Off the Beaten

The small town of Jajce is a travelers hidden gem where the Pliva river plunges 21 meter down into the Vrbas river. Off the beaten track for western tourists, but popular with Bosnian visitors, Jajce’s fortified castle and old town sits above the delightful and powerful waterfall that are surrounded by the rising Balkan mountains.

Friday I arrived to the charming mountain town of Krusevo about 30 kilometers west of Prilep. Krusevo is known for old houses, a famous uprising against the Ottoman Turks, and the home town of the Late Tose Proeski, until his death he was the most popular Macedonian singer of the Balkans. Krusevo’s population is around Read more

I am at the house/pet-sitting situation here in Bulgaria, which I arrived on Wednesday, and the owners left on Friday. This area is a beautiful area of Bulgaria and very easy going with small villages dotted around the Central Balkan National Park. The house is about 15 kilometers from the town of Tryavna, I will Read more

I arrived in Kardamili last Friday. The Poet Homer, around 1200 BCE first mentioned Kardamili as one of the seven towns that Achilles was offered by Agamemnon as a dowry to settle the Trojan War. During that era, Kardamili was the main port for the city-state of Sparta along with Gythio. Local legend dictates that Read more

Last Monday, I took the bus from Iraklion to Anogia (Anoyia) into the Mountains of Crete. Anogia resides beneath the highest mountain peak of Crete. I experienced a wonderful welcome and received more than what I asked. It was slightly rainy riding into town, but the mountain area just above was covered with snow. If Read more

Amasya, a picturesque town that is located along the Yesilirmak river with mountains rising high above. The setting is spectacular, the compact narrow mountain valley produces an energy beyond compare. There are many picturesque Ottoman wooden houses that Amasya can boast and claim to be one of the most charming, delightful towns in Turkey.Dating back Read more

Ani is a site that is not as common as Palmyra in Syria, or Petra in Jordan, even so, the visit to Ani is a must if the traveler finds themselves in Kars. Residing 45 kilometers from Kars, the ruins of Ani sits on the border of Turkey and Armenia.A person on the street in Read more

The Castle at Musyaf is a castle in Syria that might not get much attention in the guidebooks or that you might hear much about. Nevertheless, this castle dominates the town of Musyaf and once a traveler takes the jaunt out to Musyaf, you will not be sorry you took the time to view this Read more