
This summer we had 10 days of Montenegro visit in July, this was one of the best travels that I had so far.

I love travelling, it energises me. I have noticed that I am more productive on the travel somehow, I am doing my jobs, reading books and enjoying the travel at the same time. I am more creative, it gives me more ideas and dreams to follow.

We have started our Montenegro journey with the world's best car :) It is not me, Canadian hitchhikers said that when we met them on the road and they had a short journey in our car.

As Montenegro is a small country, but every bit of the country is different heaven it is worth hiring a car and travelling by car to see the gems of the country. Public transport is not as convenient as a car, you might change your plans depending on the public transport timing, even you might skip the places that you want to visit due to no public transport on the particular day or etc.

So it will make the journey inconvenient. Also, car hiring is much cheaper than in most of the European countries, so it is affordable. We made a great choice to rent this green lady and it made our journey more enjoyable, with its open top :)

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Okay, on the 1st day we stayed near Lake Skadar, and the next day visited the lake, hired the boat and did 2 hrs of lake tour. It was amaaziiing. This lake lies on the border of Montenegro and Albania. Our tour guide on the boat gave us lots of precious information during the tour, but I don’t remember much, which is a shame. I will try to write down the information I get during my travels, but I promise this every time and I fail. I just want to enjoy the moment at that time, but I got upset afterwards when I don’t remember any. Anyway, I remember how beautiful the lake was, and lots of rare birds live there, which makes the place even more precious. This lake is the second largest lake in  Europe. Let the pictures talk :)
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Then we head to Ulcinj the next day, even though Ulcinj was a also very beautiful city, it was the one that I liked it less than other cities. So imagine how beautiful Kotor and Budva were 🙂 But the road view from Virpazar to Ulcinj was worth visiting that city:
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We spent the night in Ulcinj’s old town, the town was full of parties and lights, the kinds of music were just fantastic. We went to the restaurant which serves the best fish in the town, but unfortunately, we waited for 1.5-2 hrs for food to be served. So this approved the popular Montenegrin phrases like:

"If you have the urge to work, sit down, wait and
you'll see it will pass.” etc :)

Check out [this post to see more Montenegrin phrases](https://www.instagram.com/p/CgC0bUyjLtg/)

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It wasn’t a nice experience, but the restaurant and food were amazing. Especially the view from the restaurant was just breathtaking.
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Oh and we tasted the Montenegrin wine for the first time, it was really good. Then I just searched on google and found out that Montegrin wine is one the bests in Europe, even though it is not known.

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I am going to share the rest of our travel in the next posts. In the meantime follow my [Instagram account](https://www.instagram.com/gani.raa/) to see more stories, pics, videos and memories from Montenegro.


2022 Summer highlight Montenegro Part 1


The Isle of Avalon, The Isle of King Arthur and Merlin, the city of myths :)

This city is called Glastonbury, it is a shame that I came to know about this city only this year, but it is never late. Go out and explore, who knows how many unordinary, different, unique cities are near me but I don't know anything about. The most important thing is to be open to new adventures. So this year I was more into Spirituality and I discover the most spiritual city in the UK is Glastonbury. It is debatable as this city is real or not. Yeah, I agree the reputation of the Isle of Avalon made this city attractive to tourists and some places are just made to attract more tourists. In the city, mystic shops, places, incense smell are all over the place, even all the people wearing some hippy/mystic clothes, meditative kinds of music/chants are hearable in every street. It was too much, to be honest, but it was too exotic and fun to explore. Could everyone be a spiritualist or have magical power in one city? :) Too creepy? Or too fake? :) I don't mind, of course, some has to be fake, but I believe most of them are coming from their heart :)
![IMG_9030.JPG](/uploads/IMG_9030_fc371e924d.JPG)

So it was the very first time that I have been to a city like this. You will see it in pictures later.
The city is also the host of the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world which is called Glastonbury festival and the tickets for 2022 already sold out and it makes me sad. But I set my intention to be at that festival in one year, definitely! What an amazing experience it would be, imagine :)

We started our journey with this :D
![IMG_9014.JPG](/uploads/IMG_9014_2c358211d1.JPG)

But still, it went pretty well! :)

I found Merlin and I was so happy as a child :D Like I met the real Merlin :) You can understand I have a special bond with Merlin as I am trying to feed the "healer wizard" in me or I would love to have that special bond :D

![IMG_9033.JPG](/uploads/IMG_9033_cb8a31693c.JPG)

There were endless mystic shops, mystic books and crafts. Every shop was unique, you feel different and 1 day is not enough to visit all the shops :) Obviously, if you are into this type of thing, bring money with you :) I made an intention when I have more money I am going to visit this magical city again :)

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I have loads of pictures, unfortunately, I can't put all of them here and it is always best to go and see by yourself! :)

