Tucked away in the Alps of north Tyrol, Muttekopfhütte felt like staying in a 5 star hotel for Mel and I. The views out the bedroom window were fantastic, there was a meal service, showers… and most importantly climbing all around!
Muttekopfhütte
Friends and a transition
After leaving Romania, we enjoyed a day in Belgrade, reunited with a new friend in Zagreb, and coasted north to Munich, stopping in Ljubljana and Salzburg. We arrived to Munich just in time to hang out with Michelle and explore her new neighborhood.
Discovering Romania
We arrived in Bucharest for dinner, and to our delight, we found the pedestrian “old town” bustling with life and packed with restaurants and bars. This was just the beginning of our discovery of Romania. After visiting castles, mountains, towns, and mines, we are pleased to share that this country is a blossoming destination that we are so glad we did not miss!
Crossing Bulgaria
Our ferry arrived back in Athens, and we spent the day in the city before heading north to the mountains of Bulgaria. We did two fabulous day hikes and explored more ancient cities, the capital Sofia, and walked through a sweet cave!
The tufa kingdom of Kalymnos
We arrived to the island paradise of Kalymnos ready to spend 9 days climbing and enjoying island life. Little did we know, 9 days was not nearly enough time. As we came by ferry from Athens, Bleu Lightning got to come too – her second boat ride.
Greece: The halfway point
Our first few hours in Greece were eventful! Not only did we see a bear cross the road, but we also admired the super deep Vikos gorge from the town above! Despite the rain that followed us from the Balkans, our journey to Athens was beautiful.
Albanian canyons and fine dining
Despite our best efforts, we still got grey weather in Albania. However, we caught a fantastic weather window to take a river cruise and go for a hike! Along the way, we found fine dining and natural warm springs.
Montenegro
After landing in Sarajevo, we set off for Montenegro, retracing our path through the beautiful Bosnian countryside. (This time with a well-traveled English hitchhiker for company!) As we crossed into Montenegro, the river valley transformed into a stunning canyon with tall limestone cliffs lining the river, and mountains peeking behind. This unreal first impression had us eager to discover what more the country had to offer.
The surprise Istanbul adventure!
With spirits soaring as high as our airplane, we arrived to Istanbul. After seeing the massive city from the airplane, we were ready to explore! Ahead was an amazing week of discovery, friends, and food!
Next stop: Sarajevo International Airport?
With minutes left to leave our guesthouse in Omis, we checked the weather for the next week and tried to mask our disappointment – nonstop rain. Not great news for our climbing and hiking plans. “Let’s go to Istanbul!” I suggested. After scrambling to buy flights with our precious last few minutes of WiFi, we had booked flights from Sarajevo, Bosnia to Istanbul for the next day. Adventures!
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