Solo travels and hiking adventures

Into the woods (again)  A hot summer Saturday afternoon. After finishing all my usual chores, I decided to leave the confines of my apartment and head out for a walk on Medvednica. I figured I might even find a mushroom or two for tomorrow’s lunch. But as soon as I stepped into the forest, I realized the daily southern wind had dried everything out — not even a mad mushroom could survive in these conditions. So I just kept walking, slowly making my way uphill along trail number 55, with a loose plan to reach the old abandoned Brestovac sanatorium. It used to be a place for treating tuberculosis back in the early 1900s. From there, I’d loop back via trail 57. That was the rough idea, anyway. Beginning of trail 55 Wild flowers everywhere The forest path welcomed me with birdsong, but also with a sad sight — cut-down beech trees, lying coldly abandoned beside the trail. I couldn't help but think: those trees must’ve grown for at least 60 years to reach that size, only to be cut down i...

Azores – My Green Escape Into the Atlantic Introduction: Falling in Love with the Azores Back in mid-September last year, I spent 8 soul-filling days exploring the Azores — a group of European islands hugging the Atlantic Ocean, about 1,500 km from mainland Portugal. I based myself on the main island, São Miguel, and also hopped on a small plane to Flores and its little volcanic brother, Corvo — the westernmost points of Europe. Other islands? I skipped them. My mission was simple: walk as much as possible and get lost in nature. No cities, no museums, no “checklists”. Just earth, sky, and green. And oh boy — the green ! A full-on botanical opium hit. It felt like Jurassic Park minus the dinosaurs — unless you count the happy cows grazing peacefully on hills, all black or black-and-white. Monsteras, alocasias, and rubber trees grow here like regular weeds, and in giant sizes. You’ll find banana and pineapple plantations too. If you ever try a freshly cut Azorean pineapple, brace y...

Why Georgia ? "Scared of wide open spaces..." – How one song lyric pushed me to the Caucasus In the days leading up to this trip, I kept thinking of a line from a song that goes: " But I’d really like to make it to Rostov or maybe Georgia. I’m scared of so much open space—what if I lose my illusions somewhere along the way... " And I thought, well, why not see Georgia for myself? I'd get the chance to see part of the Caucasus (and I’m a huge mountain lover), visit a super remote village called Ushguli, and it seemed like a budget-friendly destination—perfect for solo travel. Plus, since I’m from Virovitica, the same song kept hyping me up with the line: "There’s no pressure in Virovitica, everyone lives like hippies." So I dove into research, planning, and buying tickets. I travelled in early May (which turned out not to be the best time for the mountains), and the trip lasted 9 days—7 full days in Georgia, and 2 lost to flights. I landed in Tbilisi a...