Eastern Europe - 100 Days and Nights

50 Days of Winter: The Balkan Pandemic Edition

Vito ValentinettiApril 22, 2023

This is part of a series of articles called 400 Days of Pandemic, my one year and a month of writing, photography, and adventures during the COVID outbreak of 2020. This final chunk of 50 days takes place from February 16-April 19, 2021. Bulgaria...

400 Days Of PandemicSerbiaSnow 0

The Bulgarian Brutalism of Stefka Georgieva

Vito ValentinettiApril 5, 2023

"The architectural brutalism of socialist Bulgaria has two distinct faces – one for the masses and one for the elite. And they are both best embodied by the work of a stubborn female architect with great command of béton brut, expressive construction...

BrutalismBulgariaEastern EuropeEuropeThe Balkans 0

The Street Art of Sofia, Bulgaria

Vito ValentinettiJanuary 31, 2022

I've spent a good deal of the last five years in Bulgaria, although hardly any of it in Sofia. As always, I try my best to credit the artists, but information can sometimes be scarce. If you can provide a missing name or a correction to a listed a...

BulgariaStreet ArtUncategorized 0

The Art and Architecture of Novi Pazar, Serbia

Vito ValentinettiAugust 23, 2021

I'm on the run, fleeing Montenegro before rising COVID-19 cases result in another lockdown. Nearly a year into the pandemic crisis, it has become easier to guess when the tide will turn. As nowhere in the Balkans is safe, I'm making my way to Kopaoni...

BrutalismSerbiaStreet ArtThe Balkans 0

Stories From The Father of Romanian Electronic Music

Vito ValentinettiMay 19, 2021

"Fuck Santana." - Rodion Rodion Roșca ushers us into the narrow hallway of his basement apartment. He explains that we can't sit in the living room and I can see that the entire space, from floor to ceiling, is filled with boxes and buckets and furn...

RomaniaThe BalkansThe World 0

100 Days of Aimless Wandering

Vito ValentinettiFebruary 15, 2021

This is Part 4 of 400 Days of Pandemic, my accounting of living and traveling across Europe during the first year of the pandemic. We have now arrived at the fourth chapter of the pandemic season where I lose all direction, sense of place, and motiva...

400 Days Of PandemicAlbaniaMacedoniaMontenegroSerbiaThe Balkans 0

A Tour of Brutalist Architecture in Podgorica, Montenegro

Vito ValentinettiFebruary 9, 2021

I spent January of 2021 living across the street from the largest mall in Montenegro where it rained almost every day for nearly five weeks so I didn't have as much time I would have wanted to explore the architecture of the capital city. Student ...

BrutalismMontenegroThe Balkans 0

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Is It Safe to Stay in a Hilton Hotel?

Vito ValentinettiJanuary 27, 2021

This article is part of an ongoing series, "Is It Safe...", where I explore how companies in the travel industry are handling the COVID-19 crisis. All reports are first-hand accounts from my past year working remotely in Europe. One of the mai...

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The Street Art of Tirana, Albania

Vito ValentinettiJanuary 16, 2021

Tirana, the capital of Albania has a lively street art scene with pieces scattered throughout the city. During a very rainy December, I managed to find enough sunny days to shoot some of the art here. I would have liked to stay longer, but as Spider-...

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