Hi there, JFC-ers!

After a week on the road, with the best part of another week ahead of us on the return journey, my mum and I gave in. We booked a flight home. The prospect of another week constantly getting on and off trains, all the while trying to work, just didn't fill me with excitement.

Having spoken to others heading home from Tirana, we were already armed with a couple of top tips for navigating the airport.

Firstly, certain technology hasn't quite reached Tirana airport, so we had to print our boarding passes like it was 2010. Secondly, skip the food kiosks and head for the lounge.

Instead of paying €10 or more for a box of salad or slice of pizza, you'll get unlimited freshly made byrek (both cheese and spinach), pilaf, yet more spinach in the form of burani, homemade cakes, local wines and beers… the delicious list goes on. 

But as we sat there, munching merrily, we were none the wiser to the happenings outside — a huge, unexpected thunderstorm. When one flight after another turned to 'delayed' on the departures board, we soon caught on. Luckily, we were able to use every last minute of our allotted 3 hours of lounge access to while away the time.

With our planned departure time being pushed back from 20:55 to 21:30, and then again to 22:30, before eventually taking off at nearly 23:00, some passengers were in doubt that we'd even get to land so late. After all, noise curfews can lead to all kinds of unforeseen diversions.

Thankfully, we did eventually land in Edinburgh at around 2am. Many of the ground staff did look as though we'd just woken them up, but it's probably just as well we did, since a raft of holiday flights back from the Canaries were hot on our heels. 

Happy travels and punctual landings,

Why do you travel?

After messing around with Geoguessr for a bit, I realized something I kinda already knew: the modern world can look pretty darn similar wherever you go. High-rises, fast food chains, endless traffic — you get the picture. It makes you wonder, why bother travelling if everything's the same, right? 

But here's the kicker, it's all about those small details. Sure, you can find a KFC just about anywhere, but each spot tweaks its menu to fit local tastes, and discovering these differences is what makes travelling so cool.

Take my last trip to Barbados, for instance. You'd think, since I'm from Trinidad, another Caribbean island wouldn't be much of a change — it’s all sun, sand, and sea. But I loved spotting the little things that set us apart. The weather was familiar — sunny and warm with just a sprinkle of rain — but since Barbados has a flatter landscape, no mountain peaks framed the horizons.

Then there are the buses. Neither island has trains, so people mostly rely on buses, particularly privately-owned minibuses — called "maxis" in Trinidad and "ZR buses" in Barbados. Both sometimes have a conductor alongside the driver, and the exterior designs are standardized with two horizontal stripes around the bus, the colour of which usually indicates the region. However, the seating and decorative styles inside the buses differ significantly.

In Trinidad, maxis mostly adhere to the standard design, with a few going full "pimp my ride" — think flashy wallpapers and neon LED lights for nighttime ambiance. In contrast, Barbados fully embraces creativity, with most ZR buses I've entered either fully painted or adorned with a myriad of doodles.

But the best place to spot differences? The grocery store. It's become my favourite hangout spot when I'm abroad. Even when brands are the same, the packaging usually isn't. The snack aisle alone serves as a crash course in cultural studies. There are always some local treats I'm eager to try (and a few steer clear of *cough, cough* — like raisin slices). Sometimes, I discover something new and think, "Hey, why isn't this sold back home? This could be a business opportunity!" I still dream of those stewed gooseberries…

So, yeah, even though I love a good adventure and ticking off all the must-sees, finding out how each place does its thing — from public transport to the way they sort their garbage/rubbish/trash — might seem mundane, but it totally fascinates me. It all reminds me of something I was once told: "In our different ways, we're all the same."

So I wanna know, readers, why do you travel? What are the little things that you love to discover when you visit somewhere new? Reply to this email to let us know — we can't wait to hear from you!

Before my jaunt off across Europe to Albania, I asked for tips on your favourite Balkan dishes. While I ended up soaring down to Tirana via Italy, plenty of my fellow racers sure appreciated the suggestions we got! Here's what you had to say:

Thanks, Katie! It's easy to forget that just because a country doesn't have much of a coastline (shout out to Neum!), it doesn't mean you should avoid the seafood.

Oh Lydia, I have been wanting to visit Macedonia for such a long time! I've finally accepted that even if I had travelled through any of the other Balkan states on my way to Albania, limited time would not have allowed me to do them justice!

Before I was the Editor of the Detour, I spent my days at JFC on the flight finding team. Discovering new routes to lesser-known destinations was always one of the best parts, and stumbling across flights to Ohrid for the first time was pretty thrilling!

Imagine hearing about a place for the first time, having no clue where it is, and looking it up only to discover that it's absolutely stunning! Perched on the edge of its eponymous lake, lined with ancient churches and cobblestone streets, it truly packs as romantic a vibe as any of the famous Italian lakes.

Needless to say, it's still very much on my list for 2025. Unfortunately, those cheap non-stop flights run by Wizz Air only seem to go from Memmingen and Vienna, so most of us will have to do it the good old-fashioned way and fly into Skopje!