What it’s all about, let me explain

Categories Musings, Personal Updates, Via Dinarica Inspiration
BLOG | What it's all about, let me explain

“Eva, what is your website about?” Isn’t that obvious? I would say. Apparently it isn’t. The more I think of it, the more I realize that perhaps it’s hard to get indeed. To get what it’s ALL about. Because I don’t know neither. A personal blog, a life and adventure journal. Inspired by Via Dinarica, I started to explore. It’s shows a journey. The journey of me, following my path. Step by step. One step at the time. Sometimes I can hardly see the path, but that’s part of the process. The process called life.

Continue Reading "What it’s all about, let me explain" →

The area of Dubrovnik, island Mljet and Pelješac peninsula

Categories Blue Trail, Updates

It’s all about the mindset, but how to set your mind when you’re hiking the last leg of a trail which is still 900 kilometers? It’s not like I’m almost done, while at the same time it’s the last part. Also, the word mindset implies that I’m in control of my mind. I whish. Or maybe not? In reality my mind is influenced by how I feel just as much as the other way around. My solution: try not to think too much, just hike. And so I did.

Continue Reading "The area of Dubrovnik, island Mljet and Pelješac peninsula" →

Looking back on October: From Artic Cold to Indian Summer

Categories Looking Back, My Via Dinarica Journey

At the end of the month I’d like to look back on where I’ve been, what I did and how I felt. Usually I upload my Instagram photos in the “Looking Back” blogpost, but the second half of October I hardly had any internet. So, no Instagram updates. Because I want my posts to be chronological and it took me quite a while to catch up, I delayed this post. We’re halfway November, but here’s me looking back on October.

Continue Reading "Looking back on October: From Artic Cold to Indian Summer" →

Gut feeling, being lucky and the sea

Categories Blue Trail, Musings

When I camp in front of a church I usually feel comfortable. It can go two ways. The positive scenario is that being around people, near a village for example, gives me the idea to be protected. The other scenario is that people with bad intentions know where to find me. You never know for sure in which scenario you’ll end up in, but I kind of learned to trust my gut feeling. And that got me pretty far.

Continue Reading "Gut feeling, being lucky and the sea" →

Staring at the Sea

Categories Blue Trail, Updates

From Vrbanj I went down to the sea. To Herceg Novi. With pain in my heart I skipped Subra’s amphitheatre. Too much wind. A warm wind, but still too windy to go for an exposed klettersteig-hike-climb. At mountainhut Vratlo I was in doubt, maybe I could try to go from there. But no, that wouldn’t be the same. I mean, I could hike to the peak of Subra, but I would still miss the spectacular climb and that’s what this stage is all about. This will be another place I sooner or later come back to.

Continue Reading "Staring at the Sea" →

EAT SLEEP HIKE REPEAT

Categories Blue Trail, Hiking Tales
Primorska Planinarska Transverzala Montenegro

I’m not much of a mile-maker, but last few weeks I’ve been walking in circles, exploring, climbing, bouldering, jeep touring and most of all: I’ve been chilling so much that I’m up for some real long distance hiking again. I want to get back to my hiking rhythm. EAT SLEEP HIKE REPEAT. Also, if I want to finish all Via Dinarica trails this year, I’d better get on moving, because days are rapidly getting shorter.

Continue Reading "EAT SLEEP HIKE REPEAT" →

DAY 123: About making miles and killing kilometers

Categories Hiking Tales, Via Egnatia Albania
Shkodër, Albania

Lately I’ve been reading trail reports of some of this years Via Dinarica hikers. Megan and Brittanie for example. I love to read about their experiences, how they hike it, how they like it – or not – and how they write about it. Both these girls write about how they feel just as much as they write about the trail itself. That’s what I like and probably what I’m trying to do myself. I’m struggling with finding words in English though. My vocabulary is too small to express myself the way I do in Dutch. Therefore trail reports in English are a great way to learn.

Continue Reading "DAY 123: About making miles and killing kilometers" →

On my own again

Categories Hiking Tales, Hiking the Balkans
Ohrid lake Kališta

The last night of our boulder trip we camped near Treskavec monastery, a brilliant place. Actually it was my last night, the rest of the crew stayed, but I felt ready to continue hiking. To be on my own again. From the monastery I followed an easy going hiking trail down to Prilep. I snapped tons of photos, stopped and stared more than I walked. In a way Pelagonija reminded me of Mojave desert, but without Joshua trees. And slightly smaller. Nevertheless, an impressive landscape.

Continue Reading "On my own again" →

TRAILNOTES: My Macedonian Traverse, a mountain pathway

Categories Macedonian Traverse, Trailnotes
Dark thoughts, Macedonian mountains

The Macedonian Traverse is a hiking trail through the mountains of Western Macedonia. It runs from mountain hut Ljuboten to Crvena Voda or Ohrid if you don’t mind a roadhike at the end. Some see it as an extension of the Via Dinarica or promote it like that, but the Macedonian Traverse has an history of its own. In 1975 a bunch of Macedonian mountaineers set the trail as the “First Macedonian Traverse” or “Prva Makedonska Transverzala”. There’s a documentary of their undertaking where they (try to) hike the traverse in summer ánd winter.

Continue Reading "TRAILNOTES: My Macedonian Traverse, a mountain pathway" →

Exploring Shar Mountain, a photo story

Categories Macedonian Traverse, Via Dinarica Inspiration
Hiking Titov Vrv

Shar mountain (Shara, Šar, Sharr, Sharri) has been on my list for years. Ever since I first read about the First Macedonian Transversal (Transferzala), a hiking trail that crosses the entire Shar mountain range, I had the wish to explore Shar mountain. I could try to describe what it looks like, but I suck at that. I don’t have the vocabulary and the words I make up probably won’t be much of a help. I’ll stick to sharing my personal experience and add a whole lot of photos to give you an impression. So here we go, here’s my “Exploring Shar Mountain Photo Story”.

