The first things that catch the eye when walking up this narrow stone street in old town Dubrovnik are the lanterns. Every gallery, shop and restaurant along the street displays a uniquely designed and decorated lantern, all floating over the crowded streets during the day and lighting up the city […]
After a long day of hitchhiking and a night’s sleep on the beach, I started the day bright and early, catching the 6 a.m. ferry to the island of Korčula. After a 3 kilometer walk from the port, I arrived in the old town. In personality, I consider myself a morning […]
There is something about being Turkish and mountains. In our songs, stories, legends and other cultural elements, we live in them, ascend them, go beyond them, pierce through them (“dağlari delmek”), and so on. During a 22 day road trip with my two close Turkish friends, we constantly found ourselves climbing […]
Knowing absolutely nothing about Kotor, I enjoyed the scenic ride as my bus circled the impressive fjord of Montenegro. Rugged, towering dark mountains rose on all sides, covering most of the country and giving credit to the name Monte Negro, or “Black Mountain.” About an hour after crossing the Croatian […]
Coming from a university town in a Northern Chicago suburb, my daily life evolved to strongly depend upon small, local venues with a warm atmosphere, friendly staff and appealing food and drinks. Be it the coffee shop around the corner from my apartment where the mornings begins or the Irish pub in […]
When the term “hitchhiking” is heard in the US, I feel it generally carries a negative connotation. Illegal on major roadways in most states, hitchhiking, or “autostop” as it is referred to in most parts of the world, paints the picture of dangerous vagabonds looking to rob or attack unsuspecting […]