Serbia

Just spent last 3 days in Serbia which turned out to be a bit of a pleasant surprise. Having just came from Bosnia, a country which was laid to waste by the Serbian Army I was not really sure what the Serb people would be like. Thankfully the average Serb is rather friendly and welcoming, making them one of the nicest people in the Balkans I have came across so fare. The capital of Belgrade is an ugly communist style city but yet its cafes and bars are pumping 24/7 giving it a good vibe making you feel as if you might be in Berlin or Copenhagen.

Spent a night in the town of Novi Sad with a group of fellow couchsurfers which was good fun, thankfully I was able to sneak off to bed at 2am and so was feeling ok the next day unlike my fellow couchsurfers. Lesson 1, don’t drink with Serbs unless you are willing to give up the next day to a serve hangover, these guys know how to put away booze.

Now in Sofia Bulgaria after taking a 12 hour night train from Serbia feeling a little buggered, need to go find a bed.

Ice to Sand - Sweden to Croatia slideshow

http://www.lightstalkers.org/galleries/slideshow/19816

More Bosnia pics

Bosnia

Ever since I read my first book about the Bosnian war 1992-1995 I have been itching to come and see this tiny hilly country.

Crossing the boarder from Croatia was a bit of a shock as destroyed houses and rural villages filled the landscape. I stayed in the town of Mostar for 2 days which simply blew my mind. Mostar like much of Bosnia suffered heavily damage during the war and it seems that the town planners have decided to leave a number of destroyed buildings standings to remind every one how terrible war really is.

The train ride from Mostar to Sarajevo was breath taking, went through every kind of weather as the train cut its way over the Bosnian Mountains on the way to the capital.

Been in Sarajevo for last two days hanging out with lots of Americans who live here which is kind of funny. This city of just over 300 000 is a true mixture of west meets east with Turkish coffee shops sitting beside night clubs. The history of this place is also mind boggling as the city was held under siege by the Serbian Army cutting it off from the outside world for over 3 years and killing 11 000 citizens, and was also the city that started world war 1.

Hopefully heading to Serbia on Sunday with Matt a American Photographer http://www.mattlutton.com/ who lives there.

Croatia

Spent the last 3 days relaxing in the seaside town of Split at the bottom of Croatia, it took me a full day on the train to get here but it was worth it. Split has been round forever and looks and smells like most Mediterranean towns. Beautiful.

Had a fun time with a local couchsurfer who showed me around and proved that not all Croats are rude and snobby. Spent today 'hiking' in the hills which involved more eating then walking, god im still full time for bed.

Off to Mostar in Bosnia on Monday.

Slovenia

Riding the train from Austria to Slovenia is one interesting ride, I hardly read any of my book as the surrounding mountain peaks kept my eyes fixed out the window. Being the first Balkan country to visit I was kind of expecting Slovenia to be a bit rougher than It turned out to be. While it was no Berlin the capital of Ljubljana proved to be a beautiful little city surrounded by mountains and filled with friendly locals who all spoke English. The city is full of uni students and is a true cross roads of cultures, the buildings are a mixture of Austrian, Meditation and dirty old communism architecture which make you feel like you’re at the edge of a new territory. I stayed with Robin a friendly uni student who i meet on http://www.couchsurfing.com/ he showed me around town and got me eating all the meaty Balkan snacks.

In Croatia now hanging out by the sea.

Austria

I’m writing this blog entry high in the Austrian Alps. I turned up three days ago and was lucky enough to not only get a place to stay and all the ski gear I needed thanks to my friend Birgit, but I also got to ski 50cm of powder over two amazing days. Spent today resting my legs and driving around Austria in a mad snow storm.

Off to Slovenia on Tuesday, only there for two days but should be an interesting visit.

Berlin

This city is big, well not really in population size but it makes you feel tiny with its massive churches, towers, theaters and of course walls, yes the Berlin wall which is almost all gone now.

Spent today being a total tourist and took a free walking tour of the city which turned into an amazing 3 hour history lessen that I didn’t want to stop. Thanks to my friend Henry I’m staying with the big friendly German journalist Christopher Seidler who works for the weekly news magazine http://www.spiegel.de/international/. Not sure what the next few days hold as I’m off to Austria on Friday, but most likely some more interesting Berlin sights and to many German Beers.

Copenhagen

Just spent the weekend in Copenhagen with my old friend Martin and his girlfriend Isabella who kindly lent me some floor space to lay my sleeping bag. Aside from drinking fantastic German and Danish beer and eating the best tasting pasta I have ever had – thanks Isabella, I managed to fit in countless museums, art galleys and tiny Danish pubs that seem to pop up in the every street, in fact I spent so much time having fun I hardly took any photos.