Tag Archives: Balkans
Travelling By Train Across The Balkans – ‘No Beards’
To set the scene, my book chronicles my travels around the Balkans with my regular travel buddy called Hamish. Albania had always been a mystical place to us, Europe’s outcast being neither east nor west. During our teenage years we used to try and get information about the place, but in those Internet free days […]
Travelling By Train Across The Balkans – A Short Passage From Montenegro
To set the scene, Hamish and I had taken a taxi from Northern Albania into Bar in Montenegro, before catching a train to the Montenegrin capital……… Our arrival at Podgerica signalled our last train journey on this Balkan trip; it was buses only from now on sadly. First stop Kotor, situated on the Balkan’s largest […]
Travelling By Train Across The Balkans – Book Extract, A Bum Note
This extract follows on from our ejection under armed guard from Yugoslavia in 1987 (click YUGOSLAVIA for this part of the notorious night). So we found ourselves back in Austria at a small border station called Spielfeldstrass…… The backdoor to the station was locked – oh no, you don’t say, surely not……… Thankfully the front door […]
The Balkans – Europe’s Forgotten Frontier.
The above is the title for a two part BBC production hosted by Europe correspondent Katya Adler. The two part series visits Croatia, Romania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo & Serbia and focuses on the divisions that still remain there, the extraordinary beauty of the region and the battle for influence there between the EU, […]
Euro 24 Match Day 12 – Denmark v Serbia
The Danes take on the Serbs in Munich with everything to play for in Group C Denmark My first ever visit to Denmark was in 1992. We took a train from Paris which fabulously boarded a ferry at Puttgarten in Germany to Rødby on the Danish islands of Lolland. We crossed several amazing bridges as […]
Euro 24 Match Day 12 – Slovenia v England
England have already qualified for the knock out stages but can they start justifying themselves as genuine contenders? Slovenia The Adriatic coast city of Piran is well worth a visit. It can be done as a bus day trip from Ljubljana. England There are many beautiful cathedrals in England. Winchester, Durham, York, Lincoln, Gloucester, St […]
Euro 24 Match Day 11 – Albania v Spain
Spain have already qualified and play footballing minnows Albania who have just secured their first ever tournament finals point. Albania Back in 2007 there was a small but fun network of trains in Albania. I took two from the now defunct Tirana Station, to Durres on the coast and north to Skhodra as we made […]
Euro 24 Match Day 7 – Slovenia v Serbia
The group underdogs meet in Munich. Formerly both part of Yugoslavia, it was Slovenia’s independence declaration in 1991 that set in motion the Yugoslav war and subsequent country break up. Slovenia Capital Ljubljana is a great place to visit for a short break. The River Ljubljanica runs through it with three particularly attractive bridges – […]
Tuesday Train – Bar in Montenegro
In 2007 we travelled from Albania into the Montenegrin border town of Bar, from where we took a train to the capital Podgorica. Bar had a beautifully situated train station surrounded by the mountains that give the country its name. I have travelled extensively by train across the Balkans. You can read about some of […]
Tuesday Train – Kosovo
This picture is taken in 2017 at Hani I Elezit at the end of the then only operating train in Kosovo from Pristina close to the border with North Macedonia. You can read about my time in Pristina and the train journey I undertook at this link. If this whets your appetite, you can read […]
