Tirana cafe life
The Scottish Archipelago of St. Kilda, Peranakan heritage in Singapore, Bali without tourists, and riding a Citi Bike across the USA.
TIRANA - I’m now in Albania, which is the third country I’ve been to this month (and second new country). There are many countries crammed into this corner of Europe, but I will save the rest for another visit.
I arrived in Tirana having done no research about the city. I wanted to arrive without any expectations, and so far I am happy with my decision to spend the rest of the month here. I can now catch up on blog posts of my travels through the Balkans. I even bought a jacket, so I am ready for outdoor cafe life in Tirana.
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• Notes on Split – The historic hub city of the Dalmatian Coast
COVID-19 and travel
My inter-Balkan travels have been straightforward with a vaccination certificate. It helps that I have been using small land borders without any queues. I’m now looking at travel options to Southeast Asia or Australia for the end of the year, which will require pre-flight testing and possible quarantine time. Thailand is looking at a November 1 reopening for some countries without quarantine, so that could be an option.
• S'pore to allow quarantine-free travel to 9 more countries, including US, UK
• International travel after COVID-19: The future of airlines, airports and travel overseas
Assorted travel reads
• Agony and Ecstasy on the Scottish Archipelago of St. Kilda
“The 85-mile boat ride through rough seas left some of us huddling in discomfort. But the scenery on the remote and windswept islands was otherworldly.”
I used to live in St. Kilda in Melbourne, so I’ve always said that I would travel to the original St. Kilda one day.
• In Asia, a gilded history lies hidden in plain sight
“Singapore holds vibrant signs of Peranakan heritage for those curious enough to look.”
“An interview with Jeffrey Tanenhaus, who in 2015 rented a Citi Bike in NYC and rode it across the US in search of adventure and a new start.”
• Bali without tourists: once-bustling hotspots now eerie and overgrown – a photo essay
• Historic Komodo, images of a conservation struggle
“Archive photos of a 1956 excursion to Komodo island tell a story of man’s changing relationship to the famed dragons of Indonesia, whose millions of years on Earth could be brought to an end by climate change and human encroachment.”
• Wes Anderson shapes classic carriage for cinematic journeys
“Filmmaker Wes Anderson has helped redesign a 1950s British Pullman train carriage for luxury travel company Belmond.”
There is an Instagram account called @accidentallywesanderson, which features photos of places that could have been in a Wes Anderson film. This train though is forrealwesanderson.
• Berlin could create the biggest car-free urban area in the world
• How France turned the humble roundabout into a showcase for art
• I went to the outback to find disappearing Chinese-Australian stories
• Two Singapore Airlines A380s towed along public road to be scrapped at Changi Exhibition Centre
• The ‘Orient Express’ is a real train — and taking a ride is not cheap
This, and more Europe rail news and stories can be found on my Europe Rail Newsletter. Subscribe here.
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The Nomadic Notes Travel Newsletter is a weekly newsletter of the best travel reads and interesting travel news from around the web, and random ramblings by the editor.
- James Clark