Author: Melissa Allen

As noted in our previous post, we made our way back to Orlando, Florida. We landed on Friday, one day prior to the landfall of Hurricane Irma. Upon arrival to Orlando we rented a car and bought the FULL insurance just in case the car incurred damage. It was a weird feeling being back in Orlando. While most things seem to be the same, everything and everyone was completely focused on the approaching hurricane. If stores were open, employees were doing everything they could last minute to protect the property. We went to several stores looking for supplies, water and food to survive for 48 hours while the city was shut down. The stores were insane! The lines were much longer than Black Friday. The store shelves were empty and it was really hard to find bottled water.  We were lucky to find an Aldi that still had what we needed. Thank you Aldi Clermont!

After a quick visit to our extremely packed storage unit, we hunkered down at our rented condo to wait out the storm. We have never watched so much

Weather Channel coverage in our lives. As the storm came in, the windows shook and the trees rattled. The blowing of the wind was so loud. It went on for hours and hours. While the experience was a bit scary, we were some of the lucky ones; we never lost power.

Once the storm passed and curfew was lifted, we couldn’t wait to get out of the condo. We checked our rental car and were glad to see no damage (bummer we paid for all the insurance). We walked around the complex to survey what the local area looked like. There were some down trees and high water levels but overall, it was just debris everywhere.

We were very blessed that Orlando did not receive as hard of a hit as expected. Our hearts go out to those in South Florida, the Caribbean and Jacksonville that are dealing with much more devastating circumstances.

During our visit to Orlando we were able to take care of a lot of prep work for our upcoming adventures over the next 90 days. We also had an opportunity meet up with some of our friends. It was so much fun to catch up with them and hear about all the stuff we missed since we have been gone. We shared some of our travel stories as well. Sorry we weren’t able to see everyone!

We are now at the airport waiting for our flight to Dusseldorf and then Rome. Funny thing is, we are flying on Air Berlin, which was supposed to go bankrupt today and stop all flights.  Luckily the German Government stepped in and extended the international flights to proceed until next week.  Fingers crossed we make it to Rome!

After a relaxing few days on the beach in Ulcinj, Montenegro we started our trip to the coastal city of Durres, Albania. We discovered when trying to find transportation from Montenegro (in the European Union) to Albania (non- EU) that a connection is not easy. There are no trains at all that run from one country to the other. The bus route from Ulcinj takes 3 bus changes and 9 hours, plus border crossing time. So, we opted for the most direct route of a taxi. Unfortunately it is NOT cheap and cost us 120 Euros one way. Bummer! In end we both agreed it was worth the convenience and time for the taxi.

The drive was a little under 3 hours. At the border crossing we didn’t even have to show our passports or exit the taxi. The driver just honked the horn, waved and drove straight thru. Arriving in Durres at our beach condo, we were surprised how few people we there. The beach restaurants and bars are set up for mass crowds but it is the end of season and occupancy was low. Which was great for us.  We had much of the beach area to ourselves.

We spent 8 nights in Durres. There is not much to see within the city so we played a lot of cards, did research for upcoming parts of our trip and enjoyed the beach. We also cooked meals each day which was a nice change for us.

Here is a fun story to share about and experience                                                         we had was at “The Beach Bar.” We spent one afternoon there playing cards and enjoy a beer on a hot day. They have music playing a fun atmosphere. So, we sat down and ordered a beer. The bartender asked “what type of beer, local?” We said “yes.”  So what does he bring us… Heineken. We asked again for a local beer. He responded, “this is local beer.” I couldn’t help myself in saying “no it’s from Amsterdam.” He said “no it’s Albanian beer.”  So we had a good laugh about enjoying an “Albanian beer” on the beach.

On our daily walks to the market and bakery, we often had to walk around many stray dogs around the street. There are so many of them. Some are tagged by the city and some are not. On our way to the ferry terminal Robert was followed by one for a long distance because the dog liked the smell of his bag. We finally got him to back away. Then near the port we stopped for dinner. At the restaurant there was another dog but one with a tag. I’m a sucker… I know but didn’t finish all my food and asked if I could share some with the dog. The waiter said “Of course. Her name is Lola.” So,  I shared my pizza with Lola and made a new friend.

