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We took a bus from Kotor, Montenegro to Tirana, Albania. The journey was about 6 hours (including rest stops and the border crossings). They did things a little differently compared to our previous border crossings by bus. At the first stop, the bus driver collected everyone's passport and he gave them to the officials. Then he gave the passports back to us. We moved to the next stop and we all got off the bus to individually present to the agents. We try to look at other tra

We were able to stay in Kotor, Montenegro for 5 nights. How we reached Kotor: Bus from Dubrovnik Croatia - approximately 3.5 hours (which included the border stop & a rest break - otherwise, drive time would be just over 2 hours). Location of our accommodations in Kotor: steps away from the marina (balcony view of the bay and stunning mountain). This turned out nicely as we were able to walk along the promenade where there are a few restaurants to eat by the water or walk int

Zagreb - unfortunately we only had a couple of days in Zagreb and it was over the Easter weekend so we did not experience much of the city. We did walk through the Old Town and all the food we ate in town was very tasty! We did an all-day bus tour to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Honestly, I was not looking forward to being a part of a tour bus group for an entire day but this was among one of the best things we've done. The area had snow about a week before our trip so the w

We were able to spend a few days in Sarajevo and a couple in Mostar. We joined a walking tour in Sarajevo which really opened our eyes to what occurred during the war 1992-1995. We talked about what brought on the war, what the citizens endured & lost, and how the war's atrocities and complexities still impact the country today. While this had us feeling a bit solemn, our tour guide brilliantly left us on a positive note, and we were truly glad that we had been given the oppo

We spent 5 nights in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Our short-term rental apartment was located near the principal railway/bus station. This was perfect as the walk to all the charms of the city were within a few blocks, a short walk. Charms of the city? To name a few - the bridges, central market, Old Town, St. Nicholas Church, Ljubljana Castle, and numerous cafes, bars, and restaurants. This is a culturally rich city so surely there will be something uniquely interesti

We were in Salzburg in early-March and then returned to Austria in late-March to spend a few days in Vienna. We took some time to rest and do laundry while we were in Salzburg but the number one thing we wanted to do was to visit the Hohensalzburg Fortress. There were quite a few steps to reach the fortress, but you're rewarded with views that will instantly make you forget how breathless you were. I guess my recommendation would be to do some reading about the fortress and s

From Krakow, Poland we took a Flixbus to Budapest, Hungary. The trip is nearly 7 hours long (including rest breaks). The ride was actually quite smooth and mostly flat as it travels through the country of Slovakia. The apartment we chose for the 4 nights in Budapest was away from the tourist attractions. The benefit was having a larger space to rest for a few days, but the disadvantage was having to take trams, buses, and the Metro for all of our sightseeing. Public transport

We were able to stay 3 nights in Poznań and 3 nights in Kraków. Neither of us have visited Poland so obviously we can't give the best travel advice but we were both very happy with the locations we stayed in both cities - near their "Old Town" areas. We mostly walked everywhere we needed to go and used their trams only a few times. We did also use a Bolt ride, thankful to have that option. In Old Town Poznań, you will instantly feel like you can slow down. There is the Poznań

We are winding down on our last day in Prague. We only planned for 4 nights here but if we'd left some space here for flexibility, we both agree we would've enjoyed another couple of days. Our hotel room is near the train station and Old Town. We've been able to walk to all of the famous landmarks in town as well as across the Vltava River. The city is known for its easy access to use public transportation, so we knew we always had that option available to us. One question we

M here (again) as we wrap up our week in Germany. We began with 4 nights in Munich, 1 night in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, and currently on our third evening in Nuremburg. The photograph above is from Bamberg as we did spend a couple of hours there. Munich was stunning. Neat and organized. It is obvious the care and pride in this city for not only the local community, but for our planet as well. This city seems to consider its global impact, something I would love to see more o

We are currently wrapping up our week in London. Here are a few somewhat unorganized thoughts & tidbits to share that might be useful: We stayed at an apartment-style hotel in East London. H deliberately chose it based on its proximity to a tube station. Wise! We rode the tube all over London The tube. It is easy to use - just have a credit card or your iPhone wallet handy and tap to get on and off. Be sure to use the same card when you tap out to avoid an extra fare charge T

It was 2008 or 2009 - in the middle of what became known as the Great Recession - people were finding they needed to offload some of their expenses. H came across eBay ads to take over timeshare agreements. He did some research and we ended up with 17 or 18 years of annual Cabo trips. This was ideal for us as it "forced" us to plan a getaway trip - it is only about a 2-hour flight from Phoenix. We do love Cabo San Lucas but only recently extended our trip with some time in Sa

Where to begin? We are leaving Arizona and heading to Europe for the next 9 months. We decided to either sell or lease our home. When we return to Arizona, we'll find a short-term rental until we leave again. So, we had to sell, donate, or store all of our belongings (including our cars!). We had previously downsized our home after the kids all left for college. We've been living in a small, historic bungalow in Phoenix and thought we were living rather simply - nearly a mini