Author: Fabio Viroli
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Almost all of the encounters I had during my trip to the Caucasus took place during local tours I took starting from the three capitals. Few people in that region speak English, so it’s easier to chat with the other—few—travelers. The exception is the capital of Georgia , which is already—and rightly so—quite touristy. Obviously,…
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Having a Plan B is easier if, like me, you have list after list of possible trips. I’ve even broken them down by type and duration. Among them was the idea of trying a boat trip. So, even as I was returning from my trip to Provence—which I had to cut short due to circumstances…
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Before leaving, getting around by public transportation in the Caucasus seemed like it might be a problem. I’d read in various sources about the dreadful marshrutkas—ramshackle minibuses dating back to the Soviet era. Even people I know have told me about stops in the middle of nowhere; about being surrounded by smoke filling the passenger…
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Having to cancel a trip (partially) was an experience I had never had before June 2026. But fortunately, I achieved the main goal of the trip: to see the famous lavender fields of Provence. This was our ambitious plan, but it didn’t come to fruition solely due to circumstances beyond our control. A serious health…
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I shot these videosof Armenia during the last few days of my 11-day trip to the Caucasus, during which I also visited Azerbaijan and Georgia. All of these countries of the former USSR feature structures built during the Soviet era. Take, for example, the featured photo. It shows an old carousel that is no longer…
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Here are some videos from Georgia, which I visited in 2026. It was during my solo trip in June 2026, when I also visited the other countries in the Caucasus. I left from Azerbaijan, spent some time in Georgia, and ended my trip in Armenia. The trip lasted 11 days, and I used public transportation.…
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For most people I know, staying with strangers is somewhere between crazy and inconceivable; I’m happy to have a few stories to share about Couchsurfing. This article explains in more detail how it works. I signed up in 2016 when it was quite popular. Now, however, it’s on the decline, and the COVID-19 pandemic has…
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Of all my stories about accommodations, the one from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, definitely ranks in the top ten. I did have some inkling that I might run into problems. But I couldn’t have imagined that I’d find myself at midnight with no idea where I’d be spending my first night in Azerbaijan. I…
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I chose the title “Taking the Bus to Istanbul” because it sounds good. But this article belongs in the “OK/KO” category, not the “Transportation” one, because I turned a mistake into a lucky break. Travel Planning: A Day Wasted As I mentioned in my previous article, once I arrived in Izmir, I had to reconsider…
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In this article, I’m sharing some videosfrom Azerbaijan that I edited after returning home from my solo trip in June 2026. I used public transportation and took a few local tours. During my trip, I also visited Armenia and Georgia for a total of 11 days. But I started in Azerbaijan and spent most of…