Brasov is in central Romania about 2.5 hours by train north of Bucharest. We decided to take 3 days here and regroup a bit since our 2:45AM bus ride was eventful and exhausting. We had taken a 9am train. It wound its way through tall firs, thick spruce, and bristly pines. Evidence of a higher … Continue reading Brasov/Bran/Siniai, Romania
Hannah originally chose Veliko Tarnovo as a stopover on our way to Bucharest, Romania. I didn’t know much about it, but I am very glad she did. Veliko Tarnovo is a much smaller city than Sofia; it fits more the definition of a “town”. Veliko Tarnovo is a getaway for Bulgarians, as well. There are … Continue reading Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Hannah and I have become accustomed to cities having deep reaching histories, but we didn’t know much about Sofia or the country of Bulgaria. Much like the rest of the Balkans, Bulgaria has seen 2 world wars and 2 regional Balkan wars. As we strolled through Sofia, the city unfolded like an onion. Layers of … Continue reading Sofia, Bulgaria
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is one of the southernmost parts of the former Yugoslavia. The dichotomy of the city is striking in its architecture. There are areas where one side of a bridge shows glass skyscraper buildings, and the other side shows grey, decrepit, and bland communist era buildings. It declared independence from … Continue reading Skopje, Macedonia
Thessaloniki is a seaside town in the northeast of Greece. This area is considered the Macedonian region of Greece. I give you this background because it is key in understanding some of the logistic issues of the trip. Trains and buses are the name of the game in Eastern Europe. While there are cheap regional … Continue reading Thessaloniki, Greece
Meteora means “suspended in the air”. Walking the well worn steps of Greek Orthodox monks evoked a certain kind of peace among the surrounding beauty of the sandstone rock formations. It is as if the tall pillars were the fingers of God reaching out of the earth. We saw a few monks bustling on their … Continue reading Meteora: The Fingers of God
Our host's cousin picked us up from the airport last night at 1am. He was quite the character: passionate about the NBA, his kids, and gave great advice to avoid traveler's mistakes while in Athens. Normally, I am an early bird and wake up at the crack of dawn while Hannah sleeps in until 9am … Continue reading Athens: Columns, Cats, and Graffiti
Hannah and I had a 12 hour layover in London after a 9 hour overnight flight from Houston. We both slept about 3-4 hours due to some turbulence and being too excited to sleep. Needless to say, our day in London was tiring. I am having trouble keeping my eyes open as I write this … Continue reading A Long Layover in London
Get to know a little about us! Our names are Hannah and Josh. We are newlyweds from the United States. We normally reside in Texas and enjoy the wonderful diversity and smorgasbord of experiences that it brings with it. We have a mutual love of travel, foreign cuisine, cultural exchange, current events and adventure. "Dare … Continue reading Onward to New Journeys!
It's A Ritch Life 