Continue Reading "Exploring Shar Mountain, a photo story" →

Looking back on July: Serbia & Kosovo

Categories Looking Back, My Via Dinarica Journey

At the end of the month I’d like to look back on where I’ve been, what I did and how I felt. Despite the fact that I’m really taking my time, I can’t escape the feeling that I can’t keep up with my own pace. I’m a slow traveller, still I need more time to sit and stare. Every day is an adventure, that’s how I like it. Not knowing what the day will bring. Live every minute, absorb every impression. To avoid an adventure overdose, I write. 

Continue Reading "Looking back on July: Serbia & Kosovo" →

TRAILNOTES: Via Dinarica Green Trail in Serbia

Categories Green Trail, Trailnotes

The Via Dinarica Green Trail in Serbia goes through the lower mountains north of the White Trail. Those lower mountains often look like hills, peaks aren’t as prominent as in Durmitor for example (or Prokletije!), but on the other hand the route often stays around the 1000 meter above sea level. In those “hills” there are many farms, villages and weekend houses, vikendica. Therefore the Green Trail in a way is much more alive.

Continue Reading "TRAILNOTES: Via Dinarica Green Trail in Serbia" →

Connecting the dots… Hiking from Višegrad to and through Tara National Park, TRAILNOTES

Categories Green Trail, Trailnotes

Trailnotes & thoughts of a route that is connecting Višegrad with Tara National Park, the Serbian Via Dinarica Green Trail trailhead. Note that you have to go to the official border crossing point since there’s no agreement for hikers or whatsoever. So this actually is not a route, but more an attempt to “connecting the dots”.

Continue Reading "Connecting the dots… Hiking from Višegrad to and through Tara National Park, TRAILNOTES" →

Looking back on June: from Dutch summer into Green Wilderness

Categories Looking Back
A walk in the clouds

At the end of the month I like to look back on what I did, where I was and how I felt. Usually I use my Instagram feed to do so, but the first half of this month I took a bit of a break, because I went back to The Netherlands. There I hugged my friends, witnessed (at) a wedding, spend time with my family and enjoyed the Dutch goods; patatje speciaal, biertje speciaal, 100% pindakaas, dropjes en kaas. Didn’t share this online, but here a short version will follow.

Continue Reading "Looking back on June: from Dutch summer into Green Wilderness" →

Hiking the Jahorina Trailrun Track from Sarajevo to Višegrad, TRAILNOTES Via Dinarica Green Trail

Categories Green Trail, Trailnotes
Sun before the Storm,  Rogatica

Jep, I’m hiking again. From Sarajevo I’m heading East on the Jahorina Trailrun Track to Višegrad. Those of you who  follow me on Facebook might have read these notes before, yes I’m a bit lazy. Nevertheless I hope this post is either helpful or inspiring for whoever’s thinking of hitting the trail.

Continue Reading "Hiking the Jahorina Trailrun Track from Sarajevo to Višegrad, TRAILNOTES Via Dinarica Green Trail" →

How a simple bus ride from Zagreb to Knin turned into a scandal

Categories Balkan Stories
BLOG | How a relatively simple bus ride from Zagreb to Knin turned into a scandal

Although it’s very efficient to send your packages by bus instead of using the regular post service, travelling by bus can be challenging in Croatia. To avoid a long, complicated (maybe impossible) bus ride from Zagreb to Buško jezero, I decided to start hiking in Knin. I wanted to cross Dinara, Troglav and Kamešnica all the way through the mountains. The difficult logistics with public transport are more or less part of the adventure, but I would deal with that on my way back, I thought. That this relatively simple bus ride from Zagreb to Knin turned into a scandal is a sad, but unfortunately true story.

Continue Reading "How a simple bus ride from Zagreb to Knin turned into a scandal" →

Gone hiking. Dinara, here I come! (+ my first podcast)

Categories Exploring the Dinarides, Podcast
BLOG Gone hiking, Dinara here I come

It’s 00.27 my backpack is packed, GPS is up to date, launched my podcast and after this blog post I’m ready too. Ready for a little hike. Tomorrow I take the bus to Knin from where I hit the trail to Dinara. Gone hiking. Although I hiked across the entire Dinaric Alps, I haven’t been on Dinara yet. Or well, I was on the mountain, but not on the peak. A peak, the peak. Something to do with bad weather. I Thought it would be a nice way to open this years hiking season. Hiking Dinara. And when already I’m there, I might as well continue on the trail to Troglav and Kamešnica.

Continue Reading "Gone hiking. Dinara, here I come! (+ my first podcast)" →

Looking back on April: Lost

Categories Looking Back, Zagreb & Surroundings
BLOG | Looking back on April, LOST

At the end of the month I’d like to look back on what I did, where I’ve been and how I felt. I usually use my Instagram feed to do so, but this month I hardly posted any photos. Why? Well first of all, I didn’t feel like it. Didn’t feel like sharing. Secondly, I’ve been busy with the Croatian language course (so much fun!) and creating tours on Outdooractive. Yes I’ve been active on Outdooractive, but I was pretty lazy when it comes to hiking or any other adventure. But the actual reason I didn’t post photos (or write blog posts or make video’s) is that I felt a little lost. 

Continue Reading "Looking back on April: Lost" →