Here are some photos from our week in Albania:

As I mentioned above the transportation to and from Albania is quite difficult. So in order to leave Eastern Europe we had to take a ferry from  Durres, Albania to Bari,  Italy. It was an overnight ferry that left Durres at 11:00pm. Wow… ever wonder what it would be like to be a crew member on a water vessel? Well, we found out. We rented cabin (if you can call it that). It was a closet with bunk beds and a 2 foot nightstand next to the lower bed. That was it. No facilities, not even enough room for both of us to stand inside the cabin at the same time. The ceiling was low so beds were too close together to sit up on them.  There was just enough room to sleep. An the community bathrooms had non-potable water and half working facilities. It was a very interesting travel experience that we won’t soon forget. Needless to say we made it to the other side of the Adriatic sea. It was a vast difference from our ferry trip from Helsinki to Tallinn.

We are now in Italy for a few days on our way back the USA for a quick stop in Orlando for restocking and taking care of some necessary business. We will be back on the road on Friday Sept.  15.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of our family and friends in Florida who will be dealing with the destruction and aftermath of Hurricane Irma. We will be in Orlando over this time as well. May God keep all of us safe!

Upon our return to Europe we will be in Rome, Italy and then taking a flight to Johannesburg to start our African Adventure!

With our bad experience in Budva behind us, we hired a taxi to take us to the seaside town of Bar. We made a reservation the night before and found a hotel across the street from the beach. While a little more expensive, we were so excited to have a better beach experience. Upon check-in, we were not disappointed. The owner greeted us with enthusiasm about how much we were going to enjoy our stay, walked us to our room and told us about their lovely breakfast the next morning.  We were so relived to find a great place along the Montenegrin coast.

The Casablanca Restaurant across from our hotel has a lovely sun deck with a pool. They rent two beach chairs with an umbrella for 5 Euros. We sent 2 days enjoying the beach at The Casablanca. During the two evenings we spent in Bar, we walked along the beach; stopping to eat at a café and watch the beautiful sunsets.

On our last morning in Bar, we took a taxi to Stari Grad Bar (Old Town Bar). We were so glad we did. The historical center has been preserved and turned into a living museum.  There is an entrance fee of 2 Euros but there are no restaurants, shops or homes in the historical area. Stari Grad Bar is a completely walled city. What remains from centuries before are ruins of a town that once was buzzing with life. Wandering the streets of this ruined city was a huge European highlight for us. It was amazing to see an entire city preserved in that way. Below are some of the pictures from our visit to Stari Grad Bar:

After our lovely visit to Bar, we headed to Ulcinj. Another seaside town in the southern part of Montenegro. It is very well  known for its beautiful coastline and vibrant nightlife. There is a bus route that goes directly from Bar to Ulcinj. We purchased the tickets for 2 Euros each. The ride took about 1.

5 hours through the curvy roads along the coast. We arrived at the Ulcinj bus station in the early afternoon and took a taxi to our Airbnb apartment. Without going Into great detail… it was awful. So we left that place and checked into the hotel next door. It all worked out fine in the end as the hotel we ended up at had a lot better view and was $22 per night less with breakfast.

After exploring the Ulcinj Beach area, we discovered two distinct beach experiences within walking distance of our hotel. Along the main corridor there is large beach that is completely packed full of locals and vacationers laying on the beach…yes, I mean LAYING in the sand. And just a quarter mile south is Aquarius Beach which is a cl

ub open to the public offering a totally different experience. As I’m sure you guessed, we chose the Aquarius Beach Club. Chairs with an umbrella can be rented for 5 Euros each or a sunbed for two can be rented for 20 Euros per day. We went for the full luxury experience and it was worth every penny. We spent two days at the beach just chilling. It was amazing. We would recommend that if your are planning a trip to Montenegro, go to Ulcinj and visit one of the beach clubs.

During our 5 night stay in Ulcinj we visited Stari Grad Ulcinj (Old Town Ulcinj) but found out there is nothing there except restaurants and apartments; not even a single shop. The reward for climbing the very tall hill was a beautiful view.

It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride while in Montenegro but in the end we really enjoyed our 12 days here. Next stop is Durres, Albania.

We just finished up a week in Greece enjoying it down to the very moment when we left the beach in a taxi headed for the airport at 7:30pm.

Our week started with a day in Athens. It is our second time to Athens and we have been to all the major attractions before. So we decided to take the hop-on hop-off bus tour which gave us a chance to see all the major sites around the city in one route. There are three bus lines, all having the same route. Two of the three offer two days for the price on one.

We hopped off the bus to find the shopping street in Plaka. It is located one street over from the main shopping street,  Ermou Street. On Ermou you can find all the name brand shops and the next street over has all the souvenirs you could wish for,  as well as outdoor cafes.

