Reading suggestions · Eastern Europe

After visiting Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, and Poland in recent years, I’ve fallen in love with Eastern European countries. I adore the Slavic soul, its Austro-Hungarian villages, the gentle landscapes, the Carpathian mountains, and that slightly mysterious atmosphere. Slovakia evokes a certain imagination with its deep forests, medieval castles, and cobbled villages.

No hotels booked (well, just the first one), no visits planned, just a flight ticket bought three weeks earlier. No guidebook, no app—just the urge to explore southern Turkey and Cappadocia, whose images and the chance to stretch my legs had really caught my eye.

The plan: adventure (sporty activities, site visits), naps on the beach interspersed with swims, incredible natural sites, and a bit of culture.

Here’s my feedback from my trip to Slovakia this summer. It’s a really great destination, still off the beaten tourist track, and perfect if you love historic sites and hiking. Budget-friendly too!

Nisyros is a stunning little Greek island, and luckily, it’s well hidden. Located a good twenty hours by boat from Athens, its distance from the Greek mainland puts most tourists off visiting. That’s what makes it such an off-the-beaten-path destination.

So Kate and I spent a week in Istanbul. For her, who had already visited, it was a return; for me, a discovery.

As we’ve now made a habit of, I write the texts and she posts her photos. We hope this illustrated story, crafted together, will revive beautiful memories for those who know the city and inspire others to discover it.

Hi everyone, In mid-July 2025, we were lucky enough to spend about ten days in Bulgaria. We did a 10-day road trip exploring this beautiful and underrated Balkan country!

Mid-June, two Auvergnats on the starting blocks—it’s the big departure for the former Yugoslavia! We’d already visited a few spots and hidden gems in northern Croatia back in 2019, and we’re keeping the momentum going by planning a trip to the south of the country and then Montenegro.

On the way back, we’ll drift into Bosnia-Herzegovina just to mix things up a bit!

Hello everyone!

Blue (lots of it), white, villages with steep alleyways, hundreds of churches, and... thousands of stairs? Welcome to the Cyclades 🙂!

Discover Albania in the fall, with its wild beaches, mountains, and villages steeped in history, not to mention its gastronomy. Albania is an undiscovered gem of the Balkans—come explore it here!

The Cyclades attract a lot (a LOT) of people in the summer, and it’s not always clear how to visit them. For our first family trip to the Cyclades, we followed an itinerary that seems great for exploring...

Slovenia was the originally planned destination for summer 2022, as an addition to a road trip through Croatia and Montenegro. The plan changed on a whim in February of that year. Our Balkan road trip was eventually narrowed down to just Slovenia, and we’ll be there for 10 days during the Easter school holidays.

Greece. Again, always. To nestle into the only European promise we’ve been given. To lull ourselves with illusions, just for the pleasure of it.