I don't know what possessed me to include a stopover in Helsinki for just two nights but in hindsight I am glad I did. Having seen only a small glimpse of the city I feel compelled to come back and explore it further. Perhaps I'll stop by again on my way to visiting some of the other Scandinavian Regions that have been on my bucket list and no this does not mean I have started planning my next trip; I am purely just fantasising about where it is I would like to ...

The drive from Zagreb to Ljubljana yesterday was the most scenic to date. We were treated to an array of different coloured fields creating a patchwork blanket of soft greens, browns and yellows. Now and again out of the blue would appear beautiful authentic farmhouses, old historical castles and Roman Catholic Churches with high steeples and clock towers. Although Slovenia was also part of the former Yugoslavia, it managed to untangle itself from the mess of wa...

I wish we had had more time to enjoy Sarajevo. To be honest I don't even feel like crossing it off my 'list of cities visited' because spending 2 hours in the Old Town and sleeping in a hotel room overnight really doesn't warrant that right. Although we had an included walking tour it felt a little rushed and most of the group, including myself, seemed more interested in keeping dry and warm than listening to Dino, our local guide explain the history of his coun...

When we first put our names down for the Croatian Evening excursion with Cosmos we had no idea what we were getting ourselves in for! I had imagined a large, overcrowded restaurant full of tourists all tucking into dinner with old men dressed in traditional clothing playing the piano accordion or even worse. But I couldn't have been further from the truth! Last night we travelled by coach to a remote village. The further up into the mountains we drove, the narro...

Yesterday we travelled south to Split through the hinterlands and along the Dalmatian Coast. Small country towns would appear briefly between the trees, a reminder that civilisation was still present even out here. Many of the homes we passed had manicured vegetable gardens which I know my dad would kill for. He has a garden, but lets just say that I am a little confused as to what is considered to be a 'plant' and what is a 'weed' - don't tell him I said that b...