balkangroup

We have been traveling and seeing so much and have not had computer access, so wanted to jot a quick note to let you all know we are well. We are at the end of our jumping from place to place every two days and are in Athens waiting for a bus to get on the boat. A week of relaxation is in order after the bustle of the last couple weeks. For those of you wondering about the hiking, backpacking parts that we haven't written about... we've hiked mountains and more mountains and more stairs than are in the whole city of Green Bay (that's what it feels like sometimes :) ) Marina, we will write a great review when we return to the states. As for the missing undergarment we have several options for ... read more

Itś the end of another wonderful day. More breathtaking scenery and sunny skies. It was close to 90 today, but we did not notice it much as there was shade and a breeze. The locals are complaining about the humidity, but they obviously do not know humidity. Kristie has admitted that this is worth the flight and said that Door County is now ruined for her. That gives you an idea of how gorgeous it all is. Mountains overlooking the sea and at times it is similar to fjiords. Eileen and Margaret took a boat to a man made island with an Orthodox church, while the rest of us rested and had refreshments. I asked our tour driver about the wildlife and as he spoke very little English I had to use sign language and sounds. ... read more

We arrived in Montenegro after a 12 hour bus trip. The scenery was breathtaking! Our car would be yammering away when we went through a tunnel and would be instantly silent when we popped out and saw the view. Each curve is more beautiful than the next and just when you are sure it can;t get any better, it does! (Excuse the punctuation this keyboard is nuts LOL) We stayed in a little hotel across the creek from the beach, that we finally got to after much craziness. We went to the beach, went swimming in what one of us called the Arctic Sea - it really wasnt all that bad! Yesterday we took a bus to Budva and are staying at Hippo Hostel. We are waiting on a bus for a day trip to Kotor ... read more

How do we even begin to sum up the last 2 days...The flights were uneventful and Kristie did pretty well all things considering, although there may be some residual minor brain damage due to her forgetting to breath and Peg's hand is sore from being squeezed so often. For a time we thought that Rome would become the journey for the most expensive ice cream ever. It was clearly obvious that none of us understood subways and public transit. We found the train, which was 30 minutes late, and got into Rome fairly easily, then walked a maze of tunnels to get the Metro. We ended up going in the wrong direction, but with the route well marked near the door we rather assumed it was a loop or would simply reverse and head in the ... read more

Well, Friday caught me drinking pivo, which means beer in Croatian (an important word to know,) along with 2 others in our traveling group. The conversation turned to packing and how to do it "light". Margaret has an advantage as she is a sailer and has this down to a science. Peg and I on the other hand, typically bring a large suitcase and a carryon bag whenever we leave the state and find we don't touch half of it. I decided I needed a distraction from my hangover Saturday (too many pivos!) grabbed my pack and started filling it. Everything fits! Some room left over! Now, all advise says to take out half and leave it home. Can I really get by with no pajamas, 2 pairs of panties and no swimsuit? Not gonna happen ... read more