Gyumri, the surprise of my trip
Places that aren’t on the itinerary are often the most surprising. While I was in Armenia, fighting broke out on the border with Azerbaijan, which caused me to change my plans. On a recommendation from someone in the hostel I decided to go to Gyumri, Armenia’s second biggest city. I…
6 unique things in Armenia
There are always certain things that stick out when you first arrive in a new place. Some places have this more than others. In Armenia I was presented with a whole new world. Everything was so different from home, and yet other things so similar. Even the language and script…
12 days in Armenia
Food and places I’ll never forget My Lonely Planet of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan had been sitting on my shelf for a few years. During the pandemic I’d traveled, but only within Europe, staying close to home. Although Europe has so many amazing places to explore, I wanted something different.…
Bleisure trip to Istanbul
It’s not a popular thing to say, but my first visit to Istanbul didn’t leave me raving about the city like many other people do. I finished a tour there, with 1,5 days to explore the main sights. Although Hagia Sophia and the Blue mosque were impressive, I had felt…
Hiking through Armenia’s Dilijan National Park
At 6.30AM I walked through the empty streets of Yerevan on a Sunday morning. There were only a few joggers and the odd cyclist. Everyone else was still asleep. But today I had plans: a group hiking trip to the Dilijan National Park. When I reached the meeting point I…
3 short hikes in the Dilijan National Park
I loved spending some time in the Dilijan National Park. The views were just incredible, whether it was from the town of Dilijan, from the drives around there or from the hikes I did. Although there are many day trips from Yerevan, this place deserves a bit more time, especially…
What about Vlorë?
My friend and I were planning our trip to Albania. We needed some beach time, but the popular beaches like Sarande were a little too far for our liking. With the short time we had, we needed something a bit closer to the capital. What about Vlorë? Vlorë? Vlora? What’s…
First impressions in Albania
My first day in Tirana was not exactly what I’d expected. I’d arrived after midnight the night before and the hostel had an interesting ‘room’ that was somehow connected to the rest of the space without a proper wall. So the 10 bed dorm could hear all the noise from…
Berat: a moment of beauty and peace
Taking public transport in Albania takes time. Our bus didn’t leave on time, so we arrived in the late afternoon at the bus station, just outside of the city. However, the ride from Tirana to Berat was pretty smooth. Minutes after arriving a local bus arrived. My friend and I…
The Spreewald by water
It seems like I end up in the Spreewald once every summer, but never had I explored it on the water. When my team was planning a day out, I took the lead and booked some canoes. It was the last week of August and after some really hot weather,…