Driving in the Balkans

Driving experiences in the region can vary greatly, depending on your route. Driving in Greece, Turkey, Croatia and on the main roads in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Macedonia would be more or less normal and you can count on an average speed of 90-100 km per hour. But don’t expect anything even remotely similar if you’re driving in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, or on the smaller roads of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Macedonia. There, your time may be spent in either driving with 40 km per hour in a cloud of poisonous smoke from old cars’ exhaust pipes or snail-slaloming between immense potholes on a desolate road.

Greece experiences first snowfall

The first snows of winter blanketed Greece, mainly in the central and northern regions, with temperatures falling as low as minus 7 degrees in the north.

People stopped to put snow chains on their tyres and government officials ordered preventative measures including the salting of roads, circulating graders and tractors, closing off icy roads and advising people not to travel unnecessarily.

Greek strike disrupts travel

Athens - All flights from Athens airport were halted and public services were closed as Greek workers went on strike on Wednesday to protest against government plans to reform the pension system.

Ferries were stopped across the Aegean islands and hospitals worked with emergency staff while thousands of protesters started to gather in central Athens to rally against the newly-elected conservatives.

Hippocrates still lives on the island of Kos

Kos, the second largest island in the Dodecanses, was the birthplace of the physician, who like the tree, lived to a venerable age. It is known for its hot springs, orange groves, vineyards and resplendent gardens, and has given a name to a variety of lettuce introduced from its shores. The town of Kos is a pretty little port, with tidy streets and many new and old Venetian style buildings of elegant design. The castle of the Knights of St. John built by the Venetians in 1450 dominates the harbour with its high stone walls.