Athens, Greece

Our train finally left Thessaloniki at 12:30 am. The scheduled departure time was supposed to be 11 pm. I think it was a 24-hour strike so they don't actually get back to work until midnight. There was mayhem at the station when we got there a little after 10 pm. We found out later that many people were at the stations to send young men friends or relatives off to the service. We were lucky to find rooms at a hostel when we arrived in Athens in the morning. This is one of the best-run hostels that we've stayed in. Not only that, it's located near a Metro station, a lot of restaurants, a street market, a pedestrian mall, and a flea market. It's also within walking distance from most of the tourist attractions.
As soon as we were ready, we headed towards the famous Acropolis.  Not surprisingly, there were a ton of tourists there and we had to slowly make our way up to the top, where the Parthenon is.  It's hard to believe that after seeing so many pictures of the Parthenon, that I am finally here standing next to it.  It was a beautiful sunny day and I took a lot of pictures of all the tourist attractions.  The hostel has a recommended "City Walk" on its map and I was able to visit most of them, including other historic sites and museums.
The amazing thing is a lot of these archaeological stuff in Greece are dated BC (i.e. Before Christ).  The Greeks have done a very good job of restoring some of these pieces or buildings and some of these artifacts are very good considering that they are at least 2,000 years old.
I am sure most of you have heard of the financial crisis in Europe and Greece is in the middle of it.  Now that we are here, it's not surprising that they have a financial problem.  A lot of Greeks just sit around drinking coffee all day.  The retirement age here is 60 and many people here don't seen to do much.  At the hostel where we are staying, none of the employees are Greek.  On top of that, they are going on strike and demonstrating for whatever causes.
Tomorrow we are taking the bus to Patras, where we'll take a 14-hour ferry ride to Bari, Italy.  From Bari, we'll take the train north to Bologna.

The Parthenon

The Parthenon Theatre where many concerts are held

Temple of Zeuss

Parliament House

Pedestrian Mall (Ermou Street) next to our hostel

Old Church on Ermou Street

Sunset over Agora and the Temple of Hephaestus

Night view of Acropolis from rooftop bar of hostel

Statue of Soldier

Statue of Socrates

Demonstration on the street

Financial PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain) - one is missing

Stuck in Thessaloniki

The first two pictures below said it all. The trains are not running and we are stuck in Thessaloniki. We were supposed to stop here for only 1 night and take an early train to Athens. But, when we went to book our seats last night, we were told that there will be a strike today. The trains will start running at midnight.  We also couldn't take the train here from Sofia because the Bulgarian trains are not crossing the border.  So are other international trains, from what I heard.  We are in the "eye of the financial hurricane" in Europe and I hope that's all the inconvenience that we're going to have.  Greece has been in the news a lot for this reason.
We made use of the day in Thessaloniki by walking all over the city.  This is Greece's second largest city and it has a long history.  We came across a lot of old churches, buildings and ruins.  Interestingly, we stumbled on an area just a couple of blocks from our hotel that has quite a few Chinese businesses.  They sell mostly apparels, I think wholesale.  They even have their signs in Chinese.

Idle train and empty platform

Ticketing Offices are all closed

St. Dimitriou  Church

Inside the church

An ancient ruin

Chinese busineses

Sofia, Bulgaria

We are about half-way through our trip and Sofia is our last stop in Eastern Europe. Our next stop is in Thessaloniki and then Athens in Greece. From Greece, we'll take the ferry to Italy.  From Italy, we'll keep going west through France, Spain and Portugal.
Not many tourists come to Sofia, as you can tell by the number of people who speak English. We arrived by train from Bucharest at almost 10 pm in the evening and after asking about half-a-dozen people we finally found someone who can or is willing to tell us where we can buy tickets for the tram and where the stop is. Some of the Bulgarians told us that the older generation generally speak Russian. When we got to the hostel, we found the staff all speak excellent English.
We stayed in a hostel called Hostel Mostels, about 10 minutes by tram from the train station.  Before WWII it was a Country Inn but during the war it was occupied by the Nazis as an administrative office and then occupied by the Soviets.  It opened a few years ago and it's like a big dormitory.  All the co-ed rooms sleep 6 or 8.  It can take up to about 150 people a day.  It costs about $17 per person per night and it comes with free breakfast and pasta dinner with a glass of beer.  This is one of the cheapest places we've stayed and one of the liveliest as well.  You find all kinds of travelers from all over the world traveling in the region:  Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, etc.  Most of them concentrate in a small region for 2-3 weeks and some for a few months.  I met a retired school-teacher from Taiwan and a Floridian in his 50s' or 60s' riding his "fold-up bicycle" in the region.  Both were traveling alone.
I followed a "Free Walking Tour" in Sofia.  I found these "free" walking tours to be excellent way to learn about a city.  The guides are usually very knowledge and energetic.  Their tips depend on how well they are received by the tourists. The tours usually last about 2-3 hours.  It takes you to the highlights of the city.
Sofia itself is not a big city.  But, it reflects the multi-cultural and multi-religious makeup of Bulgaria.  Although most of the Bulgarians are Orthodox Christians, you find signs of the Islamic faith.  It was ruled by the Ottoman Turks for about 500 years.  You still find Turkish baths in the city.

