Greece, Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslavia

The original plan was a seaside stay in Greece and a visit to the Meteora region, Thessaloniki and Mount Athos (Agio Oros). But once we arrived in this region we decided not to return by ship but to do the whole thing by car, passing through Bulgaria, thus visiting the city of Plovdiv with its Roman remains and the capital Sofia. So from the start: departure from Brindisi with a visit to the trulli of Alberobello. The next morning we're in Igoumenitsa and head for Parga, where we stay almost a week. On the seventh day, the Meteora, stopping for lunch at Ioannina. Then Thessaloniki for one night, and here we decide to return via Bulgaria. A day in Plovdiv and then Sofia (but we decide that Bulgaria deserves a more in-depth visit). On the ninth day one long haul, passing through (without stopping) Belgrade and staying two days on the island of Krk in Croatia.

The last day, queuing on the Mestre ring road, tired and stuck in traffic, thinking back on our mini-tour of the Balkans, we were nonetheless happy with the choice we had made.