The recovered countries of Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina

I had heard many positive comments about Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina, especially about Sarajevo. Many praised these countries beautiful. First I thought that it would be safest to buy a tour but the price was too expensive. Little by little I was convinced that I could make this trip by myself. So I bought the flight tickets and booked hotels. I took the flight to Budapest where I stayed the first night at the Gellért Hotel. I had bought the train ticket from Budapest to Novi Sad that I printed on the machine at the station before stepping into the train.

The journey took many hours but I had something to read. I also observed the scenery, the vast pusta on the way. There were many huge sun flower and corn fields. I saw some villages, different birds and domestic animals. I went to enjoy a piccolo bottle of sparking wine in the restaurant wagon. When I arrived to Novi Sad, there was still day light. The hotel was not far away from the station, so I could walk there and see the street life on the way. Many families were out.

The hotel was a lovely, small hotel Planeta Inn. The service was excellent. I had a shower and after that I headed to the old town nearby. The evening was warm and many people were out. I found the old town very pleasant. I passed some time in the park. I had a pistachio ice cream and finally I had the dinner at the local food restaurant. The food was tasty and the local wine complemented it. I spoke with the people at the table next door.

At the morning after breakfast I took a taxi to the fortress of Novi Sad. The place reminded me of the Suomenlinna fortress in the front of Helsinki. It had very much the same style and both of them are from the 18th century. This fortress stands on the river bank and it was made by the French architects. I studied exhibitions and the construction of the fortress, before all the well. Then I walked via the old town to the hotel. I was time to go to the station to catch the train to Belgrad.

Belgrad was a big city after Novi Sad. I had a nice hotel, Queen's Astoria Design, close to the station. After a quick shower  I walked to the city center. I saw some beautiful old buildings. The historical museum was under construction. I found the street of old city that I was recommended at the reception. There were restaurants side by side. I chose the second oldest restaurant of Belgrad, DVA Jelena and ordered the famous meal with a glass of local wine. While eating on the terrace there was a band playing the traditional music at the street.

At the morning I visited the famous fortress of Belgrad and some churches.

In the afternoon I took the minibus to Sarajevo. It took many hours to travel from Belgrad to Sarajevo. The border was the river. The landscape changed in Bosnia Herzegovina. Now there were mountains. I had already seen in Serbia some damaged houses, because of the war in 1990's. Here I saw some more. Next to me was sitting a lady who had left the area about 14 years ago. So much had changed according to her. She had lived in Germany and now she was living with her family in Belgrad. It was interesting to hear her memories, wishes and opinions.

Sarajevo is surrounded by mountains. It was a view when we arrived to Sarajevo from the mountains. I was the second one who was dropped to the hotel. This time I had chosen the Isa Begov Hamam Hotel, renovated recently. Once again I had a walking distance to the old quarters. It had started to rain just before Sarajevo and now there was a thunderstorm. Anyway, I had to eat, so I chose the local restaurant on the other side of the river, very close to the hotel and recommended by them. I liked the lamb soup and fresh bread.

After a good sleep and the excellent balkan breakfast I went around the city according to my plan on the map. I started on the spot were the Archduke of Austria Frans Ferdinand was assassinated and which launched the First World War. Then I visited the synagog of Sarajevo and heart the hard history of Jews of the city. After that I visited the orthodox church, the food markets and wondered the marques of the firing on the facade of the defense ministery. Then I stepped to the Catholic church where I was able to take part in a music session. In the front of the church there was a statue of the Pope John Paul II who visited Sarajevo. I found the old synagog which now served as a museum. Finally I wanted to visit mosque in this Balkan Jerusalem, but it was closed. I had to return later. After this interesting tour I spent some time in the bazaar where I enjoyed the balkan coffee.

At the hotel I prepared to go to the hamam. I was in the hot pool and steam room alone. It was lovely!  The surroundings were beautifully made. In the dressing room there were two friendly ladies from Dubai. The other lady gave me some body cream and even sprayed some perfume. After hamam I was so relaxed and clean.

Before dinner I went to see an exhibition of the war time. There were very impressive posters and photos. After that I could visit the mosque. Sarajevo was established by the Ottomans on the 15th century and many buildings were constructed on the 16th century, like this Ghazi Khusraw-Bay  mosque.

During my last day before taking the minibus back to Belgrad I visited the museum of Sarajevo and the rebuild City Hall. My hotel and mosque nearby were totally destroyed during the war but they were rebuilt. There was a good series of photos taken of the ruins and reconstruction work on the walls of the hall before breakfast room.

