After Norway we had a brief 2-day stop in the Netherlands. Our original plan was to spend time exploring Amsterdam (where I did my study abroad), but our Airbnb was further away than expected. We ended up just using the time to relax, although some exploring was still done.
It was nice to experience the Netherlands again!
London, UK ๐ฌ๐ง
London was our last stop and it was a good one. I spent a ton of time exploring. In fact, the pictures I took will likely explain more than I can with words.
London was a very impressive city. It really reminded me of NYC.
Subaru Updates
Netherlands ๐ณ๐ฑ
Got lucky with this one. Considering we didnโt go anywhere super urban I was nervous. But on a walk I found this beauty.
Just an Outback. Netherlands โ
United Kingdom ๐ฌ๐ง
The UK turned out to be really tough. I was hoping to stumble across one during the down town London exploration, but that was not the case. I set out on a walk around the Airbnb and was determined to find one. After about 2 hours of searching, I found it.
Another Outback. UK โ
Having not seen a Crosstrek in the last 2 countries was a bummer, but overall I am happy with the conclusion of the game. 11/11 on Subarus!
I am now back in the US. So, sadly, this is the end of the line for this trip!
After finishing up our exploration in Vienna, we headed northwest to Prague via train! I had heard a lot about Prague and was excited to experience the city. We spent 3 days in Prague, below are some images from that time.
We got to explore the Prague Castle, which was an impressive sight to see.
The castle was one of many beautiful sights we explored!
Overall, Prague was all that I expected. It was beautiful and rich in culture. I was impressed with how robust the public transportation system was as well. After our few days in Prague, it was off to our next location, Bergen!
Bergen, Norway ๐ณ๐ด
Bergen was our only stop in the Nordic region of Europe. The city was vibrant, walkable, and oh yes, expensive. I spent a majority of my time exploring Bergen itself. I also used the bus system to see some surrounding villages/fjords. Our rental was up on a hill that was 109 meters above the city. The hike up only took about 15 minutes, but it was STEEP. Said hike was well worth the views.
View from rentalView from even higher!Goat
Bergen was so colorful. Bergen is known for being a rainy city, but luckily we dodged rain most of the time we were there.
When we were leaving Montenegro, we made a friend on our way to the airport, his name was Max. Max was a nice Canadian gentleman who was studying in Sweden. I had mentioned that I wanted to swim in Norway but was worried about the water temperature. He told me about an experience he had where he used a sauna that was placed on the water so you could go immediately from hot to cold or vice versa. During our time in Norway we found one of these businesses and knew we had to do it.
Sauna!
I can confirm that the water was frigid, but after sweating in a sauna for a couple minutes it was the perfect yin to my yang. Bergen was great and I canโt wait to explore more of Norway and the other Nordic countries later in life.
Subaru Updates
After not seeing a Crosstrek (but still seeing a Subaru) in three straight countries (Croatia, Montenegro, Austria), I had some worries going into the remainder of the trip. All that being said, please see below.
Czech Republic
Czech Republic โ
While walking through Prague and talking on the phone with my older brother Jack, I spotted this Crosstrek. I would like to thank Jack for this find, as I feel his energy helped me wander in the right direction.
Norway
I did some research on which villages I could visit with the public transport pass I bought, and I found a route from a Reddit thread that I decided I would check out. While looking out the window on the bus journey I saw what I thought could be a parked Crosstrek. I wasnโt 100% sure though. The bus was moving fast and the differences between an Outback and a Crosstrek are minimal. Regardless, I decided to hop out of the bus and start the walk backwards. The next bus would get there in 30 minutes, so the risk was easily justifiable.
Yes, thatโs a Crosstrek ๐ Norway โ
Letโs see where weโre at with only two countries left.
Subaru sighting – 9/9 countries
Crosstrek sightings 6/9 countries
Holding out hope for 11/11 on Subarus and 8/11 on Crosstreks!
Today we arrive in Amsterdam and then in two short days we will be in our last location, London!
Our final days in Primoลกten were filled with soaking up the village before heading to Dubrovnik.
All good things come to an end, until next time, Primoลกten.
