PLAN, last update 2012/05/01

Hi,

Not so much travel so not so much to post here since I have started my working life... But keep posted... Things can always change ;)

In the meantime, I wish the blog might still help you traveling. I will still be available for any question!

Cheers,
Simon


Friday, June 27, 2008

MACEDONIA - KOSOVO - BOSNIA - SERBIA - HUNGARY - SLOVENIA

Here we go for a trip of 3 weeeks through Central Europe... Bye bye Istanbul...






First step Skopje, Macedonia... The first day, visit of the city by bike!


The bridge above and the main square below...


The ottoman area, left from the Turkish invasion...






Below, the cross at the top of the hill, it will be my target for the day after...
After a walk of few hours, here it is...and the view is wonderfull !!!
Skopje...







I spent almost 3 days in Skopje where I had a great time to begin the trip...Next step: Kosovo, the place I am in haste to visit !!!


Skenderberg, The Legend of Albania (...and hence Kosovo) who fought against the turkish 500 hundreds years ago!



People missing after the war...




The main street...









Here, the safe keepers are every where (NATO, United Nation, KAFOR)..You can find those flag everywhere: from left to right, Albania, USA, Kosovo, Europe, France and Italy...


The second day, I went to Mitrovica... the famous city with its bridge: Serbians on the North, Albanians on the South... Place of fights few months ago about the Independance...










On the road, we can see some graveyards remembering the war...



I met some nice people, who explained me the story of their country and made me eat the best food of Pristina !!!



Here is "NEW BORN", the monument of the Independance of Kosovo!
As a new country they have to promote themselves... Not difficult to find a flag, or a T-shirt of the country...


I spend 3 wonderfull days in Kosovo... This is an amazing country wixh I like so much! People are incredibly friendly and beyond that, most of them speak few words in English !!!
The next step was Sarajevo... A bit difficult to get... Indeed, to get Bosnia, buses are running through Serbia... Problem for a foreigner: Serbia doesn't recognize Kosovo, so no stamp on your passport when you get in... Hence, you cannot get out !!!! So, I had to pass through Montenegro: one bus to Podgorica then another one to Sarajevo!
This way made me discover the canyons of Moraca which are awesome!!! I got Sarajevo after spending my night between buses and waiting at the bus station!
Sarajevo...

















I stayed there 2 days! Sarajevo is not big... There is a old nice city center where church and mosques are close to each other... It creates an interesting mix of religion... Actually, from Macedonia to there, I could see that in every cities, a mix of Mosques and Churchs... Interesting!
Then, I took a bus by night (as usual !!) to Belgrad, Serbia...








The pedestrian street...

The Danube...




I stayed there two days... Unfortunatelly, I didn't find any local to understand better the story of this country si I just walked around the city... Anyway, the city is nice and have a lot of thing to see...
I took then a train to Budapest, Hungary... I didn't plan this city, but long time agoo I wanted to go there and seing that it was not that far, I decided to go there...















The Danube...

















Budapest is a very beautifull city... Good to spend a weekend there! A lot of monuments, statues and building very styly!
I took then a train (by day this time) to get Slovenia, to meet Maja, a friend I met in Istanbul! I had a wonderfull musical stop! Between Ljubjana and Portoroz (Slovenian coast), I discovered a small country very beautifull...


Ljubjana...






















Iliked very much Ljubjana, small capitale city on the Ljubjanska... Quiet, colourfull, a pleasure!!!
Then, Maja took me to the coast, her hometown, for 3 nice days on the mediterenean side, where I felt really on holiday!!! Visits, beach, and some nice nights :)...

Majaaaaaaaa....



The salt plants...

Matja, salt planner (probably not the right name :) ), made me an interesting visit...




Portoroz...
Piran...









Thank you again Maja!
Here was my last step abroad, after one year in Istanbul and all over the eastern Europe and the mid east... I hope this wonderfull experience was only a beginning...

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Anonymous said...

mitrovica is the best<3 i am from mitrovica and its very beautiful<33 you can do anything




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