I was picked up from the hotel but six others needed to be found. It took for a while but at the same time I had a sightseeing tour. I saw different parts of the city and also less attractive suburbs. This time the way back in Bosnia Herzegovina was a little bit different, not that picturesque as on arrival via mountains. Next to me was sitting a young man from Sarajevo who was moving to Moscow to work there. He was working in finance sector. He was very energetic and had strong opinions about politics. I didn't have any boring companion.

In Belgrad I had the same hotel, so I was quite familiar with the place. I had an evening walk and had a  soup and wine in a nice local restaurant. There were many smoking clients which was a little bit disturbing but the staff was friendly and funny. I returned to the hotel because at the morning I had an early flight back home. The ordered taxi took me to the airport but it had to stop on the way because of strange noise in the back. The driver took a big watermelon to the front seat. For me it was time to say good-bye to Serbia.

Arabian treasures in Oman and the United Arab Emirates

Dubai is very a modern city build in the desert by the see. I had a chance to observe this city, Abu Dhabi and the cost of Oman first from the deck of the cruise boat. I was fascinated by the architecture of skyscrapers but the traffic was all the time a big jam. I am not fond of shopping and consuming, so what could I do in this city as a woman if I lived here? There are so many shopping centers. I liked the city museum that told about the fishing village that Dubai was quite recently. The city has a minority of native people and the majority, 75-80%, are foreigners. From abroad there are experts and well-payed professionals but as well workers at hotels, restaurants and building sites. It was a view to see construction workers in their helmets like ants in scaffoldings.

In Dubai I also visited the mosque and enjoyed hot chocolate made of camel milk, in the cafe nearby. That was a nice break. I was also given the Koran in English by the waitress. That was my souvenir from this city and I can use it as a source in my studies and work. After that I went to wonder the palm island. It has been a big project and it is still going on.

Oman was quite different from the United Arab Emirates. I visited only two costal towns, Khasab and Muscat. On my history lectures and during my course about Christianity and Islam, I had read about Portuguese fortresses on the cost and I was very keen to see them. There were many of them but they were quite small. Their architecture had inspired the Arabs to build their fortresses later on.

The climate is harsh and the scenery is mountainous, rocky and without vegetation. In Muscat I admired especially the beautiful mosque. Our local guide was friendly and told a lot about their habits and traditions.

In Abu Dhabi I also visited the famous mosque but I was not that taken. It was like multiplied Taj Mahal. It had some very precious chandeliers. The carpet was wonderful.

My visit was not just cities and the sea. I bought a touristical excursion in the desert where we had land rovers driving on the dunes. I saw the sun set and after that had a short camel drive, henna tattoo, water pipe, traditional dance show and dinner. This was a great fun!

Macedonia, the country of the old churches and ancient culture

Macedonia is not the country on the top of the list to visit but it is worth of seeing. The area has a very long history that you can study in the excellent Archaeological  Museum of Macedonia. There are many objects from prehistory until the Middle Ages. I was impressed by artifacts from the 5-6th century B.C. and from the hellenistic period. Alexander the Great was the son of the area.

Skopje is the city of statues. The country declared its independence in the 1990's and for the glory of the country there are many classical and monumental statues around the city, many of them riders. The biggest is in the center of the city, "Alexander the Great".

In Skopje you can see that there are living both Christians and Muslims in this country. There are both churches and mosques. As well in the countryside you pass Christian and Muslim villages. In Skopje you discover the history in the old bazaar and in the ruins of the fortress. In this area there were some of the first Christians and the influences of Byzantine. The Ottoman Empire left a mark. In the old bazaar I admired the amams and Kapan-an. I ate the traditional food. I also saw the gathering of young Muslim men who were full of energy and emanation. They watched a concert on the screen. I noticed that there were no women on the screen and hardly any woman in the cafe (maybe some sisters along).

I took a bus to Ohrid which is an old town by the lake. I loved that spot! I had an accommodation in a stone house with the view. There were many beautiful old Orthodox churches to discover and lovely nature around. This was the part of my trip that I especially enjoyed.

Before leaving the country I went by bus to Canyon Matka, close to Skopje. The fresh air after the polluted city air did good. The boat trip in the wonderful canyon was pleasant and the visit in Cave Vrelo exciting.

Die Berge, sie grüssen dich

This Autumn we travelled in the gorgeous Alps. Once again my husband, our friend Antti and I started a trip together by flying to Munich. There we rent a car but we had an incredible fortune because there was no longer the car that we had booked, instead we were given a much nicer car at the same price. Next in our plans was to buy some food but at the airport I heart that all the shops were closed because of holy day. Luckily there was one open supermarket at the airport which was very crowded. After all we were on the way to Lichtenstein.