From Athens we took the ferry to the Greek Island of Crete. The ferry was scheduled for 9 hours but took 11 hours due to a very late departure. We had smooth seas but the seating areas were very hot. We passed our time by playing cards. We were able to see the island just as the sun started to set. It was beautiful to start off our Crete holiday.

We rented a small flat near the beach in village of  Kalyves. The village was wonderful, very quiet with great beaches. Our apartment worked well for us with the exception that there was no working internet. So what do you do when you are stuck on a Greek Island with no internet?

There is a restaurant on the beach about two blocks east from the church on the village center that we highly recommend. The view is wonderful, the food is fantastic (and inexpensive), the staff is super friendly and after your meal the staff brings you complimentary Ouzo and

fresh fruit for dessert. As a bonus, they offer free lounge  chairs with an umbrella for their customers. If you ever visit the village of Kalyves, make a visit to Kritiko Restaurant. We enjoyed it so much, we spent two full days there at the beach and eating at the restaurant.

Our Greek adventure came to an end by spending the night in the Athens airport. When we arrived after midnight, we realized we weren’t the only ones. There were hundreds of people sleeping in every area of the airport.  We have never seen anything like it. So, we just picked out a spot in the corner and rested for a few hours. Our destination the next morning… Montenegro!

Our last blog update was a but delayed due to some internet challenges. Below is the current update of where we are and where we are headed…

We left the beautiful city of Krakow behind and took a long (8+ hours) bus ride to Vienna, our first stop along the Danube. We had to change buses mid-way in a border town in the Czech Republic. Before we left Florida, Robert collected all the change from a previous trip, packed it just in case. It added up to about $7.00 worth so with a little negotiation we bought a few chicken wraps for lunch at the bus station.

Upon arriving in Vienna, we navigated the metro system and arrived at our hotel which was on the far side of Prader (the famous amusement park). We stayed just one night. We enjoyed walking around Prader in the evening and almost rode a very high swing but Missy “chickened out.” The next morning it was raining and continued all day. We made the most of it and explored the city near St. Stephan’s Cathedral.

Then it was back to the bus station for the short trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. We checked into our amazing apartment that overlooked the Presidential Palace and was one block from Michael’s Gate. The weather cleared up in the afternoon and we went straight for Old Town to take it all in. We instantly loved the city. It boasts charming cafes and cute shops mixed with history that can be seen just by a walk to the main square.

There are some famous statues throughout the city. We had a great time searching them out.

Another highlight was the Red Lion bar in Old Town. We stopped by two nights in a row to take part in the happy hour special – 1 Euro per pint! That is the cheapest beer we have had in over 60 days.

After three wonderful days in Bratislava we ventured out to a lesser known part of Slovakia. We rode the train to Sturovo. Exiting the train station was like entering another world. When turning around to look at the entrance, you would never guess that it was a train station. In the parking lot were “bus stops” and a very nice woman assisted us in finding a bus to town. It was a very fun interaction as she spoke ZERO English. Great news — we made it.  We spent the night in a small Slovakian town on the bank of the Danube River.

The view into Esztergom,  Hungary just across the river was amazing. We had some drinks and played cards on a boat bar featuring the grand view.

Saturday we did something awesome… we walked across the country border bags in tow. We crossed the Danube via the bridge from Slovkia to Hungary.

We explored the quaint town of Esztergom, Hungary. This Basilica is the largest Basilica in Hungary which dominates the view of the town from the Danube. There is also the town Castle (and you know I love Castles!).

We said Goodbye to the Emerald Isle and started our trip through the Baltic port cities. First stop… Oslo, Norway. Our flight from Dublin to Helsinki allowed us a 15 hour stopover in Oslo which we were eager to take advantage of. The one thing we weren’t quite prepared for was how expensive it is. The 1.5 mile shuttle service to an airport hotel is approximately $8.50 per person each way. A 24 hour bus & tram ticket is approximately $21.00 per person. And yes, after some intense research this is the cheapest way to get around.

However, upon exiting the train station we immediately loved the city. You can see the historic buildings as well as the very modern ones like the Opera House all in the same panoramic view. We enjoyed exploring the city center on foot and had lunch along the water front just before the rain started to fall.