Alexander Nevski Cathedral

An Old Ruin in the city

Bania Bashir Mosque

Central Market

Olives are popular here

So-called Ladies Market

Natural warm spring water provided free

Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest, Romania, is so far out of the way on our trip that I wonder if it was worth the extra travel to get there. We took our chance anyway; just curious to see what another Eastern European country looks like.  The fact that we did not run into many tourists tells us that this is not a popular tourist destination.  The country is better known for being the home of Dracula and gypsies.  It also had a recent ugly history under the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu, who was overthrown and executed in 1989.
I was expecting to see some buildings or monument that would wow me.  (I guess I've been spoiled by Prague and Budapest).  Unfortunately, it is not an impressive city.  The main area that attracts a lot of locals and tourists is the Old Town area, where there are many restaurants and shops.  Things are relatively cheap.  We paid about $20 per person per night for our 1 bedroom apartment.  We stayed only 1 night because after only a few hours, we ran out of things to see or do.  You can tell by the condition of some of the public buildings and the way people dressed that this is a poor country.
I have been reading a book by Elizabeth Kostova called "The Historian."  I borrowed this book from Ralph without knowing what it's all about.  It's about Dracula and some historians who have been cursed by Dracula and trying to find the source of the curse.  The funny thing is the setting for the story is in the countries that I have been traveling to:  Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria, plus London, Istanbul, etc.  What a coincidence!

Statue of Dracula

 Orthodox Christian Church.  Most Romanians are Orthodox Christians

Inside of an Orthodox Christian Church

An impressive government building

We had lunch at this popular restaurant in Old Town on our first day

Night Train to Bucharest

We took an overnight train from Budapest to Bucharest on Friday evening.  We left Budapest at about 7 pm and arrived in Bucharest at about 11:30 am on Saturday morning.  It was about a 16-17 hour slow train ride with many stops.  If you look at the map of Hungary and Romania, we started in Budapest, which is in the middle of the country, across almost the entire country of Romania to the south-east corner to Bucharest.  A couple of interesting things happen on the journey.
About an hour after the journey started, 3 guys sat next to Ralph and I.  I couldn't make out their nationalities and language so I asked one of them.  They were from Morocco.  They said they are seeking asylum, whatever that means, and they have no money.  I thought to myself...this is going to be a long night.  I cannot afford to go to sleep.  I have my small backpack next to me with my laptop and passport.  These guys don't look too savory and we have to keep an eye on them.   Fortunately, after a couple of hours, the conductor came by and kicked them off the train.  It turned out that they were stowaways and don't have valid tickets.  They had to get off the train at the next station.  Both Ralph and I breathed a big sigh of relief.  I think these guys go around doing anything to survive.  Naturally, stealing or robbing unwary travelers is probably the easiest for them.
As a side note, if we think we have a problem with illegal immigration, Europe has a bigger problem.   Illegal immigrants from Africa and the Middle East are finding ways to get to the countries north of the Mediterranean sea and once they get into Italy, Spain, Greece, etc, they can get almost anywhere in Europe because all the European Union (EU) countries do not check for passports anymore at the EU borders.  Of course, they flee to countries with higher wages, like Scandinavia, Germany, UK, etc.
Another couple of hours later, a Hungarian guy on the train started talking to me in Japanese.  I signaled that I don't understand him.  He insisted that I am Japanese, that he can tell the difference between Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese.  I told him that I am Chinese.  He said he lived in Japan for 3 years.  I could not quite understand him but he said something like he has a Toyota and he wants me to fix it for him.  I kept ignoring him and at one point he was starting to get belligerent.  Finally, he just walked away.  Whew....what a close call.  This guy was obviously crazy.

