McLauchlan's North Macedonian Musings: Balkan Break: Spring Break Road Trip discovering Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia

There are so many wonderful things to see and to do in Macedonia -- and I hope that as a reader of this blog that you have enjoyed my posts about the ancient Roman ruins, the Byzantine frescoes, the Ottoman fortresses, the wineries, the spas, and the natural beauty of the mountains (like skiing in Mavrovo) and the lakes (Ohrid!) and kayaking Matka Canyon....not to mention the delicious organic produce, the cuisine, the macchiatos!....and the Macedonian hospitality. We did our best to explore Macedonia ... and we look forward to our return, so that we can re-visit favorite spots and to find new ones.

But we thought that when my husband came for a visit during Spring Break, that we would use the opportunity to explore the Balkan Peninsula, to deepen our understanding of the region.

Much like driving through New England, where you could drive through several states in one day, when driving around the Balkans you can drive through several countries in one day (as we did on the drive home, from Dubrovnik to Skopje, when we drove through 5 countries in one day), experiencing different language, different culture, different religion, different cuisine.

During Spring Break, we took a 4-day road trip through 4 countries: Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia. With the assistance of a driver who was recommended by a colleague in the Peace Corps - Goran - and thanks, Bonnie, for the recommendation! - we were able to sit back and enjoy the views.