The part of the Adriatic Coast belonging to Montenegro is the purest part of the Mediterranean. – Jacques Cousteau In April Robie and I visited the tiny, mountainous country of Montenegro. We stayed in the port city of Kotor and reveled in the towering cliffs that plunged dramatically into the bay, enjoyed a boat trip … More Green doors (and cats) of Kotor, Montenegro
The next great European war will probably come out of some damned fool thing in the Balkans. – Otto von Bismarck If you’ve followed my travel book reviews so far, you may have noticed something disturbing. One reader did. After posting the last review of Peter Mayle’s Toujours Provence, I received a note asking why … More Albania: A Narrative of Recent Travels
It was a strange city, and seemed to have been cast up in the valley one winter’s night like some prehistoric creature that was now clawing its way up the mountainside. – Chronicle of Stone by Ismail Kadare, born in Gjirokastër, 1936 While staying in one country for seven months seems counterproductive to our mission to … More Gallery of Gjirokastër, Albania
Every sip of sangria is a taste of summer, no matter the season. – Anonymous Some of the best food finds are discovered in the least likely places. When traveling Robie and I eat mostly local fare. But sometimes trying food we know and love halfway around the globe gives new life to the … More Sangria, a healthy little fruit salad
You have good days, you have bad days. But you never have a boring day. – John Kennedy “Is it always so cold here?” I asked the Albanian taxi driver as he took us to our new apartment. “This? No, this is only for today. And tomorrow. Maybe the day after. But next week will … More The one with the miserable day
The human animal differs from the lesser primates in his passion for lists. – H. Allen Smith After nearly three months on Ikaria during the off-season, we’ve compiled Reid & Robie’s Top 10 things to do when the island’s not packed with sunseekers. But first, an Honorable Mention: Keeping track of our neighbor’s herd was … More Ikaria Top 10
More isn’t always better, Linus. Sometimes it’s just more. – Sabrina Many full-time travelers move every month. They arrive in a new city, find a grocery store and one or two restaurants, stroll the streets near their apartment, see the sites, take a daytrip, then leave. They don’t stay long enough to make friends with … More What being homeless feels like
May the road rise up to meet you and the wind always be at your back. – Irish blessing Despite Americans’ appropriation of Cinco de Mayo, few nations adopt another’s holidays. Outside the home country, national holidays tend to be small affairs. Americans on Corfu for the Fourth of July may burst into an off-key … More When the big blue marble turns green
The code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules. – Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean When Robie and I started cleaning out the house and preparing for this adventure, I made an exception to my rule about not reading a book twice. Because like Captain Barbossa, I believe rules should … More Toujours Provence
Every step is a destination. – Anonymous I promised my sister that on Ikaria I’d begin training for the Camino. But with the journey still ten months away, how in shape did I want to get? Besides, on a mountainous island everything Robie and I did involved a hike. Buying groceries meant a trek to … More Training for the Camino
Reid & Robie 