So why this city is so magical? Apart from being the Isle of Avalon, the most mystic part of the city is Glastonbury Tor. This hill has a sacred history related to Paganic and later Christian religions, on top of the Hill we can see the church which is ruined by the earthquake in 1275.
Oh, it was amazing to climb on top of that hill. I will put a small video of our walk to the hill at the end. It is also believed that Glastonbury stays on the "Ley line", it is a straight line that connects the world's most sacred places on the map. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence for Ley lines. I hope one day it will be proved :D I love mystic events and always want them all to be true and witness them :D

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There are lots of other stories that make this city even more mystic and sacred. It is also believed that King Arthur was buried in the Glastonbury Abbey and I got the honour to visit him in his place :)

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Glastonbury Abbey itself is another world :) If you go to the Glastonbury Abbey's website, you will be met by these words: "We are connected with legend to a degree that is unparalleled by any other abbey in England. Since Medieval times, the abbey has held legendary status as the earliest Christian foundation in Britain linked to Joseph of Arimathea and the burial place of King Arthur. Today it is a tranquil setting where you can discover the stories, explore the 36 acres of grounds and enjoy a range of events and activities"

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Did you know Avalon means "the isle of apple trees"? :) Yes, And there were loads of apple trees with red apples :) Of course, we collected some apples for ourselves and they were delicious.

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And tons of Ladybirds :) Because of that many Ladybirds, I convinced that this place is indeed so sacred :)

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Don't forget to watch the video at the end :)

Finally, the city was decorated with fascinating street art that you want to keep still and just watch.

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And I found the most beautiful cat in the UK

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The Isle of Avalon, The Isle of King Arthur and Merlin, the city of myths :) This city is called Glastonbury, it is a shame that I came to know about this city only this year, but it is never late. Go out and explore...

The most mystic city of 2021


If you haven't been to Highlands, you can't say you have been to Scotland :) So keeping this in mind, we took a few days to go to Scottish highlands in this summer, this time we decided to do fun things as well, not only hiking.

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So we head to Aviemore, which is a town in the Cairngorms National Park, in the Scottish Highlands. It is a town of lots of amazing Lochs, forests, wildlife etc. Even wild cats live there, but unfortunately, we couldn't see one. But sadly I came to know these Scottish wild cats are on the red list and only 100-300 cats live. So they are pretty small in numbers and in danger of oozing away.
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The first day we booked canoeing in advance, so we left home early in the morning to catch the canoe at 10 am :) It was a super exciting experience in Loch an Eilein. We had canoeing in Bali, Indonesia 3 years ago. But I have already forgotten the experience. This is the main reason I am trying to write a blog post about my travels, I don't want to forget about them.
First of all, I should say the view was stunning, and imagine canoeing in this view. Even though my arms hurt a lot, but it was worth it and I would do it again. It is a good exercise as well, and you are having lots of fun :) We played a few games in the Loch and it made the experience even more fun. I would highly recommend this experience in the Loch an Eilein, our instructor was also very nice.
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Let me talk about a little Loch An Eilein, it means loch of the island. In the middle of the Loch, you will see a small island with a ruined castle. Very small known about this small castle, but it is believed to origin back in the 14th century. It has its history, but unfortunately, I am very bad at history :) Long story short, you should see this beautiful Loch in the forest of Rothiemurchus.
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After canoeing, we decided just to walk in the Rothiemurchus forest. I have hiked before lots of times, but it was the first time that I was seeing this many mushrooms. They were everywhere and in different sizes, colours, shapes etc.
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 After a little walk, I realized, among those lots of mushrooms we didn't see a red-white toadstool one like in fairytales :) Now I have a small story to tell, that every time when I remember that moment my heart fills with joy and I smile :) So at one point, I told my husband, I want to see a red-white toadstool and we started to hunt one. And what happened? We couldn't find one until unless it was late and we headed back to our place. On our way back, I found one :) It was a different experience. How on earth you can't find one in lots of mushrooms, and you will find it after your intention and at the point, you almost lost your hope? Was it the way of the universe telling me: "sooner or later your intentions going to be real, just be patient and never give up"? Or am I too romanticizing this? Doesn't matter, I accept it as a beautiful small message. And I am grateful for this.

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This read-white toadstool is called fly agaric and there are lots of myths and fairytales about this particular mushroom. We all know this from childhood fairytales or cartoons. It made me feel like I am in the middle of some beautiful fairytale and here everything is beautiful, and there is no sadness or bad things :) oh, no worries I came back to reality very very soon, but it was nice to feel like in dreams even for just a few seconds :)
At the end of the day, we head back to our little and beautiful Hotel, had dinner and spent lots of fun time together. Cause we were drunk 😄
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## Second day

For the second day, we had booked quad biking in the Rothiemurchus forest. God, it was so good! I have to confess It was very scary at the beginning, I was shaking and thinking of giving up. But it could be a shame, huh? :D I am glad that I didn't give up, really. After just 5-6 mins all the fear cleared away and I just started to enjoy every second of it. Releasing adrenalin in such a view was irreplaceable. And yeah another life lesson: DO IT SCARY and you will enjoy it at one point!
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Life is just this, nothing else.
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 What's more? There were lots of cattle in our way :) Oh, let's talk about these cattles. They are called Highland cattle and yes breed in Scotland!

