It all started with a cat named Monday. At least, that’s what we called her. And after finding a forever home for her, we wanted to have more cats in our lives without the drama and the tears. More happy stories of beloved felines that receive regular veterinary care. Fewer stories of kittens discarded on a hiking trail or born in a colony on a rooftop. Just taking care of cats for a few days or weeks or months and then handing back the responsibility to their pet parents who missed them dearly and are grateful for the help. ThatContinue reading
How to Get a Serbian SIM Card in a Small Town + Balkan Roaming Tips
We entered Serbia on Thursday the 28th of March, 2024 via kayak on the Danube. The small town we bought a Serbian SIM card in is called Apatin. Here’s our recommendation for a Serbian SIM card, how we got it, and how it works in neighboring non-EU countries. Which Serbian SIM Card is Best? Yettel. Also formerly known as Telenor. Back in 2015 when I sort of lived in Serbia, Telenor was also the best. They’re originally from Norway. Back then, I wasn’t the SIM card guru I am now. But I do remember having a Serbian SIM card fromContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 55: Novi Sad to Stari Slankamen – Frozen Toes
Our 55th paddle day was on Wednesday, the 17th of April, 2024. We paddled from Serbia’s second-biggest city Novi Sad to the village of Stari Slankamen. This is about 40 kilometers and it was very cold. Low Expectations During our week in Novi Sad, we’d been keeping an eye on the weather forecast with a sense of dread. After more than a week of sunny weather, hitting above 25°C every day, a complete reversal of spring and summer was in the making. Just on Monday, we sought respite from the 31°C heat in the city by escaping to the canopyContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 54: Ilok to Bačka Palanka to Novi Sad – Goodbye Croatia, Hello Serbia
Our 54th paddle day was on Wednesday, the 10th of April, 2024. Our hosts in Ilok helped us cross the land border bridge between Ilok and Bačka Palanka to get the paperwork right. They dropped us off at a suitable launch spot on the Serbian side and we immediately began paddling to Novi Sad. This was our fifth day on the Danube in 2024 and our 54th day in total. Croatia to Serbia via the Ilok–Bačka Palanka Bridge With the hole in the boat patched and everything packed, we left our last accommodation in Croatia a little before 7:00. OurContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 53: Vukovar to Ilok, Croatia – Zucchini Leaks
Our 53rd paddle day was on Saturday, the 6th of April, 2024. We kayaked from Vukovar to Ilok in Croatia along the Danube. Our inflatable kayak Zucchini was unfortunately malfunctioning, which resulted in a lot of stops. This was our fourth day on the river in 2024 and our 53rd day in total. Excitement for Today + Taxi to Vukovar Kanu Klub Though the setback of having a leaky vent the previous paddle day made us doubt Zucchini, we were very enthusiastic about paddling to Ilok. It’s a big milestone; at 140 kilometers, we will have done 10% of whatContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 52: Erdut to Vukovar – Entering Croatia Legally
The events in this story happened on Wednesday, the 3rd of April, 2024. We paddled our inflatable canoe Zucchini from Erdut to Vukovar in Croatia. This was our third kayaking day down the Danube in 2024 and the 52nd in total. Though we had slept in Croatia the night before, we hadn’t properly entered Croatia on paper yet until Vukovar. Paddling Two Days in a Row + Zucchini Leaks The evening before we left Erdut, we looked at the map together. The challenges of kayaking to Vukovar from Erdut were mostly the distance and the fact that we would haveContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 51: Apatin in Serbia to Erdut in Croatia – Straddling Schengen
The events in this story happened on Tuesday, the 2nd of April, 2024. We paddled our inflatable canoe Zucchini from Apatin in Serbia to Erdut in Croatia. This was our second kayaking day down the Danube of 2024 and the 51st in total. Since Croatia is in the EU and Schengen and Serbia isn’t, we had to deal with immigration—on one side of the river… Preparing to Cross Back to Schengen Starting to Erdut from Apatin In the morning, we smashed a slightly underripe banana and a cup of instant coffee. Though we’d prepared a lot the evening before, weContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 50: Mohács in Hungary to Apatin in Serbia – We Meet Again, Danube
The events in this story happened on Thursday the 28th of March, 2024. We paddled our inflatable canoe Zucchini from Mohács in Hungary to Apatin in Serbia. This was our first kayaking day down the Danube of 2024 and a continuation of this trip in 2019. We intend to paddle to the Black Sea in 2024 this year. Since we’re crossing from a Schengen country to outside of the EU, this required some paperwork at the police. Our (Second) Stay in Mohács Hungarian Immigration + A Call with a TID Participant Leaving Mohács for Apatin: Day 50 or Day 1?Continue reading
Zagreb by Kayak: Paddling the Sava River from Brežice in Slovenia to Croatia’s Capital
We kayaked down the mighty Sava River from Slovenia to Croatia on Friday the 15th of March, 2024. This was the first time since 2019 that we loaded Zucchini with full luggage—including our laptops in a dry bag. We started at the reaction ferry in Mostec near Brežice in Slovenia. The Sava is fast, so we arrived in Croatia’s capital city Zagreb in no time after 32.5 kilometers. One Day in Brežice: Sava Rapids, Research, Pizza and Beer A Terrible Taxi Driver + A Terrible Entry Spot The taxi arrived and the driver helped us put our luggage in theContinue reading
Accommodation in Slovenia: Ljubljana, the Best Airbnb We’ve Ever Stayed in + Brežice
What to expect of accommodation in Slovenia as a digital nomad? We stayed in Slovenia from the 4th till the 14th of March, 2024. These are the places we booked to both work online from and have fun kayaking day trips in Ljubljana and Brežice. That Cat Flat in Ljubljana: Our Best Airbnb Experience in Over 200 Stays ⭐ Duration: 10 nights I can’t recommend this place enough and you’ll be lucky to claim a spot. Fair warning: this place is not suitable for people who are allergic to cats. Please don’t book this place if you have a catContinue reading