Traveling in Europe is fun but you always have to watch out for scam artists.  This article by Rick Steves in a recent USA Today talks about the many scams going on.  We've encountered a few already.
http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/story/2011-09-24/48Rick-Steves-How-to-avoid-travel-scams-in-Europe/50531516/1

The evening we got into Budapest, Ralph and I were crossing one of the bridges and enjoying the night scenery over the Danube River.  As I walked past someone taking pictures over the bridge, he asked if I can take a picture of him.  I said okay but it seemed like his phone camera wasn't working.  I gave it back to him and then out of nowhere, a burly guy jumped in front of me and said, "Police....you are arrested for changing money.." and he flashed a badge.  I said "NO!" very loudly and I think that threw them off-balance a little bit and then we started walking away quickly.  Fortunately, they did not pursue us after they realized that we are not easy targets.
All the European cities are full of these scam artists.  We always come across people trying to ask us directions or wanting to help us or engage us in any kind of conversation.  Fortunately, Ralph and I are seasoned travelers and we are constantly on the lookout for them.
One thing I haven't seen a lot on this trip are gypsies.  They used to be in every European city and they are very good (in robbing or stealing from you).  A lot of the European countries are driving them out, supposedly back to Romania.
In Croatia, I went to a cafe to have coffee while we were waiting for the bus.  I gave the waiter a 100-kuna note but he gave me change as if I gave him a 50-kuna note.  I told him I gave him a 100-kuna note but he insisted that I gave him a 50.  I finally gave up but I noticed quite a few times that some of the merchants near the train and bus station always try to do that.  They try to take advantage of your short lapse in attention and give you less change that you are entitled to.  It was a small loss for me but a big wake-up call to be constantly on the lookout.

We got into Sofia, Bulgaria, this evening, after spending only 1 night and about 24 hours in Bucharest.

Buda+Pest = Budapest

Budapest has two parts: Buda and Pest. Buda is the hilly area west of the Danube River. Pest is the flat section that is west of the river. At one time they were two separate cities but they are now one city called Budapest.  The city is quite similar to Prague and Vienna, since they were all part of the Habsburg Empire for a few hundred years.
We got into Budapest after an 8-hour train ride from Ljubljana.  It took us a while to find our hostel but we were pleased to find that it is located on a street that has a lot of restaurants.  However, we were not happy when we checked into our hostel and the owner told us that her internet service was not working.  She had an air-card with her small netbook and that's why I have not been able to post anything from Budapest.  Also, the hostel is really an apartment where she and her boyfriend lives and she converted 3 rooms into rentals for backpackers.  It is a little dark and in an old building.  This is the worst we've encountered in our month of travel so far.
The next day we joined a walking tour, similar to what we did in Copenhagen and Stockholm.  Our energetic tour guide, Sarah, explained a lot of history, culture and some of the places to stay away from and where to go eat or drink.  We started out and spent about 2 hours on the Pest side, then walked over one of the bridges to the Buda side, where we walked up to the St. Matthias church and the castle district.  We ended up in a cafeteria where local food is served at a low price and huge quantity.  Sarah told us not to expect Hungarian food to be healthy.  They use a lot of meat, fat, lard, etc, and that's why it taste so good. In spite of that, I don't see a lot of overweight people around the city.  It's probably because they walk a lot.
One thing we noticed is that there are a lot of Chinese fast-food restaurants in Budapest.  Hungarians love them because they are cheap and good, usually less than the equivalent of US$5 for a big plate of rice or noodles and a meat dish.  Panda Express will have some stiff competition here.
The most impressive things about Budapest are the buildings, bridges, river, churches, castles, etc.  One thing we can thank communism for is that they didn't have money to tear down all these 19th century buildings and a lot of their architecture have been preserved.  In the afternoon, we took a walking tour of the Jewish District.  At one time there were a lot of Jews in Hungary but after WWII, they are down to 10% or about 100,000 of what they used to be.  We walked around what used to be the Jewish Ghetto until the Nazis sent a lot of them to the concentration camps.  It was very interesting learning about their history and contributions to Hungary.
We also went to the Central Market, about 5 minutes from the hostel.  Not only is it very clean but they sell a variety of stuff:  meat, produce, pickles, souvenirs, etc.  I love going to markets when I go to a new place because that's where the locals congregate.  You see what they buy and what they eat.  One surprise I had at this market is finding an Asian grocery store in the basement run by Hungarians.  For those living in Phoenix, it's like a mini-Lee Lee Market.  They have just about everything, including all the different sauces and spices and noodles.  We also had lunch at this market and they serve authentic Hungarian food at local prices.

