwinds. The ebike, plus rack, lock and panniers probably weighs 40kg!
    The exit from Budapest went pretty well as we rode past the back of the amazing Parliament building, across the bridge and along Margaret Island, then across to the west bank of the Danube.
    The last part of the ride involved a ferry across to Vác and our very good accommodation for the night. Burgers and chips (gf for Tracey) at a nearby restaurant full of motorbikes.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Leaving Csillag Panzio, Vac. Ready for another day!
    Leaving Csillag Panzio, Vac. Ready for another day!Visegrad Castle on top of the hill.Border of Magyarország (Hungary) and Slovakia.Arriving at Esztergom.

    Vác to Esztergom

    July 4 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After the best scrambled eggs, almost ever, we hit the road. A good ride today along the Danube and through the Danube bend. Our ride took us into Slovakia and back out again before we arrived in Esztergom. Our accom at Meditteraneo Luxury rooms was very nice and the breakfast excellent.Read more

  • Europe 2026

    Esztergom

    Jul 4–5 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    A very picturesque town with a really really big Basilica on top of a hill. The pictures speak for themselves but the history and resulting old buildings are quite amazing in these relatively small towns. Esztergom was the first capitol of Hungary but its population now is under 30,000.Read more

  • Europe 2026
    On the road
    On the roadSunflowersWith 20km of radweg on busy roads, 20km of train was a good optionAnd what a cute train, although a challenge getting the heavy e-bike in.St Andrews Basilica, KomarnoSt Andrews Basilica, KomarnoKomarno MuseumThe Courtyard of Europe, display of ~40 different trad housing structures from around EuropeCourtyard of EuropeC of EC of EC of EC of EKomano Central plaza

    Esztergom to Komarno

    July 5 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    As we travel closer to Vienna, the path seems to become safer and better, but today, it included a 20km section on a busy road. Although not a unanimous decision, we took a train for the exact section of 20km. The only hitch was that the tiny rural stations we boarded and alighted at had no platforms. This entailed lifting the ginormous bike up into the train. Pat and the station "manager" managed very well.Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Leaving the Litove. Pension ,Komano
    Leaving the Litove. Pension ,KomanoNew Irish friends, Chris & DonnaNew Irish friends, Chris & DonnaUnique Boutique, GyorTerracotta warriors exhibitionMain city squareBishops PalaceBasilicaBasilica was beautiful insideOls roovesKaroly in front of the Carmelite Church

    Komarno to Gyor

    Jul 6–7 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Good ride to Gyor.
    Had a liovely catch up coffee with Irish couple half way along the path
    What can one say when every little city/town exceeds expectations. Gyor is gorgeous.

  • Europe 2026
    Good paths past sunflowers.
    Good paths past sunflowers.We stopped for coffee across from Masonmagyarovar castle.Arriving in Bratislava over the Old Bridge.The view from our apartment window.Our apartment window is right above Macca's

    Gyor to Bratislava

    July 7 in Slovakia ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    Although the largely rural path was good and the fields of sunflowers pretty, it was a tough 76km into a hot headwind.
    Our apartment in Bratislava is right in the centre of town. As is common in the old parts, access was convoluted and the lift very squeezey.
    The Incident of the Stolen Ebike
    Pat took the front wheels off both bikes and the battery off mine and managed to squeeze his bike into the lift. Using both big heavy bike locks, we double locked the remains of my ebike to a metal rail inside the outer locked doors of the building. You'd think this would make it pretty unattractive, but you'd be wrong. Pat went out to the shops early, about 8am, and the bike was gone. But the gods must have been smiling on us because a man (we don't know who or why) was waiting to tell him that the bike had been found in the square in front of McDonald's and the police had it. We headed down to the police station, about 500mt away, & after about an hour of waiting around and form filling, we got the bike back! The Police seemed quite amused when they discovered that we had the missing wheel and battery and the bike was in near perfect workng order.
    The theme for this bike ride seems to have been beautiful architecture and Bratislava didn't disappoint. Big and impressive buildings were everywhere you looked. There were quite a number of grand squares and the castle was extensive & exceptionally well maintained.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    Farewell Bratislava (around 7.30am)
    Farewell Bratislava (around 7.30am)Good bike paths.BratwurstHello ViennaBikes returned, luggage retrieved.St Stephen's CathedralSt StephensThe HofburgDemel, historic Cafe and cake shop in Central Vienna, est 1789Coffee and cake at Demel ($54)Classic old buildingCafe Demel, crepe artist at work - I though it looked more like bread puddingGf options tooHofburgLots of horse & carriages, stylish old cars & Viennese "tuk tuks" available for hireArchduke Karl, Heldenplatz (10 tons on 2 hooves) 1860. Rathaus in backgrdMaria Theresien PlatzVienna's Natural History MuseumVienna tramVotive ChurchParliament building

