Just another beach day in Kruče, Montenegro with books, beer, buddies, and bloody awesome sunsets. [INSERT SILLY INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE] 😉 I can’t leave this place because it doesn’t want me to leave. I can’t be arsed to move further away than the nearest supermarket to buy the necessary supplies for another day of hardcore relaxation. The night is coming and there will just be my good friend, her dog, and me with candles, blankets, and conversation. Guitars and songs. Sometimes satisfaction and happiness come really close to each other. The last rays of the day are going, but I’ll beContinue reading
Europe
Here you’ll find lots of articles about my hitchhiking and kayaking travels in Europe. As you may know, Europe is my ‘homing’ continent where I’ll – like a stinky pigeon – always return to even if I’m trying to stay away from it. And to be honest, it’s not bad; there’s always more to explore.
I undertook many of my trips around Europe while at university in Maastricht (the Netherlands) and Aarhus (Denmark). That’s why I dropped out. I honed my hitchhiking skills here and set the most personal records and firsts such as:
- First solo hitch: from Kirkenes Airport in Norway to Kirkenes town with a military guy with his son
- Longest distance hitched in 24 hours: ~1200 kilometers from Maastricht (the Netherlands) to somewhere east of Lubljana (Slovenia)
- Most hours in one ride: 3 days with one British driver with a rental car in southern Spain and Portugal (his contract said he couldn’t take the car across the border)
- First plane hitch: over Malta (A to A)
- Longest sailing yacht hitch: from Corfu (Greece) to Malta, which was 340 nautical miles over 2.5 days. Here’s my CrewBay profile
Besides hitchhiking, I also kayaked a long distance in Europe down the Danube river in an inflatable canoe named Zucchini. But before I did that trip with my partner Jonas, I returned to university to finish my degree to erase my student debt. Thesis here.
As you can see, it’s not always a fun continent for me; it’s also the locus of worry about the people and pets I’m close to, of bureaucratic fuckery, and of most of my childhood memories. For most of my life, Europe has tied me down. Now I’m trying to experience it from a place of choice and freedom.
If you are not interested in the Danube trip, you can click this link to not show the Danube posts.
Decorations, Ajvar, and Seaside Shenanigans (Kruče, MNE)
Today we made some year-round tree decorations for Aleksandra’s place in Kruče. These trees overlook the Adriatic seaside here and the decorations catch the sunlight beautifully. I’m a fan of this idea of decorating. So far, I haven’t been bored. Perhaps I should have become an interior (exterior?) decorator or something. It’s nice. As you might have noticed, what started as a few days in Kruče has become more than a week already. Aleksandra has extended her invitation here and I feel very welcome. I’m reading a book called The Price of Salt/Carol in the sunshine and am enjoying it. We often walkContinue reading
Power Outages, Thunder, and Independence Day (Kruče, MNE)
Yes, that’s a torch on my head. I’m freaking night blind! The last few days were marked with the ultimate chill, beer, new friends, and Lu Lu the dog. Also this small thing: massive primetime thunder and lightning that was our TV for two days and the subsequent power outages (hence no internet and no posts!). Though a bit annoying, this is the perfect weather for reading a book or fixing my backpack by candlelight—or torchlight. We’ve also cooked our meals – pancakes, lots and lots of pancakes – on a Real Fire™. Tomorrow is the day I’ll go to the localContinue reading
Lu Lu the Dog (Kruče, MNE)
Meet Lu Lu, the dog who seriously knows how to chill. She’s Aleksandra’s and she’s one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met. She’s quite big, which is why I think she deserves to occupy the outdoor’s bed. Aleksandra, her dog, and I often go swimming down at the beach. It’s not the best beach in the whole wide world, but it’s petite and secluded. I think that’s more important in a beach. And there’s always a stick to throw to play fetch with Lu Lu. I haven’t seen her on a leash yet, which is also not necessary asContinue reading
Budva, Montenegro: Spontaneous Laundry Day
Yes, this is a photo of clean laundry in Budva… but the story behind it is pretty cool! When hitchhiking to Kruče I stopped the second car that passed. Besides being remarkable as one of my fastest hitchhiking times – stopped for me in like 20 seconds – the driver owns this drycleaning business chain. He’s originally from Serbia and owns ‘Pingvin drycleaning’ in the cities of Podgorica, Budva, and Bar. He was driving all the way to my destination but had to make some stops at his businesses on the way to exit Kruče. After hearing my story of travelingContinue reading
Montenegrin Sunsets (Kruče)
Dear friends, followers, and fans! I’m currently residing in the small town of Kruče, Montenegro for a couple of days. My friend and fellow hitchhiking nomad Aleksandra and her dog Lu Lu (see photo) host me in this small ghost-ish town. We sometimes practice playing the guitar together. She has an amazing place and leads a simple lifestyle a stone’s throw away from the beach. It’s incredibly peaceful here. I feel inspired as hell with these Montenegrin sunsets dropping into the Adriatic Sea a little differently each day. Aleksandra hitchhikes together with her dog (mad props!) and we have a lotContinue reading
Tent Inauguration in Cetinje, Montenegro
Here on the rocky outskirts of Cetinje on the M2.3, it was time to pitch my new tent for the first time! Though not the greatest spot out in the semi-wild for freecamping (it’s a bit rocky), she’s been a champ. The Eureka! one-person tent looks a bit sad because I took this picture when I already pulled out a few stakes. My bad. But at least she’s been inaugurated at last. As I was hitchhiking down this road to the coast and darkness fell, I felt the urge to get out of the car and freecamp. Once IContinue reading
Black Lake in Durmitor National Park (Žabljak, Montenegro)
This afternoon I went for a hike around the Black Lake close to Žabljak (1450 meters above sea level). It’s in Montenegro’s Durmitor National Park. The lake is made up of the Big and the Small Black Lakes. In the picture, I’m sitting at the narrow passage between them. In one month, the lakes will be smaller and will separate from each other so one can ‘walk an 8’ around both. There is still a lot of snow in this area and as it is melting from the Durmitor mountain tops, there are many waterfalls around the trails. I triedContinue reading
Nikšić, Montenegro: Urban Freecamping
This was my urban freecamping spot last night next to the hotel I used the WiFi at. It’s an alley next to the parking lot that the lady from reception recommended me and the hotel staff paid attention to my safety during the night, so that’s really nice of them! A little cold and windy, but you know I’m prepared for the worst. The best thing about this spot? The hotel’s WiFi was still working! If you’re wondering, it’s the alley next to the 4-star Hotel Marshal in Nikšić. The downside was that the skinny alley created some kind ofContinue reading