There is a place in Albania I visit very frequently. And that is Hotel Restaurant Rapsodia in Shengjin, municipality of Lezhë (2 km from the highway Shkodra-Tirana when you pass Lezhë). Why would we travel more than 100 km from Podgorica for just a dinner? Why would we take all our friends and relatives to […]
ALBANIA, TAMARË: THE NEW KELMEND ROAD
The area around the Cijevna river (in Albanian: Cem river) has always attracted me, so the information that a Joint action plan for its ecological defense and the sustainable environmental development of the cross-border area was started this year made me quite curious. A draft feasibility study on eco-tourism development in the surrounding villages […]
REQUIEM FOR YUGOSLAVIA
Guest blogger: Nataša Djukanović I feel offended when someone says something bad about Yugoslavia. I feel like we, the people who were born and lived in Yugoslavia are a special endangered species going to be extinguished in the next couple of years. So, don’t offend us. Don’t throw a stone on our already ruined home. […]
AN UNKNOWN WILD FRUIT: CORNELIAN CHERRIES (CORNUS MAS)
Have you ever seen or tasted cornelian cherries? In Montenegro they are called “drenjine”. Many foreigners probably do not know these wild berries that usually ripen in September, as they are consumed in Eastern Europe and Iran only. In Western Europe the tree is also grown as an ornamental plant for its late winter flowers, […]
REVISITING KUČKA KORITA: A LESSON IN HOSPITALITY
I don’t know why I am so fond of Kučka Krajina. Is it the extraordinary karst landscape, the picturesque road, the immense space of the rocky pastures or the magnificent view of the Cijevna canyon? Or is it just the feeling that you are far away from the crowds in Podgorica, alone with nature and […]
PODGORICA WALKING TOUR II: TRANSFORMERS DEFENDING PODGORICA
Some people say that Podgorica is boring and unattractive. I don’t agree! But it‘s true: Podgorica got a new face last summer, which makes it much more interesting, not only for tourists but also for local inhabitants! In July, an environmental exhibition of sculptures made by Danilo Baletić (22) was set up, within the “Podgorica […]
ALBANIA, SHKODRA: A BIKING TOUR TO URA E MESIT (MES BRIDGE)
Enjoying the Indian summer, we spent a relaxed weekend in Lake Shkodra Resort (a perfect place to spend a few days and only 55 km or one hour driving from Podgorica!) with our friends from the Netherlands. The weather was sunny and it was a good opportunity to hire bicycles and make a biking tour […]
POMEGRANATE: SYMBOL OF ABUNDANCE AND FERTILITY
When I visited Montenegro for the first time, I had never seen a pomegranate. Montenegrin friends wanted to make fun of me and explained that I had to eat it as an apple. I took a bite … wow, what an unpleasant experience: the rind was very bitter! But soon I learned to appreciate this healthy fruit […]
BACK TO MY ROOTS: BUNSCHOTEN-SPAKENBURG
Each time when I am in the Netherlands, I visit Bunschoten, the village where my father was born. The history of this village, situated in the central part of Holland, dates back to the 12th century. Bunschoten was a village of well-off farmers, while the nearby village of Spakenburg flourished by fishing and trading. Its […]
HERZEGOVINA HIGHLIGHTS: POČITELJ, KRAVICE WATERFALLS AND MEDJUGORJE
Tourists who spend their holidays on the Dalmatian Coast or Dubrovnik Riviera, and even those who plan a longer stay in Mostar, have the opportunity to make an interesting day trip to three special highlights in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These tourist attractions can be found close to each other, 30-40 km southwest of Mostar and […]