Closing the Balkan Loop

We just finished up our 2-week Balkan tour! After leaving Dubrovnik, we visited the fjord-town of Kotor, Montenegro and then ventured into the snowy hills of Berane. The Bojovic family (friends through their daughter Nina who was an exchange student at our church) were terrific hosts and took us to see a lot of the country: Tara Canyon, Durmitor Mountains, the mountainous region bordering Albania (we were even within about 20km of Kosovo!), and extended family members (see photos of grandma).

From there, we took a really cheap and wonderful taxi ride through Serbia and into Bosnia/Sarajevo. It was quite snowy and even had to put on tire chains. We had no idea how gorgeous the landscape would be!

Sarajevo is fighting hard to be our favorite city of the trip (we feel like we say this about many cities, but...) -- the blend of cultures, the mix of beauty and war-remnants (there are a lot) really impressed us. Mostar was up next -- like a Sarajevo in miniature, but with a fractured war history. The weather was bad so we had the slick streets and old bridge to ourselves; a little cold but very cozy.

We met a lot of great people on this leg and saw countless villages that remain ruined from the war -- quite tragic and the after-effects are still very real. Images that we will not forget.

And now we begin our swing back to the north and a return to Germany next week. But before then, a few stops on the way -- Ljubljuana is up next...

Balkan trip photos are up.