October 2021: Seven amazing countries, starting in Europe, a Central Asia “Stan”-apalooza and a nice UK wrap up.
Here are seven photos of seven countries…enjoy!
#166 – Bulgaria
My second attempt at getting into this country – and I barely made it in. The city was beautiful! I was surprised by all the big, beautiful parks and you’ll never believe the tacos I found! You can read my full Bulgaria story HERE.
#167 – Russia
Let’s put it this way: Russia was so overwhelming (all in good ways), that the experience almost completely wiped the previous stop (Bulgaria) from my brain…complete Eraser! I found myself wracking my brain to find any memory of Bulgaria – Russia was that intense! I saw all the standard stuff, like The Kremlin and St. Basil’s Cathedral, but it was the massive and absolutely stunning underground Moscow Metro that left me speechless. You can read my full Russia story HERE.
#168 – Kyrgyzstan
The first of the “Stans,” Bishkek was my favorite stop of the three. The city had a great vibe to it, I tried some great (and weird) food, saw some big monuments and met some rad people. A very quick, but productive stop. You can read my full Kyrgyzstan story HERE.
#169 – Uzbekistan
It took me a second to catch the vibe of Uzbekistan, but ultimately I did. Tashkent was extremely clean, boasted super wide streets and giant squares, and was almost a little “sterile” for me, but I gave it my best shot. The stop included a run to the Kazakhstan border and an attempt to cross. You can read my full Uzbekistan story HERE.
#170 – Tajikistan
“One of These Stans is Not Like the Other.” I felt the biggest difference in Bishkek and probably covered the most area on foot here than any other destination of this itinerary. I enjoyed finding the quirky idiosyncrasies of the culture and country, including all the massive images of their “Dear Leader” everywhere! You can read my full Tajikistan story HERE.
Northern Ireland
This country doesn’t get assigned a “number,” because it’s part of the UK–which is not a new country for me–but Northern Ireland is its own nation on some lists. I had a wonderful two nights in Belfast and a great time romping all over the city. You can read my full Northern Ireland story HERE.
Scotland
Like Northern Ireland, Scotland is also part of the United Kingdom. This was my one of my quickest stops, just under 24-hours, but the place I most wished I had more time in – it wasn’t fair! The entire city of Edinburgh was like one big, old, stone castle. While I didn’t have the time to see many castles and museums, I did make it a priority to find the most amazing Scottish plates. You can read my full Scotland story HERE.