Dubrovnik, Croatia ๐ญ๐ท
We had a short time (<24 hours) and a lot to see in Dubrovnik. We spent our limited hours walking the city walls, navigating the narrow streets, and people watching.
Views of old town
Dubrovnik was an impressive place that you truly must experience to feel its true magnificence. After our two stops in Croatia, we headed further down the Adriatic coast toward our next adventure, Kotor!
Kotor, Montenegro ๐ฒ๐ช
Kotor (and Montenegro as a country) has been high on my list of dream travel destinations, and I will give you some foreshadowing, it did NOT disappoint. As our bus was approaching I realized that the pictures I had seen of Kotor provided little justice to the real thing. We hitched our wagon in Kotor for 3 days and were excited to explore. We arrived in the evening and decided the next morning we would do a sunrise hike to the San Giovanni Fortress.
Kotor is known as the city of cats. Thatโs right, cats!! They are all over and especially like to hang out in Kotorโs old town. In fact, there is even a park dedicated to meowsters where there is a machine that dispenses cat food when folks recycle bottles into it. Please enjoy the next group of photos.
She asked to join us for coffeeOf course, we said yesSteph and her new friend (Calista)
That is only about 1/2 of the cat photos I obtained in the short 72 hour stay. During that time, we also took a boat tour to see the Church of Our Lady of the Rock (island in the Bay of Kotor), the blue caves, and some submarine tunnels from the Cold War.
All in all, Kotor blew me away. I cannot wait to return to Montenegro.
Vienna, Austria ๐ฆ๐น
After a short flight from Podgorica, Montenegro, we ended up in Austriaโs capital! We have been here for two full days and have been exploring non-stop.
I also had the privilege of hopping on an hour long bus to cross the border into Slovakia and check out Bratislava!
Bratislava, Slovakia ๐ธ๐ฐ
I only spent about 5 hours in Bratislava, but I was pleasantly surprised at how charming it was.
I was running around like a mad man for those 5 hours trying to see as much as I could, and it paid off. I felt like I was able to soak up a lot in the limited time I had there.
Subaru Updates
Croatia
As the Subaru-less time went by in Primoลกten, I was getting anxious that I may not see those beautiful six stars surrounded by a dark blue that resembles a weary early evening sky. But on our way to Dubrovnik, while going (I estimate) about 70km/hr, I spotted a black Forester heading the opposite direction.
Croatia โ
Given the degree of difficulty (thank goodness for live photos), I count this as a win.
Montenegro
We only had a few days in Montenegro, but I was keeping my eyes open. On day two, while walking back from old town, I saw another black Forester.
Montenegro โ
Austria
I still have tonight and tomorrow morning to seek out the rare Vienna Crosstrek, but for now, this Outback will have to suffice.
They almost got away! Austria โ
Slovakia
Now, this one should count as extra credit. During my 5 hour stint in Bratislava, I saw this after boarding my bus back to Vienna (still on Slovakia side of the border).
Our remaining days in Paros were spent with more exploration and relaxation. We did one more day trip to Antiparos, where we explored a vertical cave that is 100 meters deep.
All in all, Paros was a wonderful time.
Next, we tackled our 25 hour journey (1 ferry, 2 flights, and 3 buses) from Paros, Greece to Primoลกten, Croatia. Below are some photos from the adventure.
Steph (happily) guarding our belongingsPublic and free nap zones in Istanbul during our layover
After the traveling, we ended up in beautiful Primoลกten! We have now been here 3 full days and have explored plenty.
Exploring Primoลกten has been peaceful and historic. Today, we took a long hike to the Statue of Our Lady of Loreto. Letโs just say we took the explorative route, because it took us nearly 5 hours to complete the journey (we may have gotten a little bit lost). Here are some pictures from the excursion.
View of Primoลกten
After the 8 mile jaunt, it was well worth the extra exploration necessary to reach the views from the mountaintop.
Now, for what weโve all been waiting for, the Subaru. Thus far, I only have troubling news. I have not seen a singular Subaru, including the combined 1.5 hours on the bus! We have 2.5 days left in this beautiful country and my hopes arenโt high, but they do still exist. Holding out hope for the Subaru game.
