Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki: Where the History Began
From Mount Olympus to Aigai, Berea, and Pella, we trace northern Greece through ancient Macedon, Paul's journey, local food, and twelve nights in Thessaloniki.
All Dispatches
Every story from the places we've called home.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Thessaloniki: History Underfoot
A first week in Thessaloniki, Greece, exploring Roman ruins, Byzantine churches, Vlatadon Monastery, the Apostle Paul, Ano Poli, local food, and the daily life layered across more than two thousand years of history.
Sarandë, Albania
Sarandë: The Coast at Summer's End
Our final week in Sarandë, Albania: swimming at Krorëza, Kakome and Mirror Beach, coastal history, fresh fish, and the costs of a month on the Albanian Riviera.
Sarandë, Albania
Sarandë: Forty Saints and the City Beneath the City
In Sarandë, Albania, we climb to the Monastery of the Forty Saints and trace the older city beneath the modern one, from synagogue-basilica foundations and Roman fortifications to local traditions, everyday routines, and life along the Ionian coast.
Sarandë, Albania
Sarandë: A Little Troy and Life Above the Ionian
Living local in Sarandë, Albania, we settle into daily routines, return to the clear waters of Ksamil, and explore more than two millennia of history at Butrint National Park, from Hellenistic theatre to Roman ruins and early Christian monuments.
Sarandë, Albania
Sarandë: Across the Corfu Channel
From Sarandë, Albania, to Corfu and Kassiopi, Greece, then to Ksamil, we spend a family-filled week exploring the Ionian coast through food, history, beaches, and everyday life.
Tirana, Albania
Tirana to Sarandë: Albania at the Midpoint
After thirty-four nights in Tirana, we head south to Sarandë, reflecting on the city we came to know, its changing skyline, daily life, and the six months still ahead.
Tirana, Albania
Tirana: Same Lake, Different Side
Four months after living on Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia, we returned from Tirana to explore Pogradec, Drilon, and Tushemisht along Albania’s western shore.
Tirana, Albania
Crossing the Accursed Mountains: Valbona to Theth
A three-day journey into the Albanian Alps, from Komani Lake and Valbona to a ten-mile, 3,140-foot crossing over Valbona Pass and into Theth.
Tirana, Albania
Tirana: Preparing for the War That Never Came
Inside Tirana's Bunk'Art 1, Albania's Cold War history meets daily life, local food, religious landmarks, and the logistics of living abroad.
Tirana, Albania
Tirana: What Gets Rebuilt
Tirana keeps rebuilding itself through Skanderbeg Square, restored religious life, Italian influence, coffee culture, and daily routines.
Tirana, Albania
Between Montenegro and Albania
A final week on Montenegro's coast, an overnight in Shkodër, and the practical transition to a new month in Tirana, Albania.
Bar, Montenegro
Bar: A Month Built Around the Sea
A month in Bar, Montenegro, shaped by beaches, coastal excursions, local buses, everyday routines, and the practical trade-offs of living by the sea.
Bar, Montenegro
Bar: Inland Past and Adriatic Present
A week in Bar exploring Stari Bar, the Old Olive Tree, a mountain swimming hole, Red Beach, local food, and daily summer life on Montenegro’s coast.
Bar, Montenegro
Bar: A Train to the Capital and a Colder Sea
Our second week living in Bar, Montenegro: a train ride to Podgorica, Čanj Beach, practical grocery systems, farmers market produce, and the slower rhythm of the Šušanj promenade.
Bar, Montenegro
Bar: First Days on Montenegro’s Southern Coast
A first week in Bar, Montenegro, with Šušanj Beach, St. Jovan Vladimir, local coffee, shawarma, gym costs, beach bars, and ordinary summer days by the sea.
Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor: The View After a Month
Our final week in Kotor, with Budva Old Town, Mogren Beach, Tivat and Porto Montenegro, Father's Day locally, regional buses, and a definitive answer on whether the Bay of Kotor is worth a longer stay.
Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor: Above the Bay
Week three in Kotor: inside the Old Town churches, artisans in the old prison, the free Ladder of Kotor hike, a lunch above the bay, the Lovćen cable car descent, and a host's gift from Lake Skadar.
Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor: Out Past the Walls
A week in Kotor beyond the walls: Perast, Sveti Stefan, clear Adriatic water, local buses, birthday pasta, beach logistics, and daily life on the bay.
Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor: Between the Mountain and the Bay
Our first week in Kotor and Dobrota, with Dubrovnik, the bus to Montenegro, Old Town fortifications, local food, Wi-Fi realities, and the rhythms of settling between mountain and bay.
Split, Croatia
Split: A Month Between Palace and Sea
A final week in Split, with Brač and Zlatni Rat, Saint Domnius, fjaka, Croatian beaches, island logistics, local food, and a month-end verdict.
Split, Croatia
Split: A Day on the Makarska Riviera
A slow-travel day from Split to Makarska and Brela, with coastal buses, Biokovo views, beach paths, museums, local food, and real costs.
Split, Croatia
Split: Feast Day, Family, and the Island Beyond
A second week in Split with Sudamja, family visits, Klis Fortress, Hvar Island, Dalmatian meals, and the cost of hosting visitors abroad.
Split, Croatia
Split, Croatia: A Week of Stone, Sea, and Road
A first week in Split with Diocletian’s Palace, Marjan Hill, Kašjuni Beach, Krka National Park, Šibenik, Trogir, and daily local routines.
Ohrid, North Macedonia
Ohrid: The Gift of Familiarity
Our final week in Ohrid, with lake walks, hillside trails, bakeries, local routines, generous people, and the slow comfort of familiarity.
Ohrid, North Macedonia
Ohrid: Monastery, Springs, and Mountain
A third week in Ohrid, with Saint Naum Monastery, spring-fed waters, Galičica snowfields, Struga, and the routines of local life.
Ohrid, North Macedonia
Ohrid: Orthodox Easter
Orthodox Easter in Ohrid, from midnight candlelight at Plaošnik to red eggs, family tables, and the Christian memory of North Macedonia.
Ohrid, North Macedonia
Ohrid: The Macedonian Jerusalem
A first week in Ohrid, North Macedonia, with Lake Ohrid, Orthodox churches, Macedonian food, low-cost daily life, and slow travel routines.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul: The Sacred City
A slow-travel dispatch from Istanbul on sacred architecture, Bosphorus routines, Turkish breakfast, practical nomad tradeoffs, and leaving for Ohrid.
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul: The Density of Daily Life
A slow-travel week in Istanbul through daily rituals, tea, ferries, Byzantine art, local food, transit, and the public life of the city.
Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon: A Long Time Coming
A week in Lisbon with Fado in Alfama, Belém, Sintra, Cascais, Portuguese residency steps, and the daily rituals of living local.
Lagos, Portugal
Lagos: Sea Cliffs, Shared Tables, and a Gentler Week
A slow travel week in Lagos, Portugal, with Algarve cliffs, old town streets, shared meals, coffee, and the realities of a shorter social stay.
Marrakesh, Morocco
Marrakesh: A Long Weekend Inside the Medina
A three-day Marrakesh dispatch from inside the medina, with riad life, souks, Jemaa el-Fnaa, Moroccan food, and the limits of long-term luggage.
Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife: Black Sand, Saharan Dust, and the Art of Leaving
A final week in Tenerife with calima, black sand beaches, La Orotava, local cafés, and the slow art of leaving La Laguna.
Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife: Carnival Streets, Saharan Sand
A slow-travel week in Tenerife through Santa Cruz Carnival, Saharan sand at Playa de las Teresitas, north-coast towns, and La Laguna routine.
Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife: From Grid to Coast
A slow-travel week in Tenerife, from La Laguna’s planned grid to Anaga’s coast, with Canarian food, Santa Cruz, Carnival plans, and daily routine.
Tenerife, Spain
Tenerife: The Infrastructure of Presence
Our first week in La Laguna, Tenerife, with slow travel routines, local coffee culture, costs, groceries, gym setup, and settling abroad.