Blog
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Morocco, Part 3: Fez to Erfoud
Fez “So now we are going to Fez! Inshallah!” announces our guide. “Inshallah” echo the occupants of the bus. It is a long drive southwards to Fez. Over four hours. But the minibus is comfortable and the regular cheery interjections…
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Morocco, Part 2: Casablanca to Chefchaouen
Casablanca On the first stage of my Moroccan tour and a three hour drive is planned for today. With seven other travellers ranging in age from forties to eighties, I am being driven in a smart mini bus by the…
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Morocco, Part 1: Marrakech
The plane circles over Marrakech. The pilot informs us that Marrakech airport is not expecting us due to being closed for an air-show. He adds cheerfully, almost incidentally: “ We have about ten minutes of fuel left”. He will keep…
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The Balkans, Part 6: North Macedonia
Leaving Tirana, we climb forested hills once more heading towards the North Macedonian border. Here we are one thousand metres above sea-level and the sunny North Macedonian flag is flying, its sun’s rays spreading on a red background. A happy…
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The Balkans, Part 5: Montenegro and Albania
Montenegro Earlyish morning finds us meandering up a spectacular route through the Dinaric Alps alongside the sparkling waters of the Trebinje river, all the way to the border crossings to Montenegro. These border crossings take a longish while as usual.…
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The Balkans, Part 4: Croatia
Dubrovnik It is a 30 kilometre drive, two hours and two passport controls away to reach Dubrovnik from Trebinje, i.e. exit from Bosnia and Hercegovina and enter into Croatia. The Croatian border guard is extraordinarily uninterested in his occupation. Cigarette…
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The Balkans, Part 3: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Parked in line at the border crossings to exit Serbia and enter Bosnia and Herzegovina are a load of coaches full of tourists. All needing to pass through ahead of us. A smart border guard comes aboard our coach this…
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The Balkans, Part 2: Serbia
We leave Sofia in the shadow of Mount Vitosha, still snow covered. It is a bit early for me at 0800 and I am barely awake, whilst the guide is somewhat exuberant, giving some kind of commentary, which passes over…
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The Balkans, Part 1: Bulgaria
The Balkans have always seemed rather mysterious. As I was growing up, Marshall Tito’s Yugoslavia was an independent socialist state comprising the republics of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Slovenia. Tito ruled this relatively stable country from…