Gadling

When I arrived in Montenegro three months ago, one of the things that struck me first was how safe things felt. What was I expecting? Well, not a lot of armed thugs or anything. But I'd traveled enough in the former communist corners of Europe -- ...

We're usually not in the habit of plugging group tours here at Gadling, however, I recently came across one highlighted in the LA Times which covers many of the same places I recently traveled during my Balkan Odyssey this last summer. Kutrubes ...

Don't let the cat get your tongue when trying to say hello in Albanian. I think you'll find this one fairly easy to say. Today's word is an Albanian word used in Albania: tung - hello Albanian is spoken in Albania, Kosovo, Greece, Serbia and ...

Wow, Europe -- you've got a smoking problem! Out of the top 10 countries that consume the most cigarettes per capita, only one country was not in Europe: Japan. The number one spot goes to none other than the Greeks who, according to a study by ...

While I've certainly slacked off of giving the Albanian language any real type of love, Neil keeps Albania alive in his Red Corner pieces. If you've forgotten he also explored parts of the country earlier this year, so if you missed his good words of ...

You can't miss this book. Literally -- I've seen it everywhere recently. Any Barnes and Noble I've passed this week has dozens of copies of this bright yellow oddball guide standing upright, luring readers in. "Buy me! And Take Me To Your Leader", it ...

As some of you may recall, Neil is on his way to distant lands and I can't say how green with envy I am. Sure, I'm bopping around the U.S. on a walking tour, but nothing thrills me more than coming in contact with a completely different culture and ...

This coming Monday Michael Palin's new seven-show travel series, "The New Europe" starts on The Travel Channel. He's taking the TV audience through "post communist" Europe to highlight the natural beauty, history and culture of Macedonia, Bulgaria, ...

If you've spent any extended time in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc during the last couple of years you know that one of the biggest gripes people there have had is that while Americans can travel to their countries without a visa, they ...

After spending a few days in the mountains of northern Albania, it came time to leave the village of Valbona. The best way to do so is to hike up the valley and over a mountain pass to the village of Thethi. This 7-hour hike is supposed to be ...