After this cool experience, we head to Glenmore lake :) But before the Loch, we saw the Reindeer centre and gave it a try. Tickets for this centre are 2 types. A cheap one is only looking 3-4 reindeers which are in the centre and you can see them any time, 2nd one is an expensive one, with this ticket you can also do 30 mins trip to the hills and you can see the reindeer hopefully cathing on the hill :) We just booked a cheaper one and watched 3-4 reindeers, but there are also lots of information about reindeers and wild life of Scotland which were interesting to read and learn about them.

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I won't write much about Glenmore lake. Let the photos speak :)

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I really enjoyed my time there. That view, those ducks, playing dogs and children. They all made my day.

Dinner in the La Taverna, Italian restaurant, delicious pizzas and interiors. And the hotel, finishing the day with the desperate housewives :)

# 3rd day

It was time to go back home, Glasgow. But before leaving this beautiful place we wanted to see something more for a few hours. And what happened? The most beautiful thing which was close to where we stayed, we haven't been there. How is it possible? It was the Newtonmore town and Highland Folk Museum. Newtonmore is a small and cute town, with lots of wild cat sculptures. You already know I am fond of cats :) There was a wild cat centre as well :) You can hunt wild cat sculptures there, so it was mostly for children. Even if you just walk in the Newtonmore streets, it will be worth it.
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 But try to take time to see Highland Folk Museum, especially if you are an Outlander fan. This museum is the first outdoor museum in the UK. You need to take a few hours to make most of this museum. There were lots of architecture, houses, schools, workplaces etc that represent ancient highlander life. Also, there was a little town in which some of the Outlander scenes had been shot. You can also enjoy with ponies and cattles. Oh yes and if you are lucky, say hello to the hare :)
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Scottish Highlands


Couchsurfing is a very useful platform for travellers, which helps travellers to find a host and also to become a host for guests from other countries. I wanted to use it for a long time, and finally we opened the door of our house to Argentinean, very entertaining, friendly and very knowledgeable Nicolas 🙂 After my first experience with Couchsurfing, I decided that I can write a post about Couchsurfing for those, who don't know about.

First of all, it should be noted that the platform is completely free, you open your house for visitors or hosts open their home to you for free. What do we get by doing Couchsurfing? In fact, the basic goal is to find a place where people, who don't have enough money can stay for free. But Couchsurfing has developed so much that people who aren't in the financial need can use it for fun, learning, and innovation. And what is wrong with saving a little money? 🙂 So you find a place to stay for free wherever you are travelling, and spend quality time with people living there. Imagine a person who lives in another country, who has a different world view, a different lifestyle, a culture of which we don't know, works in different jobs can contribute us a lot of different things. It's a very nice platform. Who wouldn't want to learn so much from history, culture without reading intense tutorials? The most helpful thing is to choose people who speak the language you want to learn. And the most important and worthy thing of all is I would say to establish a relationship with people, you can build a good friendship with that person. Especially if we are able to associate with different people, who have different languages, religions and cultures. This experience is priceless. I think we are all can build a normal relationship with people, who are like us. And one of the best things is helping. What could be better than helping one another? How many birds did we hit with a stone? 🙂

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So now, how does Couchsurfing work? How can we be a couchsurfer? First, go to Couchsurfing.com and create a profile for yourself. Share as much information as you can about yourself, it is very helpful for you to find people who have the same common interests as you and also people will easily know and trust you. Try to answer the questions you are facing, it will take a little time. In particular, where did you travel, which languages ​​you know, which languages ​​you want to learn, what is your next trip plan. If it is suitable for you to be host, do so, if you aren't sure, select "Maybe Yes" option. If you have a clear-cut travel plan, you will also find a section for it, and write exactly where are you travelling and the exact time. And Couchsurfing will find you hosts of those places. Sometimes it may be that people write to you and invite you to their home, but often you must find them and write to those people. But the question is how can we choose the one we do not know? How can we open our homes to them or stay in their house? Isn't that terrible? Of course, this is a matter we need to be careful about. We should carefully look at their profiles, in particular, references section. If there are too many positive and almost zero negative references, then we can be comfortable. Couchsurfing sends a request to write a reference to both parties after each experience and doesn't share those comments in profiles for a certain time unless you both write about each other. So, both parties are unaware of one another's reference, which in turn makes the interpretations more objective. The other thing I can say is that keep the Couchsurfing days minimum, 1-2 days is ideal because it is unlikely that one person will be able to open their doors for a long time to you. In the next post, I will share my first Couchsurfing experience with Nicolas. If you have questions or comments you can write in the comments section below.  I would like to read your Couchsurfing experiences if you have had.


Couchsurfing is a very useful platform for travellers, which helps travellers to find a host and also to become a host for guests from other countries

Travel