October was a month full of travel, work and fun. I left Georgia behind after two incredible weeks, spent another two on an archaeological project in Serbia and ended the month in my neighbouring country of Germany.
Goodbye Svaneti and hello Kutaisi
October began with the end of an epic three-day trek in Svaneti, Georgia. My hiking buddies A and Lukas and I were hoping to make it to Ushguli on the fourth day, but the area was hit by a landslide, forcing us to change our plans or risk getting stuck in Ushguli – and with upcoming flights that just wasn’t an option.
Our plan was instead to hitchhike to Mestia, but we ended up getting a ride for six kilometres and walking for over two hours before giving up and calling a cab. But not before visiting one of the famous Svan towers that we randomly came across while walking along the road.
Once we reached Mestia, we enjoyed a delicious Georgian meal and then spent the rest of the day in marshrutkas, first to Zugdidi and then to Kutaisi. We stayed the night at our favourite hostel in Kutaisi, Dingo Backpackers Hostel, and had a fun time with new and old friends. The next morning, we walked around the city with Lukas before saying farewell to him and leaving for Tbilisi on the train.
Via Mtskheta to Tbilisi
I was set to leave Georgia the following day but before leaving, I really wanted to explore Mtskheta, the ancient capital and one of the oldest towns in the country. So A and I got off the train when we reached the town.
We visited two of the historical monasteries that played a significant role in the spread of Christianity to the region. But when we tried to reach the most famous of the monasteries, Jvari Monastery, which is located on a hill above the town, we got ourselves into a little misadventure. Somehow, we ended up in a dense forest with no real trails, and over a tiny bridge crossing the river Aragvi. We ended up at a very strange place with what looked like an abandoned shed before climbing up to the main road. There, we waited in the dark for a taxi that finally drove us up to Jvari. I had hoped to see it in daylight, but it was actually pretty cool seeing it lit up in the dark, and the view of Mtskheta below was definitely worth going up there for.
The taxi driver waited for us as we explored the church, and then drove us all the way to Tbilisi. We enjoyed a lovely meal at a cozy café in the city centre, and then went to Envoy Hostel, our favourite, for a last night of terrace fun.
An afternoon in Yerevan
The following morning, it was time to say goodbye to Georgia and A as I boarded a minivan that took me over the border to Armenia and through the countryside to its capital, Yerevan.
I had originally planned to spend at least a week in Armenia, but Georgia was too beautiful to rush through, so I’ll have to return to Armenia one day. Because I only had four hours of daylight to explore, and that definitely wasn’t enough.
I made the most of it though – despite carrying all of my luggage around. I explored the gorgeous Blue Mosque, wandered around the oldest district in the city, bought some souvenirs at the Vernissage market, people-watched at the Republic Square and walked to the top of The Cascade to watch the sun set over the city.
Afterwards, I went to a coffeeshop and had a plate full of grilled vegetables for dinner, and then went to the airport to spend a very long and exhausting night before my morning flight.
Home for a few days
After two crazy weeks in Georgia (and a little bit in Armenia), I was happy to spend five days at home, with time to catch up with my family and just relax!
I spent a day in Aarhus with my younger brother where he showed me around his university (he just started studying History – sis is proud!). I joined my family to watch the new James Bond film in the local cinema (I won’t give away any spoilers, but just know that I was SUPER EXCITED to see the Faroe Islands at the end!!!!). I also cuddled a lot with my cat, went for long walks in the autumnal forests, and celebrated my younger brother’s birthday with the whole family!
From Kiel to Serbia via Brno
On October 9th, I left Denmark again for a new adventure. I was going to Serbia to work on an archaeological prospection, but first, I had to get to Kiel where I met the team of archaeologists that I was joining to Serbia. After several busses and trains, I arrived in Kiel in the late afternoon and walked through the centre to my (really really nice) Airbnb. I grabbed some food from a supermarket and then went to the fjord to watch the sunset.
I really enjoyed having some time to explore Kiel as I usually only go there to see the Christmas markets with my family!
The next day, I met with the other archaeologists early in the morning. We packed all of our gear into two vans and then set off along the Autobahn. I was lucky to be seated next to Lenka, our adorable excavation dog! Our destination for the day was Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. We arrived in the early evening, checked into our fancy hotel and then went for a stroll to the city centre. We settled at a restaurant for a nice meal and a chat to get to know each other. Or rather, for me to get to know everyone as I was the only outsider!
Another full day of driving and two looooong border crossings later, we finally arrived in Serbia and our cozy guesthouse in the town of Novi Bečej, located in the flat northern part of the country!
First week of our archaeological prospection in Serbia
Work began the following day. Our mission was to discover new sites from the Neolithic using a magnetometer to map out the sites together with surface collecting. We also spent a day documenting two exposed profiles of (possibly) Neolithic pits with an abundance of finds.
During the first week, we worked at four different sites dating from the early Neolithic to the Copper Age (ca. 6.000-3.800 BC). We discovered different types of contemporary Neolithic settlements. Animal bones, decorated pottery sherds and diagnostic sherds were collected in abundance, and we also found the most beautiful stone axes and fragments of figurines!
