I hope you enjoy my travel blog (even if you aren’t diabetic!) We visited Albania in Sept 2014, England in June 2017, Iceland in June 2012, Norway in June 2016, Portugal in Sept 2016 and Scotland in Sept 2012. (I’ve also visited Scotland 16 times prior to Greg (p-Greg), but haven’t yet blogged about it yet!)
We continued south and the weather deteriorated; it began to rain as we arrived at Apollonia, a significant Roman ruin west of Fier. It sits alone on a plain, apparently far from any valuable natural features, such as rivers or bays. The town of Apollonia was originally the Illyrian town of Gylakeia and had
Leaving the Bektashi mosque and the city of Berat behind, we headed west towards Ardenica, Albania, a drive of approximately 1 and 1/2 hrs through the countryside. Once again we were entertained by the variety of country life – the peculiar farm vehicles, the people doing business at the side of the
The following morning we left our Hotel Mangalemi and walked the narrow alleys of Berat. On the street level the alleys were wide enough for two to walk abreast, however at each successive floor above, the extensions of the houses grew ever closer over the alley. Eventually the top floors
It’s hard to believe that at this point we were only halfway through our first day out and about in Albania. Today would be our first visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Albania. I occasionally visit the UNESCO World Heritage website looking for new and exciting places to
We drove south from Durrës through a town our guide called Bochova, however I was unable to find it on any maps; perhaps I mis-heard. It was an oil town and such a surprise to see. I had no idea that Albania had oil reserves. Apparently the reserves are somewhat
If Albanians know anything, it’s how to keep a car on the road and looking its best. In the more populated areas it seemed as if every quarter of a mile we would see a car wash. No village was complete without a selection of Lavazho. Lavazho are not like
Leaving Durrës, we headed south and then east into the countryside. The road south lacked scenic beauty but the road and our guide continued to be chock full of interesting sights and stories. As we left Durres, we noticed a very large stuffed dog hanging from a high-rise building under
Arriving at the outskirts of Durrës, we paused in traffic next to the train, which also idled at the train station. It was covered in graffiti and looked more like a NY City subway car than an intra-city commuter train. We remarked on its appearance, and Kledi laughed at us
We drove west from Tirana towards Durres, excited to experience our grand tour of Albania. Would it be full of plazas and strip malls? Would we see slums? We had read that Albania was still not as modern as the rest of Europe, and had been clawing its way back
What a wonderful day we spent in Tirana, Albania. It was a great start to our 13 day trip traveling throughout Albania and Montenegro with Tours Albania, also known as TAB. I can’t claim credit for the fact that we had great timing, arriving on the Saturday night of the
We stayed the previous night at the Hotel Skaftafell, and traveled about 45 minutes north to Jokulsarlon, the Glacial Lagoon. I had visited Jokulsarlon with my parents in 2004. In 2004, we had taken the left hand turn right BEFORE the bridge, to a gravel area where cars were parked. Traveling with Photographers
Iceland waterfalls extravaganza shown in order driving Rt. 1 southeast from Reykjavik to Vik, north to Egilsstadir, then west to Akureyri, and finally south back to Reykjavik. Check out this article of mine too: Iceland Travel Blog – Itinerary, Lessons Learned and Diabetic Tips Map
A glimpse of the wonders of Iceland from the Blue Lagoon, to Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik, to Kerid, Vatnajokul, to Skogafoss and Seljalandsfjoss all the way around to Akureyri.
This is a very low-key favorite. It is entirely dependent on whether you visit during lupine-season or not. (That could be all summer for all I know). I can definitely say that lupines are NOT in season in May. My husband and I went during the last week in May
Borgarfjörður Eystri is located on the north coast, a long drive north from Egilsstaðir. The drive itself was very nice, and it didn’t rain! Our goal was the Puffin Colony. The drive was part on paved road, and then the road turned into gravel. It turned east and we were faced
There are two beautiful waterfalls on the south coast east of Reykjavik and west of Vik: Seljalandsfoss, and Skógafoss. Seljalandsfoss is a ‘gentle’ veil of water flowing over the glacial headland. You can walk completely behind the falls and out the other side. It is very wet and misty, but
I was a teenager when my father took me to New York City to a British oldies film revival. We saw the 1945 film, “I Know Where I’m Going!” starring Wendy Hiller and Roger Livesley. It is the ultimate romance movie, set in the Scottish Isles, featuring the handsome but
Skaftafell National Park is on a headland that protrudes between two glacial arms reaching eastward on the east coast of Iceland. There are beautiful views of mountains and glacier as you travel on Rt 1 towards the park from the south, but once you arrive in the park, the glaciers become
Albania (Shqiperi) – definitely is the “place to go.” My husband Greg and I recently returned from our nine day trip traveling throughout Albania in September 2014. I have traveled to Antarctica, and we have together traveled to Tanzania, Iceland, the Galapagos and more. We have spent thousands and thousands
Hello, my name is Wendy Kirkwood Powers and this is my travel blog with travel tips and travel stories for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. |
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I am a type 1 diabetic, and have been for fifty-three years. From Antarctica to Svalbard, Australia to Africa, I’ve visited every continent. With my husband Greg, I have been on safari to Africa, wandered among the blue boobies in the Galapagos, slogged through jungle mud in Laos, and he has even chased an ocelot in Costa Rica (with his camera!) Our travel has taken careful planning, and constant attention to what is most important. I want to give you the inspiration and travel tips to enable you also to look beyond your own personal challenges, to not hide behind those words “I could never” and to see the world. |
| Click here for my mission and core diabetic travel tips |
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| Diabetic Travel Tips |
| for International Travel |
The list goes on... Click here to read them all! |
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Scotland Sand and Sea - an unusual view of the Islands and Highlands of Scotland in paperback and Kindle from Amazon |
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Antarctica: Voyage Beyond the End of the World Glimpses of penguins, seals, whales and ice collide with fragments of shipboard life and cold feet. in paperback and Kindle from Amazon |
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Amazon - The River Grows on You - My top three Amazon experiences? The amazing mud cliffs and boats along the huge Amazon ... in paperback from Amazon |
