Welcome to the forty-fourth issue of hidden europe travel magazine. Enjoy articles from the Barents Sea to the coast of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.
hidden europe 44
Join us as we explore the Barents Sea coast and the borderlands of Russia and Norway in the Pasvik Valley. We visit an island in the southern Peloponnese which is often dubbed the Greek Gibraltar, unravel the mystery of Bosnia’s mediaeval tombstones and find out why asbestos has gone out of fashion on the Karpaz Peninsula. We taste some wines on board Hurtigruten boats plying the Norwegian coastal route, visit hidden vineyards in Slovakia and England, reflect on future options for Gagauzia and look at how churches are used in soft diplomacy to assert sovereignty in border regions.
Picture above:
Memorial recalling the witchcraft trials in Vardø on the shores of the Barents Sea (photo © hidden europe).
Summary
Join us as we explore the Barents Sea coast and the borderlands of Russia and Norway in the Pasvik Valley. We visit an island in the southern Peloponnese which is often dubbed the Greek Gibraltar, unravel the mystery of Bosnia’s mediaeval tombstones and find out why asbestos has gone out of fashion on the Karpaz Peninsula. We taste some wines on board Hurtigruten boats plying the Norwegian coastal route, visit hidden vineyards in Slovakia and England, reflect on future options for Gagauzia and look at how churches are used in soft diplomacy to assert sovereignty in border regions.
Few borders divide societies which are so markedly different as the frontier between Norway's easternmost county of Finnmark and Russia's Murmansk Oblast. We take a look at life on both sides of the border in a region which was once a key part of the Sami homeland.
The pencil-thin Karpaz Peninsula juts out into the Mediterranean. Guest contributor Laurence Mitchell escorts us to the very end of the road in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus. Along the way we discover a Greek Orthodox community and find out why asbestos has gone out of fashion on the Karpaz Peninsula.
In the southern Peloponnese, the island citadel of Monemvasía once enjoyed a key strategic location on major Mediterranean shipping routes. No wonder, therefore, that many have sought to secure control of the rock that is often referred to as 'the Greek Gibraltar'.
The stećci of Bosnnia and Herzegovina are remarkable tombstones with varying styles of decoration. These enigmatic stones are something that all Bosnians can identify with. They are a reminder that this is a land with its own very special sacred landscapes. Guest contributor Rudolf Abraham unravels the story of the stećci.
Full marks to Hurtigruten for an imaginative and varied wine list. The caveat, and it's a big caveat, is the price. For those who are not inclined to smuggle a few bottles on board as they embark on a Hurtigruten voyage, we review the company's wine list.
Slovakian Tokaj? Or a sparkling wine from Devon? There are rich rewards awaiting those who leave the main wine routes to discover some of Europe's lesser known vineyards.
In the northernmost reaches of the European mainland there are multiple strands of Christianity. In this region, churches are often important markers of identity and religion is part of the soft diplomacy game.
One firth: three bridges. Each of the three bridges over the Firth of Forth was built in a different century. There is the 19th-century rail bridge, a 20th-century road bridge and now the new Queensferry Crossing road bridge under construction. Long gone are the days when a trip from Edinburgh to Fife meant attending to the ebb and flow of the tides.
There was a time when Deutsche Bahn (DB) only operated trains. Now they are emerging as serious players in the bus business. We just wonder if they have London in their sights? Their IC-Bus network is expanding and they already have a route from Düsseldorf to Antwerp. Extending it to London might be a way of delivering on DB's oft-repeated claim that it would enter the cross-Channel market.
It is worthwhile to keep an eye on the national elections in Moldova in late November 2014. They could provide the cue for Gagauzia to start thinking again about secession. Could Gagauzia be the next Donetsk?
The publication of a new book by Bradt Travel Guides makes us ponder issues of responsibility and irresponsibility in travel. The book is called The Irresponsible Traveller. It is a great read, but we conclude that travel writers tend to go to far-flung places before behaving irresponsibly.
The 17th-century witchcraft trials in Finnmark are recalled in a striking new memorial on the shores of the Barents Sea. hidden europe visited the memorial which is pictured on the front cover of this issue of hidden europe.
They have fiddled with the clocks in Moscow. Not just in Moscow, but right across the Russian Federation. Russia has decided to move to perpetual winter – at least when it comes to time. For the clocks shall stay henceforth on winter time.
The story of the Talgo trains of Bosnia reveals a quite stunning waste of money. This is a country which invested in a new fleet of trains which are simply incompatible with its antiquated rail infrastructure.
Martinmas is a day for a fresh start, a chance to turn over a new leaf. A good day for an armistice. And a good day to kick off the Carnival season.
A look ahead at hidden europe 45 which will be published on 12 March 2015.