Too Square to be Hip
A narcissist's guide to travel and culture
After watching the HBO television series Boardwalk Empire, I had a view of Philadelphia as a high class, liquor saturated city that had a reputation among the big players of the prohibition. Prohibition may be gone but the hard-drinking label still remains. Like many American cities, the “City of Brotherly Love” experienced a tragic downturn …
This post covers the following locations, some of which have a blog page of their own for additional information: The map below displays the locations mentioned above: Plattsburg to Lake Placid This section of the trip will take you off the highway (I87) and onto proper country roads, with mountains views and sweeping vistas. Plattsburg …
Podgorica, now that’s a capital that nobody has ever heard of! Probably most people While staying at a hostel in Bosnia, I had inquired about what places to stay while in Podgorica and my host flat out refused to recommend one saying the city was not worth visiting (his actual words were that “There is …
While most of the Balkans fell prey to Turkish expansionism, one region continued to resist. Its people, the Montenegrins, abandoned the shoreline of the Adriatic sea, an easy target for the Turk to raid and continued their fight from the hills and highlands of the Dinaric Alps. Under the wise reign of Prince Nicholas I …
Many cities claim to be impregnable, they have borrowed the moniker “The Gibraltar of the _______”, pretenders they are. Kotor and its mountainous cousin Cetinje make no such claims but the pair may be the closest thing any medieval army faced that would be considered impregnable. The maritime city of Kotor has changed hands many …
This blog post covers the coastal road from Budva to Ulcinj, near the Albanian border. This section of coastline is absolutely spectacular, combining historic old towns, jagged cliffs and winding roads. It is well worth renting a car and stopping off along the way. Although the journey is only 65 kilometers in length, the single …
Camping is an activity that evoke strong reactions, some such as I, describe the activity as one the most enjoyable experience in the world, yet others seem to loathe it with a burning passion. This is due to the fact that things could go so terribly wrong that you will never want to camp again. …
Wondering what to bring with you on your next big excursion? Whether it is simply a month long journey or a full year abroad, this list has you covered! Backpacking This type of trip is usually invoked when a person, typically young, decides to do an extended coming of age trip or alternatively to drop …
As a traveller, I often forget how beautiful places around my own home can be. It usually takes a friend visiting from out of town or a push from a relative to rediscover and reclaim my kingdom. This brings me to Upper Canada Village. I had the fortune/misfortune of visiting this attraction so many times …
I often hear fellow travellers deride Skopje as kitschy, often telling others not to visit this city. I find all this talk preposterous, Skopje for all it’s faults, is absolutely worth seeing. For one, it is the most ridiculous and strange place I have ever visited but most importantly, it is fun! Take that self-important …
