World traveller of 32 countries, eternal optimist, Registered Dietitian in Canada & Australia, Bikram Yoga Instructor and lover of all things food & nutrition.
These three countries, which use to belong to one big country, intrigued me the most out of all those we visited in Eastern Europe.
For a region travelled so little by foreigners and even less by neighbouring locals (since the civil war) its amazing how quickly you find yourself becoming intrigued by the past, present and future of this former Yugoslavia.
The buildings are old, grey and are completely unappealing to the eye however, there is something unique about the history within this region that forces you to pull back the outer layer and look beneath.
Probably the most unique thing about this region is that the most recent civil world occurred within this region, as well as, a tear provoking genocide.
Our time within these three fascinating countries was spent piecing together the events of the break up of Yugoslavia and the how the civil war came to be. We spent at least a solid day in each country, or more, visiting museums or photography exhibitions trying to piece it all together. It was a very valuable experience to have the chance to travel throughout each of these three countries and see the perspective from each newly founded nationality. We were also blessed with the gift of making new friends and meeting old friends upon each stop, which allowed us to ask important questions to fill in the blanks in our knowledge of this regions history and compile more.
We had the pleasure of skiing in Sarajevo, attending the Women's European Hand Ball Championships in Belgrade and hiking to the highest cross in the world in Skopje. We once again stuffed our faces with local cuisine and local pints of beer at every stop. As Christmas fast approached we made our way to Macedonia to connect with some travel friends of Liam's, Toshe and Marija, whom we got to spend Christmas with.
Liam and I arrived in Macedonia just before Christmas completely unaware that our friends, whom we had come to spend Christmas with, were actually Orthodox Christians and therefore celebrate Christmas on alternate days. Nevertheless, they welcomed us with open arms and made our Christmas away from home extremely special. The two of them combined spent almost every spare moment they had away from work with us. Whether it was visiting local pubs for stomach wrenching rakia, inviting us into their family home for a feast fit for kings, or coming by to relax with us over a movie. They ensured they we never felt home sick during this special time of year and showed us a level of kindness we will remember forever.
See you again one day Toshe and Marija, hopefully sooner than later
Much love L & L
Serbia
Liam enjoying the first snowfall of the season
Church outside our window in Belgrade, Serbia
First local beer in Belgrade, Serbia
Love.
Exploring the castle in Belgrade, Serbia
Exploring Belgrade, Serbia
Best goulash we've ever had! At '? Cafe' in Belgrade, Serbia
New friends. Red Door Hostel Belgrade, Serbia
Women's European Handball championships in Belgrade, Serbia
Our eerie approach to the museum in Belgrade, Serbia
Bosnia
Heading to the museum in Sarajevo, Bosnia
The bridge where Franz Ferdinand was killed which triggered WW1
Liam and I enjoying the fresh snow
Myself, Liam and Cameron eating lunch at the ski hill
One of the mountains in Sarejevo, Bosnia
Eating Borek in Sarajevo, Bosnia
Drinks with new friends in Sarajevo, Bosnia
Macedonia
Exploring Skopjie, Macedonia
Alexander the Great in the Skopjie square
View of Skopjie on our hike to the cross
Arriving at the top of the mountain
View of the cross on the gondola ride down
Lunch at Toshe's family home on Christmas Eve
Feast for Kings prepared by Toshe's mother
Christmas dinner with great friends. Toshe, Marija, Liam and Myself.
Everyone fantasizes about travelling to one of those romantic cities in Europe. Whether it's Prague, Venice, Paris or Rome, we are all guilty of day dreaming of walking the cobble streets, drinking cappuccinos in cute local cafes and chowing down on tasty pastries or sweets in side bakeries. For me, my dream city of romance was always Vienna. Oh, Vienna. There is a song by Billy Joel called Vienna, which I've listened to over 1000 times in the last few years. I'd close my eyes and imagine what the streets would look like, how the food would taste and who I'd be examining the beautiful ancient architecture with. Coming to Vienna was not in my original travel plan but I absolutely loved every second I spend in there.
