A Little Balkan Shuffle

The other Eternal City, with seven hills no less: the Acropolis, hoisting a glowing Parthenon above the city, is one of them.

Uninhibited zest for life meets soulful dancing at Klimataria, in Athens. (Click on photo to enlarge and view slideshow.)

A Belgrade native observes the Sava River and its bridges, targeted by the NATO bombing campaign in 1999 but destined to be saved by the people of the city, who danced and toasted on them all night long. Having made lemons out of lemonade (they were ordered by the government to act as human shields), many Belgradians remember these makeshift parties as some of the best nights of their lives.

Let it be known that anywhere in the Balkans is where you should be visiting now. The landscape is intriguing, the people are warm and welcoming, the history is fascinating!

Recent forays into the former Yugoslavia and to Greece left Mediterranean Moves agape at the local beauty, tastes and mentality.

At To Je To, the Cevapcici is hearty and divine, and served with fermented cabbage, pita, mustard and sour cream.

My host Ria welcomed me and my buddy Liz at Rome if You Want To to Athens with an assortment of homegrown goods from her native Corinth, along with tzatziki and some curative Rakia (the week before, the Serbians generously plied us with their version of the same liqueur, Rakija, in an assortment of fruit varieties.)

A seafood fry tempts at an Athens restaurant specializing in cuisine from the island of Lesbos. (Meanwhile, its diners specialize in Opa.)

The stamp of the Ottoman Turks is distinctly and keenly noticed in southeastern Europe , whether in the Turkish (nay, Serbian!) coffee tried in Belgrade - an improved-upon version of that tried last year in the Rhodes Old Town - in the joyous abundance of honey-infused baklava in both Belgrade and Athens, or in the gorgeously fiery and intense music savored at Saran in the Serbian town of Zemun, and at Klimataria, in what has long been considered a gritty barrio next to the Monistiraki district of Athens.

Paint me a picture of the Blue Danube: the Petrovardin Fortress reigns high above the terrain, facing Serbia's third city of Novi Sad from across Europe's second-longest river.

These places are all heart, soul, and ancient fable. For now my little Balkan shuffle has come to a close, but of course the shuffler is angling to resume the dance, particularly to Sarajevo, the Montenegrin Coast, and equally to Dubrovnik and Zagreb!

An olive tree peacefully overlooks the city from Athens's Mt. Lycabettus.

P.S. This blogger said it more than once and she'll say it again: travel is all about the connections you make, both with locals of the terrain you're visiting and with fellow travelers. And sometimes, the best trips are not necessarily those most thoroughly planned, but rather, those that allow you to go with the flow - unexpected encounters that led in turn to surprising discoveries made our dance across the Adriatic and down to the Aegean a perfect ten. 

Thanks to Liz, Caron, Kate, M, Stefanos and Ria for an unforgettable March, 2016!

...And dance we did. After picking up some advice from the quirky and eclectic Trazhabar in Belgrade.

Djordjey with Belgrade Food Tours reads my fortune from Serbian (don't say Turkish!) coffee grits at  Belgrade's "?" Cafe or kafana. (Photo Courtesy of Caron Cassady Guillo)

Athens sprawls like a map around mountains and along its ample coastline, a bitter-sweet sight for those of us who leave a little piece of our hearts in the Balkans. Until next time!

Links: Try the "Serbia on a Toothpick" Tour with Djordjey! Or get a taste of the spontaneous local dance numbers that warmed our hearts at Klimataria!

Hard Choices, or Your Irresistible Idyllic Italian Vacation

Would you be my home away from home? The infinity pool outside Il Fontanaro's Villa Tartagli.

(Click photo for larger view and slideshow.)

If you're planning a trip to Italy come spring, summer or fall, it's not too early to start thinking about what kind of experience (or experiences) you'd like to have. Of course it can be difficult to choose sometimes, what with 20 to-die-for gorgeous regions, approximately 50 World Heritage Sites, a ton of famous and not-so-famous islands, and more food, art, history and culture that you knew even existed!

Let's just say if you're thinking of enjoying a few relaxing days in the countryside, you can do no wrong by choosing an agritourism weekend in Tuscany or Umbria, or a few days in a masseria Pugliese.

I have already described to audiences one of my favorite agritourism experiences at the Umbrian Le Mandrie di San Paolo, but I have to say that, last August, another Umbrian venue took its place as my favorite agritourism stay thus far: Il Fontanaro Organic Farmhouse.

Looking up at a tall tower from little Paciano's main square. This is quiet Italy at its best.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to Il Fontanaro by one of my best friends in Rome and fellow blogger, Liz Knight (perhaps you've heard of her: check out Rome if you Want To!).

An easy train ride from Rome, Il Fontanaro lies close to what is perhaps the smallest village I have ever seen (and all the better for it). Perfectly preserved, Paciano looks and feels like a movie set, thus it is no disappointment to realize that - apart from the presence of about ten other intriguing souls in the main piazza - you have this town practically all to yourself. 

Okay, let's get to the digs: Il Fontanaro works similar to what is known in Italy as an albergo diffuso, or dispersed hotel with villas a few kilometers one from the other; we girls were in the private Villa Tartagli, a scenic walk (no more than ten minutes!) from town. 

The lavender here really spoke to me. Go. You will understand.

You've truly not known the pure bliss of utter silence - laced with the totally zen gurgling from the infinity pool - till you've been to the Umbrian countryside; and don't get me started on the sensorial trifecta of the buttery-smooth rolling hills, the Mediterranean surroundings of lavender and olive trees, and a sunset that dreams are made of. I wanted nothing more than to stay another week, drinking coffee and writing by the pool (as I did when I made like an early bird and let the girls sleep on our last morning in paradise).

Just know that by coming here you're taking a risk, because at the end of your stay, you will have to make the hardest choice ever presented you: go home! 

Thanks to Liz for yet another fun weekend full of memories! And if you want to do more than just gab and chill by the pool as we girls did, get in touch with Alina at Il Fontanaro to find out what else you can do on her farm, including picking fruits and veggies from her garden, cooking in Il Fontanaro's kitchen and indulge in a tasting or two.

The sunset of my dreams lowers over the hills surrounding Il Fontanaro's Villa Tartagli.

If you're interested in other experiences in Italy and beyond, scroll up and visit the Med Moves archive on your right - pastoral or urban, there's always more fun to be had!

And if you missed the link to Il Fontanaro's website, here it is one more time: http://countryslowliving.com.