Travelling Europe and the Balkans

I’ve visited a bunch of countries across Europe and the Balkans recently. Mid last year did loads of Asia too. This all probably deserves its own deeper dive, but I don’t want to sink a load of time into this reflection just yet so here is a brain dump.

A highlight has been hearing the difference between Germanic, Slavic, and Romance languages up close. Back home in NZ I mostly heard English, some Cantonese, and a little Māori, so all these new sounds have been a great for my brain.

The food everywhere has been amazing too, nothing crazy adventurous, but plenty to satisfy the palate.

• Greece: Island hopping was fantastic, friendly people, and such a rich history. We toured the major islands and timed Mykonos perfectly, just before party season kicked off. We had room to walk and explore without the crowds. Saw a lot of churches and heard about the various empires that occupied these parts.
• Denmark: Beautiful but expensive. Everyone wears gorgeous, sustainable, layered clothing. This makes sense given how much colder it is than NZ. Metro made it so easy to get around. Bikes everywhere.
• Amsterdam: Visited to explore Amsterdam and also for a bunq hackathon (reflection here). I loved the vibe, though getting around without a bike was slow. So a bike is the first thing I’m getting once I live there. Free ferries were fantastic!
• Italy: Five days in Rome. It felt like you could walk in any direction and stumble onto a grand church or building. The food here was the best I’ve had anywhere, once we found one particular shop’s tiramisu we ate three in a single day. Also saw Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the scale of it is hard to describe. I guess it was well over 4 years of his life!
• Croatia: Some of the best scenery I’ve seen outside of New Zealand. We hired a car and drove from Zagreb to Split, stopping at the Plitvice Lakes National Park in between for some incredible waterfalls. Driving on the opposite side of the road took adjusting (NZ left-side and Croatia right-side), but having a car unlocked so many random stops for our journey.
• Serbia: A taxi driver suggest Burek to me and I ate it most days. I learnt about Belgrade’s hectic history, even up until recently. I’m in awe of what people there have survived, over four passport changes in the last 25 years and across many different occupations. We were told it’s because of Belgrade is positioned on the Danube and Sava rivers, prime real estate with a fortress that holds the high ground.