makai

Kotor is a short bus trip from Budva and is just spectacular. It sits on the northernmost point of a bay that stretches from near Budva almost to the Croatian border. Like Budva, there is a beautiful old town on the coast, but Kotor also has a fortress perched atop a mountain. Climbing to the fortress offers dramatic views of the city, the bay and the surrounding mountains. There were some brave locals near the top selling cold drinks. They must be in great shape hauling their coolers full of drinks up the mountain everyday. I hope they get a lot of customers to reward them for their efforts. ... read more

Belgrade is a very urban city. I find it to be quite a lot like most US cities--function over form. People seem to work hard and play hard. The city is famous for its nightlife and there are indeed so many restaurants open 24 hours and cafes and bars closing very late. But the city is also full of parks and has some nice historical sites. One of the best things about this city is that two rivers meet here, the Danube and the Sava. All along these rivers are barges that serve as restaurants or nightclubs. There are also islands that are recreation areas. One surprising thing is that the city has a botanical garden with a beautiful Japanese bridge and pond. There is also a Chinese market but it very much caters to Serbian ... read more

Went to see the magnificent ruins of Ephesus near the Aegean coast. I spent three hours exploring the great Greek/Roman city. Just when I thought I was done seeing everything, there was another large section to explore. The August heat was pretty intense but luckily there were many concession stands right outside to get a drink or ice cream.... read more

One word I can use to describe Turkey is ornate. From the delicate pastries in the shop windows, to the complex patterns of tiling, to the exquisite porcelain design, a tendency toward the ornate is reflected everywhere. There is a craft fair set up next to the Blue Mosque right now in anticipation of Ramadan that displays all kinds of craft items, including glass painting, porcelain and ceramics, reliefs, textiles, calligraphy, etc. Istanbul sits on the Bosphorus, which links the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea and joins the European and Asian parts of Istanbul. It's easy to find a boat cruise up and down the Bosphorus from the port at Eminonu. I found one for only ten lira ($7) although it left almost 30 minutes later than the scheduled time. What a bargain for ... read more

Haystacks, grazing cows, organic corn, fruit trees. Fields against a backdrop of mountains. Horse carts share the road with cars and both have to watch out for cows on the side of the road. We ate fruit straight from the trees and drank milk right after it came from the cow. ... read more