We end our journey in Croatia in Dubrovnik on the 27th and then head to Kotor, Montenegro. ๐ฒ๐ช
Our remaining two days in Athens included more history and some island hopping. We saw the Temple of Poseidon and explored the beautiful island of Aegina before heading to Paros for a 7 day stay.
Hellenic ParliamentTemple of PoseidonSteph is so strong!!AeginaMeow!
Aliki
Aliki (small town on the island of Paros, Greece) is our longest stay, spanning seven days in length. We have used the extended time here to rest, explore, and enjoy quality beach time. Below are some pictures from this period.
Aliki beachCute meowster that belongs to our host
Along with wandering Paros, we also took a day trip to explore Naxos, a neighboring island.
View of NaxosTemple of Apollo
Relaxing in Aliki has been wonderful. Paros and our upcoming stop (Croatia) will provide ample time to relax on the beach while also having opportunities to explore and indulge in local culture.
View from my favorite bench
Being in one spot for an extended time (relative to our other stops) has allowed us to find restaurants/bakeries to frequent. Since we donโt have a kitchen in this Airbnb, every morning we take a short walk to a cute little bakery to visit our bakery friend to get fresh, cheap, and delicious pastries. He primarily grew up in Greece but was actually born stateside in Louisiana. It has been nice to speak with some of the locals and get to know them a bit. We have two more full days in Paros before heading back west to Croatia.
Regarding the Subaru/Crosstrek challenge, we have some rules to define.
Greece has proven tough when it comes to Subaru sightings, especially the Crosstrek. We (Steph is a trooper) have even spent some time exploring with a Crosstrek sighting being a top priority. So, I am going to say that a Crosstrek is preferred, while a Subaru is acceptable.
Over the span of 10 days in Greece, this is what we have gathered. While not completely satisfied, beggars canโt be choosers (although I will continue looking for the next two days, of course).
UPDATE
While stumbling toward the main strip of Aliki searching for my next freddo espresso, I turned the corner and looked up to see this stunning beauty. Rules above stay the same, but we are 3/3 on Crosstreks!
I arrived in Milan on the morning of the 2nd. After a train ride from the airport and a decent stroll through the city, I found Steph and Kayla. They had had already been there for a few days prior to my arrival. After settling in for a couple hours, we went off on our mission to see the city. We ventured through numerous churches, as well as a tour of the infamous Duomo.
Touring the DuomoView of Milan
I was only able to spend one full day in Milan, but luckily the girls were nice enough to wait for me to experience these incredible landmarks of Milan. Kayla then went on her way back to the U.S.
Side note: I have created a fun side goal of seeing one Subaru Crosstrek in each of the places I go (going to be a challenge).
Milan โ
Malta 03.05.25 – 08.05.25
Malta is a small island nation in between Italy and Libya. For those of you who donโt know, I am a self-proclaimed geography nerd. Ever since I first saw pictures of Malta (specifically Valletta), I knew I wanted to visit and see it for myself. So, to my 17 y/o self, you made it!
View of Valletta from Sliema
We did plenty in Malta, including a boat tour of the island(s), walking the three cities (Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua), strolling through Marsaxlokk, and visiting the old capital of the country (Mdina). We were also able to try a fun snack called Pastizzi that is native to Malta.
Our boat!Exploring some cavesSwimming!Walking through the three citiesBirdTrying the infamous PastizziLunch – above the streets of VallettaMarsaxlokk HarbourSeaside dinner ๐Knisja tal-Madonna ta’ Pompei
Overall, Malta did not disappoint and provided Steph and I with a perfect balance of history, relaxation, and adventure.
Oh! Canโt forget about the Subaru.
Malta โ
Athens 08.05.25 –
We are currently on day two (of four) in Athens. As Iโm writing this, Steph and I are on a bus from Athens to the Temple of Poseidon. Pictures will be posted in the โWeek 2โ tab next week. I know, itโs sad. But donโt worry! We explored the Acropolis yesterday, see the pictures below.
Steph and the ParthenonErechtheionTemple of Athena NikeView from Acropolis
Athens has already left us speechless, and we look forward to experiencing the most we can while we are here.
Sadly, no Crosstrek sighting yet, but Iโm hopeful.
SnG Travels 