When I was in Montenegro recently I checked into a small guest house and asked if they had internet. “Of course we do” boomed the big cheery lady who runs the place, but when I tried to get online it didn’t work. I asked for help and she went to fetch the Siberian who was living with his wife on the floor below. “He knows English” she cried as she hurried down the frozen stone steps.
A small, alert and friendly young man came in and tried to help me connect. But it still didn’t work, and we ended up on the outside terrace which was the only place (apart from his room) where the wireless signal actually did work. We sat there for hours, despite the rain and cold, and I learned about Siberia. (more…)
In my view the best way to travel in Eastern Europe is by train. It is cheap, interesting and relaxing. But why, you might be wondering, would anyone want to travel across the Balkans in the winter, especially such a cold one as this? My mission was to sign a piece of paper in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. The job itself took about 20 minutes, most of which was spent hanging around, but getting there took me two nights on a sleeper train and getting back another two nights. I got the train from Bucharest to Bar, via Belgrade. 