At one of the sites, we were working very close to a vineyard, and the owner actually invited us to see his wine cellar and taste his wine. I didn’t participate myself as I don’t drink, but the others had a jolly time!
The weather wasn’t great, in fact it was quite cold and wet most days. Going through fields of high grass with a magnetometer isn’t always easy, and Romy and I managed to get our shoes and socks so soaked that we had to go home to change, and the project director bought us both new wellies… Ooops!
The evenings were spent dining at the neighbouring restaurant and hanging out at the guesthouse (which was also home to two adorable Siamese cats!!). And on Saturday evening, we were treated to a dinner at a lovely restaurant by the river Tisa.
The days were long and there wasn’t much time to relax but I didn’t mind at all. I had such a blast all week!
Read more: Borđoš 2021: A diary from two weeks of geophysical surveys in Serbia
A Sunday excursion in and around Novi Bečej
On our only day off during the project, we wanted to explore as much as possible of Novi Bečej and the surrounding areas.
In the morning, we watched a wedding taking place at the neighbouring restaurant (a huge deal with huge Serbian flags and fancy cars!). Afterwards, we went for a morning stroll along the river Tisa, the prettiest part of the town, and then set out on a roadtrip to explore the Medieval Romanesque church ruin of Arača and the dried salt lake of Slano Kopovo. In the evening, I joined Sebbo for a stroll along random streets in the town.
After a week of cold weather, we were blessed with brilliant sunshine for our day off, something that continued during our next and final week in Serbia.
The last week of our archaeological prospection in Serbia
The last week of the project consisted of just four days of work – but those were four incredible days with amazing results.
The sun was shining all week and the temperatures rose to t-shirt weather. We revisited two of the sites we’d worked on the previous week to finish them off, and then we went to Borđoš, the most well-known archaeological site in the area, home to a Neolithic settlement mound, a Bronze Age settlement and a Medieval village. It was the most beautiful site of the project as it’s located on the banks of the river Tisa. We did lots of geomagnetics and also cleaned a very slanted exposed profile. We discovered more houses which are probably from the Bronze Age, and – most excitingly – we found human skeletons! Of course we found them at the end of the project, that happens every time – but that means there will hopefully be an excavation next year!
Our last day was spent at a new site. Surface collections resulted in hardly any finds, but the geomagnetics revealed a prehistoric settlement surrounded by ditches! We finished early that day, and went back to the guesthouse to pack the cars. Romy and I then went to the nice restaurant by the river for a last “fries before guys” date, and then we joined the others for dinner at the usual restaurant.
The next morning, it was sadly time to say goodbye to everyone but Fynn as they drove back to Kiel. Fynn and I weren’t quite done with Serbia yet though…
Kikinda and Novi Sad, my last days in Serbia
I had planned to spend my last days in Serbia in Novi Sad, the second-largest city in the country, but first I joined Fynn for a little detour to the small city of Kikinda. He showed me around the local museum, and then while he was at a meeting, I walked around by myself in the city centre.
Afterwards, we drove to Novi Sad where I had booked my own room in a hostel. As much as I needed some time alone after two intense weeks, it also left me with an empty feeling that I know all too well. It happens every time I’m left behind during my travels. I miss people so much that I don’t know what to do with myself.
I tried to make the most of my time in Novi Sad, though. I wandered the streets of the city, explored churches and shopped in thrift stores, enjoyed the views from Petrovaradin Fortress, watched a traditional dance in a quaint square, and met up with Fynn for a tour of the archaeological museum. The last day was my favourite as I got out of the city and into nature. I went for a long hike through the autumnal forests of Fruška Gora National Park, climbed the highest peak in the park at 539 m. and explored an abandoned castle (!!!) that I just happened to stumble upon! I walked 21 kilometres that day, and over an hour of it was through the forest in total darkness… I also slipped five times during the descend from a viewpoint, but what’s an adventure without a few mishaps!?
A stopover in beautiful Vienna
In the morning of October 25th, I left Serbia behind and caught a bus to Vienna. It wasn’t as smooth sailing as I’d imagined as the bus never arrived to the bus station where the ticket told me to be. Some minutes after departure time, a man came over and asked if I was Melissa, and then guided me to a taxi. Reluctant to get into a taxi driven by a man on my own, I demanded to know what was going on. Neither of them spoke any English, but then another guy from a different car stepped out and explained that the taxis would take us to the bus. Ok, I thought, but I was still nervous. The taxi drove for about 20 minutes before finally stopping in the middle of nowhere. But sure enough, there was the bus, waiting for our arrival! I will never quite understand what happened there, but the main thing is that I got to Vienna safely – many hours later!
I arrived in Vienna just past sunset, and went straight to my hostel just behind the train station to drop off my stuff. Then I set out into the night for a long walk around the city centre, trying to see as many of Vienna’s famous sights as possible. Before returning to the hostel for a good night’s sleep, I enjoyed a delicious burger and sweet potato fries at a vegan restaurant. Just what I needed after a long day!
