Thessaloniki & Athens (Greece)

Just a quick one today since I can't be sure of the next time I'll be able to blog it up.

I only had the chance to hit up two spots in Greece but I am very happy I did. Thessaloniki had that awesome sunset I showed you guys.

Next was Athens, home of the 2004 summer Olympics. Upon arrival, the city gave me a really dirty impression. But after a good day of touring around the hot spots I have to say I've been charmed. You can judge for yourself, just below left is a shot of the acropolis...

Athens, Greece

Of course I'll have to come back one day to get to those gorgeous Greek islands we always hear so much about.

Next stop, The pyramids...

C ya Montreal
Your favorite world traveller,
-Jonathan

Split, Dubrovnik (Croatia) and Belgrade (Serbia)

How can I really describe the Croatian coast line? It's like the french riviera but a lot more rocky, cheaper and less touristy. Split gave me the impression it was more like Cannes and glamorous. Despite the temperamental weather conditions, it was a great small town with lots of roman ruins to be admired. It felt like you were walking back to ancient Rome. Dubrovnik was interesting because of the castle walls that surrounded old town. Old town was a mix of many different streets that can be impossible to navigate without an excellent sense of direction. They don't call me GPS for nothing, lol. I also took the opportunity to check out a couple of islands while I was there which is part of the attraction. Overall, Croatia had much more to offer then I expected.

Last but not least was Belgrade. Let me begin by saying I had no idea what to expect when travelling to Serbia in general. When I was Budapest I was lucky enough to stay with some friends I made in the hostel. More then anything this gave me a great look at way of life. Typically, Serbs will have two meals a day which are breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is around 11:00am-12:00pm and lunch is from 5:00-7:00pm.

The picture to the above is the family and I getting ready to have breakfast. This was definitely the most filling meal I've had in months.

Also very interesting was the historical aspect of how Yugoslavia war which began in 1991. Given that I was 5 years old (and not a history major) I give myself a pass on being oblivious to the whole situation. Nonetheless, the history lesson was inspirational in order to get an in depth look at the country.




Our breakfast:
The red thing is a mix of roasted peppers. The pink cold cut is ham. The Plate in the top right corner is a type of strudel made with something. I can't tell you what but it was fantastic.

The things that look like three balls of vanilla ice cream are actually a soft cheese. It is made by preparing hot cream. Then once the cream cools, the top solid layer is removed and accumulated to make this cheese. The product is a mix between butter and cheese, absolutely satisfying.


No doubt, a very hardy meal...this definitely gets my personal seal of approval.

I arrived in Thessaloniki Greece yesterday and the weather is less then favorable so it's the perfect time to catch up on some much needed blogging. But on the plus side I did get a ridiculous sunset last night so that made me happy...take a look for yourselves.

Be Well Montreal (I just saw a high of 5 degrees for Sunday, should be a cold Halloween, yikes!)

-Jonathan

Budapest, Hungry and Krakow & Zakopane in Poland

Budapest is an awesome city. Essentially the city is separated into two parts, the Buda part and the Pest side. The two parts are separated by a river in the middle of the city. In every guidebook you will read about the famous Turkish baths in Budapest. On my last day there I had to give it a shot. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Turkish baths are a combination of hot tubs at different temperatures. The coldest would be 20degrees while the hottest would be around 40 degrees. Also part of the experience are saunas and hot steam baths so you get a taste for both extreme dry and humid heat. Many people will tend to stay almost all day bringing lunch and lots of water. Of course you sweat like crazy in there. It's definitely worth a try. Needless to say, I was ridiculously relaxed  when I left.

Krakow is said to be the place to be the heart of Poland. There is a lot of history which includes the home of the late John Paul II. Only an hour away is Auschwitz-Birkenau, one of the main Nazi death camps. I took a tour there in order to get a better understanding of the specifics. There is one word to describe the day "heavy". To think that this genocide happened only 65 years ago is unbelievable. This really gave me a better understanding of the operations on a daily basis. They would shave the heads of all women in order to reuse the hair for building mattresses. Everything was pillaged including gold teeth which was remelted into bars and sent to Germany. I realized exactly how efficient their operations were. What an eye opening experience.

Yesterday I took a day trip to Zakopane. It's location is on the south side of the polish border. Put simply, it's a small town with a great view of the mountains.