Then it was off to Helsinki. We rented a flat in downtown which was perfect. The tram, bus and metro system are very easy to use. Our flat was just 1 block from the tram stop. Prior to arriving in Helsinki, we bought the  48-hour Helsinki card with regional access online for 53.80 euros per person. Expensive yes, but everything in the Baltics is expensive. This pass allowed us to experience much more than we could have afforded otherwise. We highly recommend this card to all tourists that go to Helsinki. We picked up our cards on the lower level of the airport.  The regional access included the train to and from the airport as well as all modes of public transportation. We also enjoyed the Hop-on Hop-off bus tour around the city (included). Entrance to the Finland National Museum (included). A 1.75 hour Canal Boat cruise around the islands of Helsinki (included). Lastly, we went to the Suomenlinna Fortress on one of the islands (ferry & museum entrances included).

At the end of our 3 day visit we took the tram to the brand new West Ferry terminal. We boarded a “ferry boat” that would take us across the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, Estonia. Much to our surprise when entering the boat, it was a cruise ship, really I’m serious. It had 9 decks, multiple bars, restaurants and even live entertainment in several areas of the ship. We opted to snag a booth in the theater where we played cards while listening to a live band and saw a magician act. It was a quite an experience for a 2 hour ferry ride.

The weather on the day of our ferry trip was foggy with constant rain. That made our taxi ride and walk to our apartment in Tallinn less than pleasant. We didn’t get off the ship fast enough so we were unable to get one of the taxis waiting at the port. We had to wait in the queue for 10+ minutes in the pouring down rain until some of them made it back to pick up passengers again. Our tip is to make haste when exiting the ferry ship so you can be at the head of the queue for a taxi.

This may come of a surprise for some of our friends from the hotel  industry but we finally broke down and used Airbnb. Since both have spent our careers in the hotel industry we have tried our best to avoid supporting that business. Unfortunately, it was our best option for a flat in Tallinn within walking distance of old town. We stayed in the Kalamaja district right across from the main train station. I have to admit that it worked out perfectly.

Old Town Tallinn is wonderful with cobblestone streets, little shops, restaurants and history at every turn. We enjoyed just walking around and people watching. The cafes in Old Town are about 30% more expensive than those in the Kalamaja district. There is also a very nice market with fresh fruits, veggies and meats just outside the Central Train Station.

The only public transportation we needed was a public bus to take us across town on our last day to the Central Bus Station.

We are currently on a bus from Tallinn, Estonia to Riga, Latvia where our adventure continues…

We made it to the land of Shamrocks and Leprechauns.  The weather is a bit colder than expected and we are wearing our jackets and hats on a daily basis. Would you believe it’s July? We arrived in Dublin to pouring down rain which continued for a solid 12 hours. It was a soggy start. The next day it was warmer but with high winds.  We are powering through to enjoy our Irish holiday.

Since we saw so many castles in Scotland and I have been to Ireland before,  I’m  happy to experience some different things this time (shocking I know).

A visit to Waterford Crystal is an amazing experience.  It’s something I have wanted to do for years and now I have! We highly recommend spending time to take this tour. It is fascinating to watch the craftsman cut the crystal by hand. We watched each step in the process from melting, to blowing the crystal, shaping, sanding, cutting and engraving. We very much enjoyed it.

Next up… Irish Whiskey. Jameson Irish Whiskey is produced 100% in Midleton, Ireland. We toured the distillery and did some whiskey tasting. Most fun of all was the whiskey comparison at the end. Tasting Jameson, Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker side by side. Which to do think won the taste test? Jameson, of course!

And it wouldn’t be Ireland for me unless we saw a few castles too…

We have much more to explore as we enjoy the beautiful Irish Isle. Can you guess what we will see next?

Our Seat car,  Izzy, has taken us over 5,000 kilometers so far. Tomorrow we have to turn her in as we are headed to Scotland and Ireland on Tuesday. The past 30 days have been amazing. Our last few stops brought us through Southern France and into the small country of Andorra.

We spent the night in Bayonne, France. It was a small city on the river with cute shops, restaurants and a gothic cathedral. We walked around the city and took in the sites.

Next stop was Lourdes, France. It’s one of the 1,000 places to see before you die and we found out why as soon as we pulled in the city. There are hotels, glitzy signs, tourist shops and cafes like you have never seen before.

The draw for the city is the Sanctuary of our Lady of Lourdes (St. Bernadette). The legend goes that in 1858 a young girl named Bernadette had several “visits” from  virgin Mary telling her that water would come from the rock and she should drink it.  Since then, the catholic church has recognized her as a Saint and built a HUGE complex around the area where the “visits” appeared. Over a million people a year take a pilgrimage to this sacred site for healing. During our visit to the complex there was a ceremony and procession of people that came from all over the world to be healed by the water from the grotto. There are hundreds of people in wheelchairs, walkers and even a gurney. It was very interesting to witness. We would definitely recommend a visit to Lourdes, France.

