Not being a fan of the cold I was not expecting to love snow as much as I have the last 3 weeks in the Northern Hemisphere.
Arriving in Belfast early December I was not intending to see snow but was pleasantly surprised when it snowed consistently for a couple of days. Waking to find Belfast covered in snow added to the excitement of exploring the city. As it was also the first time I had seen snow there was an adrenaline rush for the first day that masked the cold as I happily walked the streets of Belfast and the Botanic Gardens.
Travelling to Zagreb Croatia for Christmas I was hoping to have a white Christmas. This did not happen unfortunately as it stopped snowing a couple of days before I arrived. However this did not stop it from being a lovely day with the Christmas Markets in Zagreb being some of the best in Europe.
A highlight and a trip I highly recommend to anyone in the Balkans area in winter is the bus ride from Zagreb, Croatia to Sarajevo, Bosnia. It is an 8hr bus ride, and usually a trip I would do as an overnighter to save money on accomodation. However I fortunately decided to book during the day and was rewarded with winding rivers, snow covered mountains and trees.
Then making the trek up to the Olympic Bob Sled track in Sarajevo. For the humbling history of the war but also for the snow covered forest and amazing views of Sarajevo. When we arrived the clouds had setttled over Sarajevo so the city could not be seen but was magical either way.