Today I am on a bus heading back to Slovenia in order to get to the Croatian coast. Krakow was 4 degrees last night which means it's time to migrate south for the winter.

Until next time
-Jonathan

Ljubljana, Bled, Diaca, and Zagreb

On the train ride from Munich to Slovenia I met a good ol Canadian boy from the prairies. Scott Smith is from Calgary and just graduated in chemical engineering. He decided now was the time to take off and see what else is out there. I guess you could call him my protege since his Europe was my Australia. Scott and I have had almost the exact same itinerary along our European route just in reverse.

Scott and I explored the last couple of days together. The incredible small town of Ljubljana offered a great view from the castle top (eventually I will upload all of my pictures, I swear,lol). Next was the small town of bled which was known for its lake and the gorge. This place just floored me. I guess I can only really think of two words to describe the place "natural beauty". Our third and final day in Slovenia was in divaca. They have a 3km long set of underground caves that you can explore with a guide. It's actually been declared a UNESCO world heritage site which means you know its awesome. Slovenia was so much more then I expected. I guess when you travel to a place like Switzerland you arrive already having that expectation from all the tourist dollars that gets pumped into building a public image. But I had no clue what a place like Slovenia had to offer. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Only a couple hours later Scott and I found ourselves in a whole new country. Welcome to Zagreb, Croatia. Did I mention how much I like the mobility Europe has to offer? After exchanging money for the Kuna we were off to explore the town.

I would have loved to spend more time in Croatia. The coast is said to be amazing. Unfortunately I came to the very serious realization that my Eurail pass is almost expired.

This brings me to the final day use for my Eurail pass. Today I am on my way to Budapest, Hungry to meet up with a friend I made in Stockholm. Tina and I kept in touch and will be travelling together for a while.

For now the next couple of weeks will be completely up in the air. Eastern Europe is my oyster to do with it what I will. One thing is for sure, Oct 30th I will be hoping on a plane to meet Mom and Sis in Cairo, Egypt. Let's see what those pyramids have in store.

Until next time,
-Jonathan

Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, Nuremberg and Munich

Some consider travelling alone to be near suicide. Fortunate for me, i don't share this view. It has been some time since I travelled with someone. When Dominique came to Paris to meet me part of me wondered if it wouldn't be a disaster waiting to happen. I am used to just making my own decisions, how would i react to having someone else with me. The good news is that we had an awesome time. I feel like the last two weeks have just flown by before my eyes.

While we were in Berlin and Prague we were sure not to miss the walking tours. They are given by young backpackers who fall in love with the city and need to make a couple of bucks along the way. Since they work for tips, they really do put the effort to make it great. This is the best way to get a historical feel for the city rather then wandering aimlessly. I have to say Prague is a hell of a city. Most people will be the first to tell you it is incredible cheap. Be careful, tourism has pushed prices up quite a bit. However, you can still get a beer in a pub for about 2$ CDN and a picnic for two will cost 3$ CDN.

Vienna is huge into museums. More importantly, the apple strudel is to die for. Keep in mind I have absolutely no sweet tooth whatsoever...

Salzburg and Nuremberg made me officially decide how much I like small towns in comparison to big cities. It's hard to explain and most people will have different preferences. I would say there is no other way then to try it for yourself.

Munich, welcome to Oktoberfest! There is really no way to describe the absolute insanity that takes place. Just the men's and woman's clothing is worth making an appearance. Bratwurst or German sausage is an absolute must for any traveller. There is really no other way to prepare your stomach for 1 litre of beer at a time. Just to paint a picture of just how much this is, imagine a wine bottle and add an extra 25%. Keep in mind you can't order less then 1 litre at a time. Different German beer companies will set up these huge tents that can hold at least about 1000 people. Lucky for Dom and I we were lucky enough to find a place to sit with a bunch of locals. This gave us the chance to soak in more of the Bavarian tradition while eating a typical roasted half chicken. Although many people will disregard Oktoberfest as a "touristy" holiday I still think it is worth doing at least once in a lifetime.

Overall, the last two weeks have been a series of memories filled with good laughs and fantastic landscapes.  

Unfortunately Today Dom and I have parted ways and I am on a train towards Ljubljana Slovenia. I only have 5 days left on my eurail pass. It's almost crazy to think it's been 2 months since I first started trekking through Europe. Western Europe here I come for one last rush...

Until next time,
-Jonathan