Balkan vacation

[Atheon]

Just had a fantastic vacation in the Balkans. Greece (Santorini, Athens and Meteora), Macedonia (Skopje), Kosovo (Prishtina), and Bulgaria (Sofia).

Greece is on the well-trodden tourist path, and Santorini is both expensive and overrun by tourists... but beautiful. One of those classic places that needs to be seen in person. Athens is a must, if just for the Acropolis alone. Meteora is a wonderland, with monasteries perched on the tops of oddly shaped mountains.

But Macedonia, Kosovo and Bulgaria are less touristy, and are very cheap by any standard, not just by European standards. Along with Albania, Bosnia and Montenegro (which I visited 2 years ago), they constitute the Southeast Asia of Europe. Friendly people and a quirky, exotic vibe; somewhat rough around the edges, but safe, cheap and easy to explore. Sofia is a gem of a city.

And the food... mmmmmmmmm!

(I also visited Malta during my trip... not a Balkan country, but spectacular and well worth the effort.)

[SGOS]

Sounds great.  I'd like to see Greece, but I never will.  Well, who knows?

[Shiranu]

Just had a fantastic vacation in the Balkans. Greece (Santorini, Athens and Meteora), Macedonia (Skopje), Kosovo (Prishtina), and Bulgaria (Sofia).

Greece is on the well-trodden tourist path, and Santorini is both expensive and overrun by tourists... but beautiful. One of those classic places that needs to be seen in person. Athens is a must, if just for the Acropolis alone. Meteora is a wonderland, with monasteries perched on the tops of oddly shaped mountains.

But Macedonia, Kosovo and Bulgaria are less touristy, and are very cheap by any standard, not just by European standards. Along with Albania, Bosnia and Montenegro (which I visited 2 years ago), they constitute the Southeast Asia of Europe. Friendly people and a quirky, exotic vibe; somewhat rough around the edges, but safe, cheap and easy to explore. Sofia is a gem of a city.

And the food... mmmmmmmmm!

(I also visited Malta during my trip... not a Balkan country, but spectacular and well worth the effort.)

For one reason or another, the Balkans (besides Montenegro, which I hear is being over-run by terrible English tourists), really does seem to be a hidden gem in European tourism.

I'm jealous; beautiful environment, different culture and amazing food... and great history as well. Definitely a region I would like to visit oneday.   

[Baruch]

There is supposed to be Nato inspired instability in Macedonia now ... and of course in Greece the instability has been going gone for years.  A friend of mine made a similar trip to yours, but in 2007 ... before the crash.  I went to Greece way back in 1981, when Spartans were still mopping up the Persians ;-)

[Atheon]

(besides Montenegro, which I hear is being over-run by terrible English tourists)

A lot of Russians there too, because they can go visa-free.

Still, Montenegro is great, especially Kotor (a cheaper, smaller version of Dubrovnik) and Sveti Stefan Islet.

[Atheon]

During my trip I visited a lot of Eastern Orthodox churches and saw some amazing frescoes of mythical characters like Jebus, Mary, and numerous saints. Also saw the ruins of temples dedicated to equally fictional characters like Zeus and Athena. Religion may be a load of garbage, but it inspired a lot of great art.

[Solitary]

Greece is nice, but their wine is terrible, it's the only wine where I have dumped bottles of it down the sink. I still think our California wines and Hungarian (never had wine that is any better!) wines are the best. I think French wines are over rated, unless they send us their worst wines and keep the best. That had to be a great vacation , happy for you.

[Baruch]

Greek wine as in Retsina?  Retsina has pine sap in it.  This is to poison Persian troops who occupied and burned Athens.  The Athenians poisoned the wine they left behind.  The Persians didn't like it.  But in memory, the Greeks have been drinking it ever since.  This requires a booster of ouzo to appreciate ;-)

[Atheon]

Retsina is horrible, and is the only wine I have ever poured into the sink to get rid of (except for wine that has gone bad). Greece has some pretty good non-retsina wines, though.

[Baruch]

Desert wine ... Mavrodaphne.  That was the first drink of a long night of alcoholic excess when I was last in Athens.

Don't like Retsina?  Then you are good with the new Iranian treaty then? ;-)

[AllPurposeAtheist]

If I were just a bit younger I might think of traveling the world via freighter ships. You can book passage for about $60-125 a day from what I read. . I almost stowed away once, but chickened out at the last minute. .http://www.seaplus.com/mainmenu.php