East Valley Traffic School Gilbert Az

An Increasingly Stable Spread Of Independent Nations Based Slightly On Ethnic Populations, But Also On The Economic Imperatives Of Recently Found Independence : Capitalism, Development And Tourism!

Stumped? It’s actually a bit of a trick question. Geographically, the Balkan Peninsula is considered as Southeastern Europe – the landmass south of Austria and Hungary and east of Italy. It’s famous for rough and remote mountains, spectacular coastline and intensely partisan populations. The Adriatic is to the west, the Black Sea to the east, Greece at the southernmost tip.

But politically, the answer depends on the year. Five centuries of war, oppression and ethnic conflict have dissolved and created countries on the Balkan Cape many times over. If you answered Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania or Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) – A-plus! All of them have shore on the Adriatic Sea. If you thought Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, or Kosovo – C-plus. Balkans, but not Western Balkans. Yugoslavia? No go. It slumped over 10 years ago.

The better news for travelers? An increasingly stable choice of independent nations based rather on ethnic populations, but also on the industrial imperatives of new-found autonomy : capitalism, development and tourism!

Dubrovnik, Croatia, is now a top destination on Eastern Mediterranean cruises, like the one Bud and I did in 2003. Our Dubrovnik guide lived through the 1991-92 Serbian siege, and bullet holes were still everywhere. But Maria’s optimism was transmissive. “Come back,” she urged. “After the roads are fixed and borders opened, you are going to love it.”

7 years later we landed in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, on the 1st leg of a four-country Western Balkan road trip. Customs and immigration were smooth and efficient and our rental automobile, a Czech Skoda Fabia, waited just steps from the terminal.

We would drive northeast through Slovenia’s Julian Alps, south along coastal Croatia and down to Montenegro’s beaches. We would finish over Montenegro’s legendary mountains and into BiH to end in Sarajevo. Perhaps best, we were flying solo – no package tours, no booking agent. Just us!

Euro-GPS

We brought a GPS with a pre loaded European chip. First stop : iconic Lake Bled. Our GPS let us choose : back roads or highway. We took the tiniest roads and were immediately smitten. Each home sported lush window boxes. In the foothills of the Julian Alps, each village reached higher, with taller ancient pines, and roads narrowing to single lanes, regularly weaving thru steep pastures. Around one corner a spotless church sat on top of a brilliantly green hill.

Lake Bled’s Grand Hotel Toplice was wonderful and historical. It housed Fascist Officials during WW2, and was so celebrated the officials had to pay for rooms, although they were the occupying forces. The Toplice was full of talkative Brits and sporty Germans, and life revolved around the lake – shaded walkways along the coast, swans paddling about, boats with brightly coloured covers to ferry visitors around. Wonderful!

Our next stop took us even higher, to a sporthotel in Kranjska Gora. Sporthotels are distinctly Western european : spare decoration, few luxuries, but great rooms to hold skis and bikes. At the Toplice we were told that Americans visit occasionally. In Kranjska Gora, Northern Americans are not common. We were treated like celebrities and entreated to visit the ski jump at close by Planica where the world record for ski-flying was set in 2005 : 717 feet “airborne” coming off the end of the jump.

We were cautioned about the drive over Slovenia’s 9,300-foot peak, Mount Triglav, at the eastern end of the Alps. It was wet and foggy. The route was really steep and narrow with fifty or even more switchbacks. “Follow a bus,” they exclaimed. “It will lead you.”

Great advice! We turned up at our next stop, Lipica, in fine shape and prepared to visit the legendary Lipizzaner Stud Farm in its 430th year of breeding and coaching the fascinating white horses. We caught the dramatic “Airs Above the Ground” equestrian show and marveled at the sublime facility with dressage faculties, lodging, restaurants and marriage chapel as reported tagza.com.

east valley traffic school gilbert az

east valley traffic school gilbert az