I wanted to visit this tiny principality because not yet been there. I was also interested in seeing this famous tax haven. The scenery was beautiful. All the houses and gardens were so spotlessly clean. I had reserved two hotel rooms with the mountain view but unfortunately the weather was rainy and misty - nebelig. From the balcony we could only see some houses and the church of the village. But the hotel was cozy and we had a nice walk around the village. By car we went to have a dinner in the heart of the mountains close to ski lifts.

The next day we moved to the capital of Lichtenstein were we had a reserved apartment. It was a short but winding road down the hill. Soon the view was great! Petri and Antti rent bikes and discovered the area on bicycles while I visited local museums and had walks around the city. There were many interesting and beautiful statues outdoor because of the art happening of the year. They were made by artists from many countries. I also walked up the hill to admire the castle.

In the evening we went together to the city which had the annual celebration. The city was crowded and many were drunk but there were also families and street artists. At the end we were astonished by the fire works which were repeated ten times. Not just one show but ten! Lichtenstein could afford.

Another day we went back to the village where we had started. The scenery was amazing! We saw the whole valley and the mountains! Across the river there was Switzerland where we drove a couple of times during this visit because there were also interesting places to visit and good restaurants and cafes. On both countries we saw and heart the cows in the fields.

It was time to move on and we drove to Austria. On the way to Zell am See we stopped in Innsbruck to visit the ski jump tower and a lovely cafe. Finally we arrived to Zell am See which was packed-out with muslims. There were many women in black burkas. What was happening? At the reception we were told that this was a popular place for them to celebrate ramada. It was very noisy late by night. Two days and they were gone.


One of the first places to visit was Kitzteinhorn, in 3029 meters. To reach the top we had to take the ski lift three times. I had to buy new gloves to keep fingers warm. Next winter I can¨wear them back at home. The tips of the mountains were covered by clouds, so we could not admire the scenery. But we saw snow and rocks and the air was very thin to breath.


Zell am See celebrated the summer festival and the restaurant of our hotel was full of guests because its food was excellent. Unfortunately the weather was rainy, so Petri and I went back to our room but Antti went to see the water show. During the day we had seen the biggest waterfalls in Europe, Krimmler Waterfalls and walked a lot, so the rainy evening outside was not attractive.

The fantastic day we spent by driving on the famous panarama road of Grossglockner. First it was very misty. It was like in the fary tale when we passed Hexenküche, witch's kitchen. On the top, in 2504 meters, we could not see far away, so no panorama of the Austrian mountains. But we decided to drive forward and suddenly the sky was clear and we could admire the scenery of mountains. We also wondered the glacier that had shrinked a lot in a short period. It told its story about climate warming.

From Zell am See we travelled to Germany to visit Kehlsteinhaus, the Eagle's Nest in 1834 meters. This place had a very special location. Now I can watch historical documents with different mind. The museum and bunkers at the base of the moutain were also interesting to study.

The last night we spent in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We had the dinner at the local, traditional restaurant. Petri and Antti enjoyed Schweinshaxe, for me there was nothing suitable. The soup that I took was too salty and heavy, like sauce. We enjoyed the traditional music and dance. Luckily later we found a nice place where to enjoy cheese cake and tea.

The last day we wanted to see the beautiful castle of Neuschwannstein. The place was full of tourists. We arrived quite early, before the big crowds. However, we could not get the tickets in our schedule. So we admired the castles outside. Before reaching the airport we went for a short visit in Dachau, the place of dead and suffering. It's the dark part of human history to build this kind of concentration camp. It was the first one in Germany but there were more many and as well extermination camps in Germany and other countries. The network of this kind of camps was essential part of totalitarian ideology.

Panama Canal by the cruising boat

In November 2014 I started the fantastic trip by flying with my good friend to San Diego from where we took the cruise to the Panama Canal. After the relaxing sleep and morning swim in a cute small hotel we too a taxi to the port where we lined up for a couple of hours. Finally we were in the ship and our luggage in the cabin. One of the first tasks was to go through the security practice. While standing on the deck we admired the sunset in San Diego downtown. The sun was reflecting from big windows of skyscrapers. The sea was calm and a big aircraft carrier was just in front of us. My friend Tara had visited in some of those, also here in San Diego. I had planned this trip because so I wanted to celebrate my 50 year birthday. This was not my first cruise by the Royal Caribbean because ten years ago in Caribbean I had a cruise which was wonderful.

