Edition 12 - Schengen Safe Haven
I made it out of the Schengen Zone (at least, for a week)! For those who don’t know, the Schengen Zone is a conglomerate of many countries within the European Union that have essentially abolished border control and have become a sort of “passport-free” zone. As an American, this zone makes it quite difficult to travel in Europe for an extended period but it is also the reason why I’ve been able to take trains and buses fairly easily from country to country without passport checks or stamps. However, the two countries I’ve just explored are “safe havens” meaning that they are countries that are not a part of the Schengen Zone and therefore allow for a place for long-term travelers to explore when they are running out of days that they are legally allowed to be in the Schengen Zone for.
On that note, welcome to the safe havens of Montenegro and Albania!
Montenegro
April 14 - 19
Budva
I arrived in Budva after a multi-FlixBus trip covering a total of 9 hours of travel - honestly, not too bad! Budva sits along the coast and is home to a beautiful old town with small, curvy, and confusing pedestrian streets built with off-white slippery stones. Typically during the summer (the busy season), this part of the country is filled with party-goers lined up outside the nightclubs and families lining the many paths through the old town. But, in the middle of April, it was relatively quiet enough to walk around and enjoy your own space on the beach.
Just less than an hour away is Kotor, another coastal town just north of Budva. Kotor is also home to a stunning old city and a gorgeous fortress called St. John’s Castle. This castle was built by the Republic of Venice in the 16th century as a defensive stronghold against Ottoman attacks. Today, it stands as an example of Venetian military architecture and has become a popular tourist attraction - with a donation you can hike up to the top of the fortress, see beautiful views of the old town, and experience just a bit of what it was like for people in Kotor just a few centuries ago.
Podgorica
After some lovely and relaxing days in Budva, I took a bus to the capital of Montenegro - Podgorica. Podgorica, unfortunately, does not have much of an “old town” like some of the other cities and countries nearby do. This is because the city was heavily bombed and lost so much architecture and history in the process. Visiting the “old town” has become such a staple in my days when I enter a new city or country because there is always so much to learn and experience - so, entering a place that doesn’t have that history still standing does stand out.
Overall, here are some highlights from my time in Montenegro:
Beautiful evening free walking tours through the old city of Budva with just one other tourist
My Fitbit step count after hiking up 2.5 hours to a stunning monastery built inside a mountain
Yelling at TV screens with new hostel friends whenever an English football (soccer) team lost a match
Meeting a man named Alex while I waited for my train back to Podgorica from the Ostrog Monastery who is from Montenegro, has a house in Brooklyn, and very kindly offered me a brand new box of cookies because of all the hiking I did that day
Albania
April 19 - 21
Triana
I arrived in Tirana after a few hours driving through the mountains of Montenegro and Albania via bus on Friday, April 19th. When I arrived at my hostel, I was immediately greeted by really lovely people (sometimes you just luck out). Whether it was the silly receptionist who decided to make a hat out of something that was most definitely not a hat, the sweet Turkish girl who is volunteering at the hostel, or my bunkmate who has been traveling around the world for the past 2+ years, this was one of those places where the people made the place.
After just a few minutes of driving through Albania on the bus, it became apparent that the main religion in the country was Islam. We passed mosque after mosque, all of them truly beautiful. When prayer time is beginning, you can hear someone begin to chant over the loudspeakers connected to the mosques - honestly, it reminded me a lot of my time in Lod. While a large majority of Albania’s residents are Muslim, the country is extremely proud of the religious harmony they have achieved. The nation has been regarded as a place of religious tolerance - something that many nations across the globe aspire to succeed in.
Overall, here are some highlights from my time in Albania:
Spontaneous Bachata dance classes in the hostel garden
Being easily convinced by a table of new friends that I should pull an all-nighter my last night in Albania because my bus was leaving at 5 am and they were all going to a karaoke bar
Consistently finding the location of my hostels while I have 10% battery left on my phone (don’t worry, I finally bought a power bank)
Coming Up Next
Where am I off to next? Well, the next newsletter will be set somewhere:
home to the original, ancient Olympic Games
known for island-hopping
has olives galore
Sorry, that one was a pretty easy guess… See you in Greece!