The following day was Austria’s National Day, and thankfully, I had some time to enjoy the special atmosphere of the day before leaving on the train to Berlin in the early afternoon. I revisited most places I’d seen the night before to see them in daylight as well, and I also visited a few new places. I found an outdoor exhibition of the cutest rainbow-inspired children’s paintings and listened to bands playing throughout the city!
Sweet days in Berlin
I arrived in Berlin the evening before A’s birthday, an event I’d been excited for for a long time! Because I had planned an evening meal at a Georgian restaurant for us to reminisce about the fun times we had together in Georgia, and for A to have his beloved khachapuri again (although it was really small compared to the true Georgian ones… ehe)!
The next few days were spent hanging out with A and his sister, eating tons of delicious vegan food (I love you, Berlin, I really do!!!) and going for long walks through different neighbourhoods of Berlin in the most beautiful weather. I’d only been to Berlin for one day before and I didn’t really like it much, so I’m happy to have given it a second chance and to be able to say that I really like the city now. It has definitely grown on me!
To Leipzig we go
October ended with a visit to Leipzig to see my friend, Mikkel, who is on a PhD exchange programme there. We spent the last day of October exploring the (surprisingly beautiful) city centre and having two delicious meals – first at a Vietnamese restaurant and in the evening at a pizza place. The last one especially blew my mind as they had 34 vegan pizzas to choose from. 34!!!!! I was in heaven. Pure heaven.
We spent another day with Mikkel in Leipzig before returning to Berlin, but since that was in November, y’all will have to wait for the next monthly recap to find out what happened!
Destinations visited in October 2021
- Svaneti, Kutaisi, Mtskheta and Tbilisi, Georgia
- Yerevan, Armenia
- Aarhus, Hov, Odder and Storenor, Denmark
- Kiel, Germany
- Brno, Czech Republic
- Novi Bečej, Kikinda, Novi Sad and Fruška Gora National Park, Serbia
- Vienna, Austria
- Berlin and Leipzig, Germany
Highlights
- The last day in Georgia. Getting to see Mtskheta and spend time with A in Tbilisi. Last days are always sad, but we definitely made the most of this one!
- Every single day on the prospection in Serbia. I had so much fun, learned a lot that will be useful for my future as an archaeologist, and got to discover a new country as well!
- Lenka, Lenki, Lenkskiy, Lenkskaya. That precious little dog stole my heart completely ❤️
- Discovering Spitzer Castle, an abandoned 19th-century mansion in Fruška Gora National Park, and exploring every corner of it. The urban explorer in me was soooo thrilled!
- Getting immersed in nature at Fruška Gora. Hiking always helps when I’m feeling a little down!
- Fun times and AMAZING FOOD in Berlin and Leipzig. Gosh, this vegan gal was over the moon!
Challenges
- Having to give up the dream of reaching Ushguli on the last day of our multi-day trek in Svaneti. I had a serious case of FOMO there!
- Saying goodbye to everyone I met in Georgia. I haaaate goodbyes so much!
- Lugging my heavy backpack around Yerevan… My back was killing me by the end of the day!
- The night at the airport in Yerevan. I decided not to sleep as my flight left at 5 AM, but I was so tired and had to fight to stay awake. I passed out immediately when I sat down in the plane!
- Novi Sadness. I experienced that empty feeling that I always get when I’m left behind on my travels, and it affected my time in Novi Sad.
- Although I loved my hike in Fruška Gora, it wasn’t fun to hike in total darkness through the forest for over an hour, and falling on my butt five times was kinda painful. I don’t know how I didn’t get a bruise!
- Feeling like I was about to be kidnapped when the bus to Vienna didn’t arrive, and I was instead asked to get into a taxi… Alone! Everything worked out fine but those nervous moments definitely weren’t pleasant!
Most popular post
- My September 2021: Adventures in Georgia – September’s recap included my first writings and pictures from the gorgeous country of Georgia!
The other posts
- Sædinge: My favourite little village on Lolland – Come with me to a beautiful unknown village on my beloved Lolland
- Romantic Bavaria: Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Bamberg – During my German roadtrip last summer, I visited three of the most romantic places in Bavaria
Most popular Instagram picture
This photo series from the first week of the archaeological prospection in Serbia was my most popular in a long time!
Coming up in November 2021
I left Berlin on November 5th with a clear head and a life-changing decision that had been brewing for several years. I decided not to go back to Eastern Europe after all even though that had always been my plan, simply because I’m tired of long-term solo travel. As much as I still want to explore the world, I just don’t feel like doing it alone anymore. So I decided against going to Eastern Europe by myself and instead went home for a few days. A very good decision!
I’m currently in Bergen, Norway, visiting my bestie, and on Saturday, I’m leaving to Stavanger to see another friend of mine. I’ll then sail back to Denmark to visit another friend in Aalborg before catching the train back to Berlin where I plan to spend the rest of the month.
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