After two days on the sea we arrived to Capo San Lucas in Mexico, at the tip of Baja California, where the Pacific meets the Sea of Cortez. It's famous for the dramatic seascapes of Land's End. We enjoyed snorkeling in one of its remote beaches. It was joyful to observe the fish and life in sea. On the way back in catamaran we had a couple of margaritas in relaxed atmosphere. On the way we observed sea lions and a wale.

The ship we had learnt to know quite well so far and I even had found my routine for sea days. After breakfast to go to swim and sunbathing, then lunch and quite often a history lesson in the theatre. Then it was time to walk outdoors on the deck and to go to do exercise in gym before going to sauna and spa.  Afternoon tea I always enjoyed in cafe. Then back to cabin to dress for the evening which started by delicious dinner and ended in the theatre which had a varied and exclusive show program.

The next stop in Mexico was in Puerto Vallarta. Already in Finland I had dreamed of meeting with the friendliest mammals in the water, so I swam with dolphins in the Dolphin Adventure Center. They  are amazing animals! They are huge but so smooth in the water. I also got the impression that they are very curious. This day was great! I had a big hug with a dolphin.

The ship cruised further. Tara and I read about the possibility to visit Maya ruins in Guatemala. So from the Puerto Quezal we took the bus and traveled past volcano-guarded mountains and through villages to Iximche which was the capital of the late Postclassic Kaqchikel Maya kingdom from 1470 until its abandonment in 1524.  We were able to discover pyramid-temples, palaces and Mesoamerican ball courts. Some of the buildings evidence of human sacrifice. The ruins have been reestablished as a sacred place for Maya ceremonies. Our excellent guide was Maya descendant and if I remember right, about 80% of population in Guatemala are Mayas. On the way back we ate in a nice and well guarded restaurant. We enjoyed black beens especially.

In Costa Rica we had to visit a coffee plantation because in Finland there is even a coffee brand Costa Rica. On the way we admired the green landscape and watched the street life and modest huts. The standard of living was anyway higher here than in Guatemala. We had a tour in the coffee plantation Café Naranjo and learnt about the coffee process. Finally we enjoyed excellent coffee. After this visit we saw artisans in a handicraft center and enjoyed delicious lunch with different local delicacies.

Our ship now reached Panama and the famous canal. Early at the morning (at 7 am) we arrived and saw the silhouette of skyscrapers of Panama City. Soon we went through the first lock. The ship just fit into the canal. We admired the rocks cut by many workers in harsh conditions hundred years ago. The Panama Canal was ready in 1914. So we left the Pacific Ocean and raised to the big artificial Lake Gatun before descending through the locks to the Atlantic Ocean. All this took the whole day but was very exciting!

The next day we took the bus to see the coast and to visit the old bayside village Portobelo. Even Columbus had been in that location. We went to see the black Christ statue in the church and wandered around in this 16th- and 17th-century Spanish village which was attacked by many Caribbean pirates. There were ruins of forts and a museum located in the former customs building. The ruins were quite damaged because of climate. Even now we had some rain showers.

The last new country during this trip was Columbia. We arrived to spectacular Cartagena which had the silhouette of skyscrapers and high buildings. We had a guided tour in the city which looked quite wealthy. First we visited in Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, one of the most impressive and strongest fortresses created by Spaniards. It had a great view over the city. The weather was so hot! Anyway, we were excited to study the corridors and places of this fortress. Then we headed to the walled Old City of Cartagena and stepped into the 16th and 17th century. We walked in cobblestone streets, elegant plazas and admired colorful architecture. There were different kind of decorated doors and balconies, not to forget flowers. Once there were Caribbean pirates in these streets. We visited the church and the house of inquisition. Before returning to ship we made the acquaintance of modern Cartagena.

It was time to say good-bye to Cartagena and sail away. The city looked amazing! Soon we could admire the beautiful sunset. The last days on the see we spent by relaxing and preparing for home trip. It was also time to say good-bye to new friends and friendly staff. Tara and I, we were familiar with Florida but this time there was no time to stay, so we flew home straight away via New York. Our conclusion was that this trip was fantastic.

Montenegro and Albania

Before my trip in Montenegro I heart that it's the country of mountains. That's true. The landscape was beautiful with mountains covered by pines. The certain pine gives that dark color. So the country is called "black mountain". I also enjoyed the gorgeous canyons on my way. From the bridge I admired the Tara river down deep in river valley. I started the day by the beach in warm Mediterranean climate and ended in cool, fresh air close to mountains covered by snow. The tiny country has different climates and sceneries. I liked the old style houses and big hay poles roadside.

