Category Archives: Europe Wandering Footsteps has faithfully charted my development as a person, a traveler, and a writer for an entire decade. I’ve shared reflections, profound experiences, funny stories, challenging moments, inspiring encounters, and lessons learned. Through Wandering Footsteps, I’ve become who I am today.  No trip to Italy is complete without pasta, wine, risotto, and gelato – especially for a travel foodie. And ESPECIALLY for a travel foodie with unfinished food business in Italy. Our five nights in Italy were thus a personal quest for me to experience Italian culture through its food. The quest was easier said than done.  Our five days in Croatia and Slovenia included a visit to the infamous Plitvice Lakes National Park, the UNESCO-protected Škocjan Caves, a brief jaunt to the coast of Croatia, and full-on run-ins with mass tourism at its height. Included in this article are tips for a quiet experience of Plitvice Lakes and encouragement to join the tour.  Our time in Bosnia was perhaps the most educational (and emotional) visit we’ve ever had. In six days we learned about the Bosnian War, the Siege of Sarajevo, the Srebrenica Genocide, postwar life in Bosnia’s capital, and the ongoing tensions in the country and Balkan region.  We were only on our second country of the month, and already the flaws in our travel plan were starting to show: I was entering Serbia more unprepared than I’d ever entered any country, ever. Read on to see how unplanned trip can turn out and as good a reason as any reason for the need for to down-time in overland travel. |
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