Elizabeth’s Adventures

Category: Europe

  • Winter in Northern Europe

    November 29-December 11, 2023. Stockholm, Sweden. After the sunny Mediterranean, I wanted something different. Christmas markets and coziness called me. The first stop was Stockholm, Sweden. It was snowy, got dark around 3pm and the hostel was perfect. The hostel was ideal for cold weather. You had to take your shoes off when you entered,…

  • Southern Spain and Mediterranean Cruise

    November 20-28, 2023. Yes, I went back to Spain. Spain will always have a special place in my heart. It was my first European country, my first taste of independence at 16 and my home for two years during university. I speak the language and understand the culture. I’ve lived with three different host mothers…

  • Camino de Santiago: Part 2

    October 20 – 31, 2023. Ponferrada to Santiago de Compostela. I took five days off from hiking to allow my body to recover from the first half of the Camino. This was unplanned and set me behind schedule, especially since I had a tour planned in Morocco for early November. While I probably could have…

  • Camino de Santiago: Part 1

    October 1-15, 2023. SJPP to Burgos The Camino de Santiago or the Way of Saint James is a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Since the 9th century, pilgrims have journeyed to the north of Spain to see the remains of St. James. I chose the French route (Camino Frances) since it offered varied terrain and…

  • Here We Go Again!

    September 2023: It’s time! I’ve worked my 26 weeks this year so now let’s go explore the world! I keep telling myself I’ll stop traveling and settle down but the world is calling. There is so much to see and do! I’m giving myself another 4 months to vagabond around the world. The big goal…

  • Autumn in Svaneti, Georgia

    Welcome to Svaneti, Georgia! An isolated land in the Caucasus mountains. These people have lived and fought in this area for over a thousand years. Invaders failed to conquer the area due to its ruggedness. Christianity became the state religion in Georgia in the 300s but it took 500 more years for it to reach…

  • Relaxing in Riga, Latvia

    Sept 30 – Oct 3, 2022: I went from the Balkans to the Baltics. Latvia is a small country sandwiched between Lithuania and Estonia. I’d visited both in the past, and Tallinn, Estonia is one of my favorite European cities. I had high expectations and had been looking forward to cool weather, a small historic…

  • Bratislava, Slovakia- 50th country!

    Sep 29-30, 2022. Slovakia. Why was I there when I had just been in Bulgaria? Looking at a map they aren’t close to each other. Slovakia happened to be one of the European countries I had not visited previously. This is not why I flew from Bulgaria though. Back in November 2021, I’d booked multiple…

  • Lovely Sofia, Bulgaria

    Sep 26-28, 2022. After spending some time in Albania, I’d gotten tons of warnings about Bulgaria. One woman even used google translate to make sure I knew that “Bulgarians are horrible people”. Travel has taught me that people are generally good, but I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect. Spoiler- I had a…

  • Learning about foreign relations in Prizren, Kosovo

    After hiking in northern Albania, I felt tired and dirty. I wanted a charming small town to relax in for a few days. Have a chance to do laundry, organize my bag, sleep in a private room (I’d been staying in dorm rooms), and just chill. I knew I needed to be in Sofia, Bulgaria…