Upon arriving in Vienna Liam and I were greeted by my friend Clemens' amazing girl friend Christina. Clemens and I met while travelling in Malaysia. We spent a week together on the Perhentian Islands which are located on the North Eastern coast. Thus, when I found out Liam and I would be travelling to Vienna I immediately messaged Clemens to ensure we could at least share a beer together while we were in town. To our surprise Clemens was willing to host us while we were in town.
The three of us (Christina, Liam and I) then ventured back to Clemen's flat, dropped off our bags and began our Vienna adventure. During our time in Vienna we actively tired to see as much as possible in four days; we visited many of the major sites, dined on sausages and schnitzel, watched 'Argo' in an old cinema, went a going away party, hit up a few local clubs, drank a gallon of beer each (in one night), and visited numerous local Christmas markets. Vienna was an absolutely breathtaking city in the winter and I vow to go back in the spring or summer one year.
Although Vienna has and always will hold a special place in my heart, it was our time spent with Clemens and Christina that really made our time there so precious. It was great to have the opportunity to re-connect with a travel friend in his home country, meet his beautiful girlfriend and share many laughs that left us all in stitches. Thank you SO SO much Clemens and Christina for your generosity and the time you spent with us.
Austria
Christmas trolley in Vienna
Love even comes in the form of waffles! At one of the Christmas markets in Vienna
Street art on the streets of Vienna
I got beers em my pockets
My first beer in Austria
Liam, myself, Christina and Clemens at the Christmas market by the castle in Vienna
Walking the streets of Vienna Christina and Clemens
Sharing good times over beers at a local pub
Myself with the Austrian singer Tanz Baby. Check out his video up top.
Czech Republic
After we left Vienna we headed up to Prague. Another one of those dream cities. Prague is equally as beautiful and has a strong romantic charm to it. In Prague we did mostly the same activities, saw many similar sites, ate many similar foods however the only difference was there was two of us and not four.
In addition to seeing castles, churches and stuffing our faces with local beers and meats at Christmas markets, I also got the chance to finally work off some of those European calories that have accumulated. Prague has a great Bikram studio located in the heart of the city and a few minutes walk from our hostel. During our time in Prague I was able to fit in a few classes as well as take Liam to his first Bikram Yoga class. All my fellow yogis out there will understand how exciting it is to take someone you care about to their first class. To give them the opportunity to experience something you deeply love and witness how the yoga influences them. Liam did awesome in class, he rocked every posture and made it through the entire 90 minutes without conteplating ways to kill me after (ha ha). In his defence Liam already has a foundation in yoga from his experiences of practicing in Mysore, India a few months prior. After the usual sites and a little yoga we ventured to the South of the Czech Republic to a small town called Cesky Krumlov.
Cesky Krumlov is a fairy tale town. I have never seen anything quite like it before. For those of you unfamiliar with Cesky Krumlov, it is the town in which they filmed the horror film 'Hostel'. Liam and I arrived in Cesky Krumlov in the wee hours of the night. We were picked up by the hostel owner and taken to a cute little cottage/hostel with no other guests present... After we unpacked our bags and settled into our private space we decided to add to the atmosphere by watching the movie Hostel. We definitely cuddled a little tighter that night but woke to see the morning light. As we started to explore the town the following day, we began to notice all the movie shots and angles on the surrounding buildings and sites. It became very evident that a few shots were filmed right outside our hostel! Nevertheless, Cesky Krumlov is a fairy tale town that completely captured our hearts. The town was even more enchanting in the winter as the beautiful scenery was covered in a light layer of snow and the streets were virtually empty of tourists. Definitely a must see for those travelling to the Czech Republic.
A view overlooking Prague
Heading into the castle in Prague
At the castle gates
A view of the beautiful church located inside the castle gates
Inside the church
View of the castle at night from across the river
Pure happiness. Finally got in some Bikram classes in Prague and took Liam to his first class.
The Lennon Wall in Prague
So true!
Liam outside our hostel in Cesky Krumlov
The beautiful streets of Cesky Krumlov This place was like a fairy tale town
Castle at Cesky Krumlov
Who wants some meat?
Best goulash soup we've ever had
A view of Cesky Krumlov from the castle walls
Liam and I at the castle overlooking Cesky Krumlov
