Europe
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24 Hours in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
With its extraordinary cultural and religious mix and rich Ottoman heritage, Sarajevo is a city that merits a visit at any time. Surrounded by green hills and bisected by a river, it is a place of spectacular beauty, and though the scars of the siege of the 1990s are still evident, Bosnians display heartening resilience and vitality. THURSDAY 4PM McDonalds Oh, the things you do for your kids and the places you stop after driving over five hours to get to Sarajevo. Yes, this American establishment was the first place we visited when we arrived in Sarajevo. The kids were sooo excited because we don’t have a McDonald’s in Montenegro.…
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Marriott Comes to the Balkans – Rewards Card is Worth it!
Before leaving the Unites States, some wise friends of ours recommended us to apply for the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card. We were already Marriott Rewards members, but the credit card takes it to the next level. Initially, we experienced a bit of sticker shock, but trust us: The $0 Intro Annual Fee for the first year, then $85 annual fee is well worth it. The Marriott Rewards Premier card has quite a few perks to recommend it. First off, the signup bonus. Earn 50,000 Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. It has a great rewards rate of 5 points per $1…
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24 Hours in Dubrovnik, Croatia
At midday, church bells echo through Dubrovnik old town. Chic women click-clack down cobbled alleyways. The city’s charisma is intoxicating, full of rich history and tragedy. But much has changed over the last decade or so. The creative spirit that people of Dubrovnik fought to preserve is very much in evidence these days. Cafes, boutiques and restaurants have sprouted among buildings in myriad styles. SATURDAY 10:30AM Dubrovnik Old Town Tour During the winter season, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board organizes a FREE Saturday guided sightseeing tour around Dubrovnik old town in English, beginning at Pile Tourist Information Centre and lasted for an hour and a half, ending on Luža Square. Sign up by 6PM…
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Photo Journal: A Festival of Olives
I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few different food festivals in my day and I must say the festival of olives (Maslinijada) in Montenegro is one of my faves! This year, I was excited to experience the Montenegrin festival with some of my blogging friends and family. At one point this weekend, I took a break and found the perfect spot on a stonewall to eat some local cheese with polenta (kačamak) and fried fish (ukljeve) with my family and friends. I had been on the move all day; listening to the traditional music, shooting photos, tasting olives and olive oil. I was ready to chill out for a…
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Germany Celebrates 25 Years of German Reunification
On June 12, 1987, US President Ronald Reagan cried, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Today 25 years ago, the world heard the wall fall in Berlin, and finally East and West Germany could experience unity and freedom. Since 1989, Germany has resumed its place at the heart of Europe, politically, economically and even geographically—reunification and the expansion of the European Union eastwards has seen Germany move from the eastern edge of Europe to its center.The Wall, which was established by East Germany in 1961 and was roughly 96 miles long, split the already-divided country’s capital into West Berlin and East Berlin. After weeks of civil protests, the government of Eastern…