The Kotor bay was especially spectacular. It reminded me of fjords in Norway. But it was much warmer. We went down in serpentine road that was quite narrow. By the sea we visited the old town Kotor which was intriguing. It was the town that resisted the Ottomans. You can still admire the walls around the town. You can even climb into them and see the town from up but unfortunately we had no enough time for that. You also need the proper shoes for walking on uneven road and steps.

Montenegro is not just mountains, it's also the blue sea. The beaches are long and have small round stones but I found a peaceful part of it with some sand and close to the old town of Budva. I found this small old town very fascinating. The cats of Budva were in better shape than those of Kotor.

During my visit I enjoyed lamb and fish. Not to forget all fruit and vegetables! And of course these are the areas of nice wine. So good food at a reasonable price.

Local people were quite friendly. I bought some guided tours that were in English and Russian. In Montenegro there are many tourists from Russia which has the historic background. Russia has had common interests with Serbia and Montenegro, even the Soviet Union had connections to former Yugoslavia. Nowadays many Russians invest in Montenegro.

One day visit in Albania started very early and I returned late. The whole day on the way was not that hard but inspiring. We went first to Skadar. It was already the center of Illyrians. We were told that in communist era all the temples were destroyed. The only church that remained, was the Catholic church but it was used as sport center. Nowadays it's again the Catholic church and close to it there is the Orthodox church and the biggest mosque in Albania. All the religions have their temples. The annoying thing in Skadar was beggars hanging around.

After Skadar we drove to see the big harbor city Drach. From the top floor of a high building there was a good view. The ruins of amphitheater told of ancient times. The harbor was busy. There were people walking at the beach boulevard. Some big buildings were new and elegant but some were abandoned with broken windows.  I also wondered statuary that were mainly men in arms. They were representing the socialist realism and reminded of communist era.

Then we moved on to Tirana, the capital of Albania. Before the city there were many offices and stores of international companies by the road. There were also the new colorful blocks of buildings. In the center you cannot miss the huge mosaic on the facade of the national museum of Albania. The style was socialist realism, of course and the theme was revolutionary, a group of militant people. The main square had also an opera,  a famous mosque and an equestrian statue. In Tirana I had a tasty lunch in an old style restaurant close to the square. I also visited in the new and charming Orthodox church. I also had a glance at the neglected monument of Hoxha who was the former, hated dictator of the country. He called himself pharaoh of Albania and constructed a kind of pyramid for himself but which has now graffiti on its surface. He was the man who made people to build hundreds of thousands of bunkers. He also isolated the country from the rest of the world and ruled by Stalinist methods. Something good he did, for example the illiteracy was eliminated during his period.

I saw many people on the fields working but no tractors. I got the impression that the farms were small. Women were wearing white scarfs. From the border shop I bought a coffeepot to prepare Turkish coffee at home. I can recommend this combination trip to Montenegro and Albania.

Mosel - the picturesque river

The weather is hot like in summer although it's already September. Me and my husband took the flight to Frankfurt Hahn from Tampere. Also a friend of us joined. We hired the car from the airport and started our around trip on Mosel. The car had to be big enough because the men had their road bikes along. They wanted to take part in Nürburgring cycling. Otherwise, we discovered the historical sites by the river and admired the picturesque landscape. Everywhere there are vineyards, lovely old houses, small towns with churches, castles or ruins of castles.

Because of September there are many vine festivals on the area. It's time for that. I enjoy good riesling. We must also feast with cakes.

We had time to see the good part of Mosel. The most southern place was Trier. There is a lot to see. I am fascinated by Roman history, so in Trier there are many Roman ruins. The bridge has Roman base. There is the old city gate, two spas, amphitheater and basilica. But in this city we could also study younger buildings since the middle ages. The cathedral is beautiful and impressive.

While the men were in Nürburgring, I stayed in a lovely small town called Zell. The symbol of the town is the black cat that you can meet everywhere. On Sunday I went to the church which had the special day. They celebrated the end of the renovation and the opening of the church. Everyhing was restored beautifully. After the ceremony there was music and food outside the church.

Near the Mosel there is a fantastic spa in mountains shelter. The thermal spa in Bad Bertrich was so relaxing. The location was amazing.

By car we drove by the river and stopped to visit the places of interest. I had booked the accommodation in different places. We couldn't reach Koblenz because lack of time but maybe next time.