Royal Palace at sunset

The Parliament House

St. Matthias Church

Castle on the Buda side

Our tour guide with a stuffed Hungarian

Lion guarding one of the bridges

A typical building with 19th century architecture

Central Market

A lot of meat and sausages at the market

Chili and other sauces at Asian grocery store

St. Stephan's Cathedral - one of the landmarks

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ljubljana is a hidden gem among European cities. Not many people know about it but when you see it you wonder why.  It is such a beautiful, laid-back city.  Its architecture is not as impressive as Prague but it has a lot of old buildings that have been well-maintained. The city center is criss-crossed by a couple of canals and along the canals are  restaurants and cafes.  You can sit in one of these places and just watch the people go by for hours.  On the side of the canals are shops selling all kinds of stuff.
Slovenia is one of the republics that was part of Yugoslavia.  In the early 1990s', it seceded and declared independence.  Since then it has done very well.  The people are very friendly and they all speak good English, especially the younger generation.  You can see that the standard of living is higher than Croatia, which is higher than Bosnia-Herzegovina.  It resembles more like a western European country like its neighbors Austria and Italy.  It has lush vegetation and part of the Alps run through the country.
One of the big tourist attractions is Lake Bled, an Alpine lake, a little over an hour outside of Ljubljana.  I took a bus there in the morning and spent half a day there.  It is famous for 2 attractions:  Bled Castle and an island that has a church on it.  I went to both.  I climbed up to the castle and took a boat to the island.  The area has a beautiful setting, with the mountain as a backdrop.
Tomorrow morning we are taking the train from Ljubljana to Budapest, about an 8-hour journey.

One of the canals in the city center

Street next to canal with shops and cafes

Triple Bridge in front of church and Main Square

Castle at Lake Bled

Island on Lake Bled

Another square in city center

Zagreb, Croatia

This is our last stop in Croatia.  I can't believe we've been in this country for a week but it's well worth it.  Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and it's inland, close to the mountains.  It's not as beautiful as the other coastal cities but has its own history and beauty.
We arrived in Zagreb after a long day of travel - 4 hours by bus from Mostar to Split, then another 8 hours by train from Split to Zagreb.  There were some problems with one of the train stations between Split and Zagreb so we had to get off the train, take a bus for almost 2 hours, then get back on the train again to finally get to Zagreb.
We found a hostel that is right smack in the middle of Zagreb's night life.  There were restaurants and cafes right below our room window.  Since it was a Saturday night, the noise didn't stop until about 2 am.  The hostel is not in very good shape and it is not very well-run.  But, the price of about $22 a night per person and the location made up for it.
We walked around the city center of Zagreb all day today.  It is a Sunday so there were a lot of things happening.  First, we found a farmer's market near the Main Square, which is about 1/4 mile from our hostel.  I love buying fruits from the stands because they were probably picked recently.  I bought some strawberries from one of the vendors and they were small but sweet.  In Split, I bought some peaches and nectarines from one of the stands in the Green Market and it was very sweet.
Next we ran into another farmer's market on the Main Square itself;  this time selling mostly meat products, honey, grains, wine and some cheese.   After walking a few blocks, we found an antiques market.  Here the vendors were selling anything old, from coins, records, furniture, fixtures, books, etc. It was a beautiful day so a lot of people were wandering around in those markets.  There were a lot of outdoor cafes and pastry stores all over.  Croatians are fond of just sitting in cafes,  drinking coffee and chatting with their friends.
Tomorrow morning we are taking a 2-hour train ride to Ljubljana, Slovenia.  After 2 nights in Ljubljana, we'll be heading to Budapest, Hungary.

Zagreb Cathedral

Opera House

Farmers' market selling produce

Farmers' market selling meat, cheese, wine, etc

Antiques Market

Croatia Sandwich - Cepavici