Tag Archives: 1974 Travel Diary

“Travels to a Different Time” ; 2August1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Do I Follow My Heart or Logic? A Melted Shoe and A Heart to Match

I have been in Drače for over a week. It has been a well-deserved break from the rigours of Romania. An idyllic and mostly undiscovered place where strangely many end up by accident or chance. Yugoslav Twilight Zone. I could have easily missed it had I been in another car. Why am I here? OneContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” ; 2August1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Do I Follow My Heart or Logic? A Melted Shoe and A Heart to Match”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 1August1974: Drače, Yugoslavia:  Thank You Roosters: Up to a Pack a Day: The Crazy Jumping Barber

The roosters did their job well today waking me up early. I was too pooped to walk three kms to buy some bread in Janina so I had a pack of Moccas which are wafer cookies the Yugoslavs excel in making. I am up to a pack a day of these great cookies. I tryContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 1August1974: Drače, Yugoslavia:  Thank You Roosters: Up to a Pack a Day: The Crazy Jumping Barber”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 29July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Movie Night in Drače: The Singing Czechs

Up at 09:30 and I went to Nino’s house to take advantage of the running water having a shave and brushing my teeth. We sat around and I met a Yugoslav girl called Daria but I call her Dacia which is a Romanian car made under license from Renault. Mirela joined us and Nino tookContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 29July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Movie Night in Drače: The Singing Czechs”

“Travels to a Different Time: 28July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Drače Dance Party: Fueling Gossip!  

Up early to hunt down food in Janina. Hot as blazes so early in the morning and a beautiful blue sky. I feel like I am drying out from my often-soggy Romanian trip. Chocolate wafer cookies and a rusk. It was simply too hot to have anything more complicated. I went to sit on theContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time: 28July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Drače Dance Party: Fueling Gossip!  “

“Travels to a Different Time” ; 27July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Adopted by a Serbian Family: A Ride on a Putt Putt

Well I think I am in a tiny town called Drače in Croatia. What a beautiful beach! What clear sparkling water. There isn’t much to do but get up go to the beach, have Dalmatian smoked ham and a bun with a cold litre of Radenska mineral water, sit in the shade and head backContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” ; 27July1974: Drače, Yugoslavia: Adopted by a Serbian Family: A Ride on a Putt Putt”

“Travels to a Different Time”: 26 July1974: Somewhere in Yugoslavia: Low Budget Paradise: Where in the Hell Am I?

I woke up today knowing I am north of Dubrovnik. A tiny village called Janiania? It is not on my map. I really don’t care as I know I must head north to get to Germany to leave Europe shortly. I am in the Twilight Zone and there is a beautiful ocean and lots ofContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time”: 26 July1974: Somewhere in Yugoslavia: Low Budget Paradise: Where in the Hell Am I?”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 25July1974: All Over Yugoslavia: Massive Confusion in Dubrovnik: Minimalist Camping! Existential Question of Where am I?

I woke up shortly after my Peugeot 404 friends did, Alex and Eckart. On the road at 09:00. We encountered a traffic jam in Titograd but it cleared up and we stopped at supermarket to buy some food for breakfast. Not eating dinner we all were starving. The incredible scenery continued. We arrived at theContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 25July1974: All Over Yugoslavia: Massive Confusion in Dubrovnik: Minimalist Camping! Existential Question of Where am I?”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 24July1974: All Over Yugoslavia: Turkish Invasion of Cyprus a Hot Topic: The Ugly American and Smashed Cars Down the Gorge: Yugoslav Army Mobilizes Behind Me!

Up for breakfast at 07:00. I met my German Easy Rider friend for breakfast. The room was buzzing with talk of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The borders into Greece may be closed because of the Turkish aggression. So there is some confusion. After breakfast I came up and packed with grim determination as IContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 24July1974: All Over Yugoslavia: Turkish Invasion of Cyprus a Hot Topic: The Ugly American and Smashed Cars Down the Gorge: Yugoslav Army Mobilizes Behind Me!”

“Travels to a Different Time : 23July1974; Nis, Skopje, Yugoslavia: Am I Jack Nicholson or Peter Fonda? Staying in Earthquake City!

Woke up yet again in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Unfortunately my jeans I washed last night are still damp. These are my last pair of pants. I went down for a great Continental breakfast at 08:30. I ate quickly and hung up my pants to dry further. Not willing to wait I headedContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time : 23July1974; Nis, Skopje, Yugoslavia: Am I Jack Nicholson or Peter Fonda? Staying in Earthquake City!”

“Travels to a Different Time ” : 22July1974: All Over the Place in Romania and Yugoslavia: The Squawking Plastic Parrot: Being a Community Project and a Cadillac With New York Plates Parked Outside a Shack

My last day in Romania. I have been here for 29 days and only have scratched the surface. When I return home I will have to read more about Romanian politics and society. I was up at 06:15 for a breakfast of my bartered Romanian honey and some bread. Off on a dilapidated bus courtesyContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time ” : 22July1974: All Over the Place in Romania and Yugoslavia: The Squawking Plastic Parrot: Being a Community Project and a Cadillac With New York Plates Parked Outside a Shack”