    Bratislava to Vienna

    July 9 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After another long ride into a very strong headwind, we finished our ride from Budapest to Vienna at around 2pm and handed the bikes in to the hire company, which is in Innere Stadt, very close to our accommodation. At least today, the temperatures stayed pleasant, but it was a slog.
    Vienna is a confection. It's breathtaking to wander around the beautiful squares filled with statues, monuments & stunning buildings in many architectural styles. And there is no shortage of real confectionary either. We enjoyed revisiting this stunning city, even if it was only for a day.
    One thing I really like about Vienna is their public housing policy. Because they've retained and continue to invest in a significant public housing stock, there is very little homelessness, comparatively.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    On the cog & pinion railway.
    On the cog & pinion railway.The next morning was wet and foggy.Grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras (€50/day just to park near it)The hike up to Popradské PlesoOn the way to Popradske PlesoAt Popradské PlesoReturning to Strbske PlesoLocal boat, Strba Tarn

    Strbske Pleso

    Jul 11–15 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We had a few days to spare before we head home, so we decided to go to the High Tatras in northern Slovakia for four nights. About a five hour train journey from Vienna, including the last 5km on a steep mountain track railway.
    Our first day happened to be a wet one, so we used it to catch up on housekeeping matters.
    DAY 2 saw us hiking, over 11km, up to a mountain tarn. It was a beautiful spot with views up to the Polish border high on the Ridge. Of course, being Europe, beside the lake was a beautiful timber restaurant.    Read more

  • Europe 2026

    Flughafen Wien

    Jul 15–16 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Trains seem to be regularly running late, perhaps it's the heat. We only had five minutes to make our connection in Bratislava, which was always unlikely. The Strba to Brat train was about 15 minutes late, so we had an hour to kill at the station.
    We had 23 minutes to make our connection at Wien HBF, but the Brat to Wien train, only a 50 minute trip, was also late by about 15 minutes, so, to avoid another hour at a station, the memorable feature of today's journey was the "200 Meter Bahnsteig Sprint mit Gepäck", with Pat winning by a good margin. Sadly Tracey was too close behind for Pat to grab a photo of Tracey running with the Samsonite trailing behind.
    A night at the Moxy airport hotel before tomorrow's flight to Istanbul.    Read more

  • Europe 2026
    GF (🤞) chicken curry and a burger
    GF (🤞) chicken curry and a burgerA shopping mall near our hotel

    Sabiha Gökçen Airport İstanbul

    Jul 16–17 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Our Ajet flight was an hour late leaving Vienna, with a plane full of people just waiting at the gate with no information provided.
    The path through SAW airport was quick and painless and we beat our luggage to the carousel by about 10 minutes.
    We caught a public bus to our hotel (Miracle Istanbul Asia), paying the 60 lira each (~$1.80) by tapping a credit card in the bus.
    We had a nice meal at the restaurant next to the hotel, which was also a hookah lounge.    Read more

  • Trip end
    July 21, 2026