hidden europe 44

Join us as we explore the Barents Sea coast and the borderlands of Russia and Norway in the Pasvik Valley. We visit an island in the southern Peloponnese which is often dubbed the Greek Gibraltar, unravel the mystery of Bosnia’s mediaeval tombstones and find out why asbestos has gone out of fashion on the Karpaz Peninsula. We taste some wines on board Hurtigruten boats plying the Norwegian coastal route, visit hidden vineyards in Slovakia and England, reflect on future options for Gagauzia and look at how churches are used in soft diplomacy to assert sovereignty in border regions.

Picture above: Memorial recalling the witchcraft trials in Vardø on the shores of the Barents Sea (photo © hidden europe).

Summary

Join us as we explore the Barents Sea coast and the borderlands of Russia and Norway in the Pasvik Valley. We visit an island in the southern Peloponnese which is often dubbed the Greek Gibraltar, unravel the mystery of Bosnia’s mediaeval tombstones and find out why asbestos has gone out of fashion on the Karpaz Peninsula. We taste some wines on board Hurtigruten boats plying the Norwegian coastal route, visit hidden vineyards in Slovakia and England, reflect on future options for Gagauzia and look at how churches are used in soft diplomacy to assert sovereignty in border regions.

Stecci: Bosnia’s mediaeval tombstones

The stećci of Bosnnia and Herzegovina are remarkable tombstones with varying styles of decoration. These enigmatic stones are something that all Bosnians can identify with. They are a reminder that this is a land with its own very special sacred landscapes. Guest contributor Rudolf Abraham unravels the story of the stećci.

Setting Forth

One firth: three bridges. Each of the three bridges over the Firth of Forth was built in a different century. There is the 19th-century rail bridge, a 20th-century road bridge and now the new Queensferry Crossing road bridge under construction. Long gone are the days when a trip from Edinburgh to Fife meant attending to the ebb and flow of the tides.

Express bus to London?

There was a time when Deutsche Bahn (DB) only operated trains. Now they are emerging as serious players in the bus business. We just wonder if they have London in their sights? Their IC-Bus network is expanding and they already have a route from Düsseldorf to Antwerp. Extending it to London might be a way of delivering on DB's oft-repeated claim that it would enter the cross-Channel market.

Travelling irresponsibly

The publication of a new book by Bradt Travel Guides makes us ponder issues of responsibility and irresponsibility in travel. The book is called The Irresponsible Traveller. It is a great read, but we conclude that travel writers tend to go to far-flung places before behaving irresponsibly.

Russia’s eternal winter

They have fiddled with the clocks in Moscow. Not just in Moscow, but right across the Russian Federation. Russia has decided to move to perpetual winter – at least when it comes to time. For the clocks shall stay henceforth on winter time.

The Talgo tale

The story of the Talgo trains of Bosnia reveals a quite stunning waste of money. This is a country which invested in a new fleet of trains which are simply incompatible with its antiquated rail infrastructure.