From  Lourdes, we started our drive to the small country of Andorra. On the way we drove through the French city of Fiox, which has a beautiful castle on top of the hill. We stopped for an hour, hiked the long trail up to the castle and toured the very well preserved structure. During our visit Robert & I got to try shooting a cross bow. We both loved the castle and really enjoying the experience.

We finally arrived in Andorra to breathtaking views. We rented an apartment in the mountain village of el Tarter. We cooked dinner and enjoyed the view from our balcony.

The next day Robert wanted to take a hike. I agreed since he said it was rated “easy.” We started off on the very steep trail and continued walking uphill for 1.5 hours. We were not sure we were going to make it but then we came upon the lake. After such a tough climb we were so glad to enjoy a calm lunch at the lakeside.

Our Andorra adventure is coming to an end and we leave tomorrow morning for Barcelona. We’ll be saying goodbye to Izzy… but hello Scotland and a new rental car!

We have had the amazing experience of staying with some friends in a small Spanish Pueblo (town) of Alcaucin, located in the mountains just north of Malaga. The Pueblo is set into the hillside with narrow streets and all the charm one can hope for. We have truly enjoyed spending time with the Zartman family as well as seeing what is like for the locals. Below is a picture of all of us during our trip to Morocco this past weekend.

While staying with the Zartman family, we took a day trip to Cordoba. Upon arrival we went straight for the biggest attraction, the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba. The current structure started construction around 784 A.D. It was built as a Mosque and was turned over to Christian rule in 1235 A.D. Then in the 16th century the church received the addition on top of the Mosque adding a Renaissance Cathedral nave.

I would highly recommend making Cordoba a stop on your next trip to Spain, even if it just to see the Mosque-Cathedral. It is very interesting and quite different any others throughout Europe.

Tip: Tickets can be purchased upon entry for 10 Euros per person. There is a ticket window which has a very long line. If you look to the left of the ticket window you will find the ticket kiosks. The machines only take cash but using this method will significantly reduce your wait time. You can also purchase tickets to climb the bell tower for 2 Euros per person. Those must be purchased from the counter directly in front of the bell tower entrance.

After exploring the Mosque-Cathedral for about an hour, we wandered the streets of the Juderia (Jewish Quarter) and had lunch in one of the cafes along the famous Patios of Cordoba.

Before heading to the car for our drive back to Alcaucin, we stopped to see the Roman Bridge. It is pretty cool to see as it was originally built in the 1st century B.C.

Our drive was beautiful through the mountains covered in Olive trees. Tonight is our last night with our friends and then we are off to Seville.

We awoke this morning to the slow of the engine as our captain maneuvered into the small port of Cartagena, Spain. We got up for a quick bite to eat before heading off the ship to explore the city. The Spanish city has a rich history all the way back to Roman times. The most exciting site we viewed today was the Roman Amphitheater dating back between 5 B.C. and 1 B.C.

We have received some great questions about our experience so far and we thought it would be fun to answer a few.

1)  What did you do to pass time while at sea for over a week?  Playing trivia, reading, sitting in the sun and playing Yahtzee were some  of the things we did on sea days. We also enjoyed the headliner shows which included a soprano sax player, a fantastic singer, a magician and wonderful trio featuring Michael Buble’ songs. Our ship had the best entertainment of any cruise we have taken so far.

2) Did you win any trivia contests? Yes!  We won the country music trivia night. I’m sure you’re surprised but we killed it!  We won a life altering gift – a Royal Caribbean pen.

3) How do you compare the transatlantic cruise to a Caribbean cruise? The cruise activities, dinner and shows were very similar to other cruises we have taken. However, on sea days the time on the ship moved forward an hour everyday. We didn’t have the hour of 12:00pm – 1:00pm for 6 days in a row. This was to help us transition to the time change of 6 hours ahead, but did not make getting up every morning easy.

4) Did you experience choppy waters? The most “motion in the ocean” as our captain called it, was the first day after we left Sint Maarten. The crossing of the Atlantic Ocean was great; smooth waters, beautiful sunshine with a strong breeze. And the best part was neither of us had any sea sickness!

As you can see from our itinerary, we did not wake this morning on the cruise ship but wanted to complete our post since we ran in to an internet issues over the past two days. We are back up and running and can’t wait to share more with you very soon!