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.

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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.

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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.

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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”.

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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. 

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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.

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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”.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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Looking back on February: From Amsterdam to Zagreb into a White World

Categories Looking Back, Zagreb & Surroundings
BLOG | Looking back on February

At the end of the month I’d like to look back on what I did, where I’ve been and how I felt. My Instagram feed gives a pretty good impression, so I decided to make a photo essay each month. In February I gave a little talk about my hiking trip from Amsterdam to Sarajevo, I hiked and hiked and hiked and I moved back to Zagreb. Curious what it looks like? Well here’s my “Looking back on February” photo-essay. Enjoy.

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Looking back on January: Short hair, short walks and an epic birthday adventure

Categories Looking Back
Looking back on January 2018

Standing still. Looking back. At the end of the month I like to look back on what I’ve done and where I’ve been. On how I felt and what was on my mind. Usually my Instagram pictures give a pretty good impression, but in January I took a little bit of a social media break. Not completely, but enough to find some gaps in my Instagram feed. So, I’ll add some other photos and videos in this month overview as well. Here we go, looking back on January 2018.

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Looking back on December: From Zagreb to Amsterdam into a New Year

Categories Looking Back
book delivery team Rosa and Eva

Standing still. Looking back. At the end of the month I like to look back on what I’ve done and where I’ve been. On how I felt and what was on my mind. It turned out that my Instagram pictures actually give a pretty good impression. So, I decided to put them together in a blog post. December has been a busy month. Not because of the holidays, but because I went back to The Netherlands to empty my apartment. I got rid of almost all my stuff. Oeff. Unfortunately I didn’t post much on Instagram. Therefore, I’ll add some non-Instagram-photos in this overview to give you an idea what I have been up to. Ok, here I go, looking back on December 2017. 

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Looking back on November: Sightseeing Sarajevo & a Bikeride to the Croatian Coast

Categories Looking Back

At the end of the month I like to look back on what I’ve done and where I’ve been. On how I felt and what was on my mind. It turned out that my Instagram pictures actually give a pretty good impression. So, I decided to put them together in a blog post. Here’s November where I stayed two weeks in Sarajevo before I took my bike for a ride to the Croatian coast. An exciting month full of social stuff, warm showers, blue skies and new opportunities. Scroll down to find out more!

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In the middle of a thought

Categories Musings, Zagreb & Surroundings
In_the_middle_of_a_thought_split_on_the_shore_croatia

It’s a way of living. I choose to do so. I live on the road. I choose the Dinarides to do so.

I’m on my way. There’s no conclusion, I’m rather in the middle of a thought.

“What is your message?” a friend asked. “I don’t know.”

There are loads of things I want to say, stories I want to tell, thoughts I want to share, places I want to show. But a message? It would be good if I had one. One clear message.

“That’s okay, then you are the one that opens doors.”

I think he’s right. I open doors.

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Did it! From Amsterdam to Sarajevo ON FOOT

Categories ON FOOT, Walking back to the Balkans
BLOG | From Amsterdam to Sarajevo ON FOOT

From Amsterdam to Sarajevo on foot

The 24th of March I left Amsterdam to hike for a while. “Walking back to the Balkans”. Why? Because I can, because I like hiking. Because it’s slow, because it’s a perfect way to really see a country. To feel and experience. Because I feel good, being “on the road”. And because I thought it would be a good idea to (re)discover my own country, before heading off to the Balkans. So, I walked. I walked back. From Amsterdam to Sarajevo, on foot.

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