Greetings friends!

The journey continues...longer update this time.  I uploaded a bunch of photos too.  The Round the World Flickr Photo Set is here at this link.

I was a bit sad to leave the pleasant and welcoming capital Ljubljana, Slovenia.  The cafe-lined river and interesting bridges (including the venetian'esque Triple Bridge that is actually 3 distinct bridges cojoined), the central Preseren Square, colorful architecture and the student-oriented laid back attitude are definite pluses for this small capital.  The Slovenian girls are very cute too and friendly and everyone seems to be riding a bicycle on the special pathways painted on the sidewalks - had more than one close call with these possessive two-wheelers.  Ljubljana and Lake Bled are not that far from the NE Italian border - long daytrips to Venice are available - and its influence is evident with the Italian food, the "Ciao" that everyone says goodbye with and the best cappucinos I have had so far on this trip.

Oh ya, a follow up to Anja the stalker from east Berlin.  On my day trip to beautiful Lake Bled later in the day I kept seeing her around Bled.  She had coffee beside me at the hilltop castle (while the museum put on a costumed dance and sword fighting demostration), on the hike down, at the lakeside, and finally she was on the same 7:30p bus back to Ljubljana.  I did a "double take" look at her and asked if she was following me.... she smiled and kinda shook her head no and then put her earphones back on as I sat down.  I was listening to my iPod too and a song I really liked called Weighty Ghost by a group called Wintersleep was playing.  Fearing for my safety of this 5'3" slender gal I moved over to the seat in front and asked her if she spoke English and where she was from (yes, and from Germany).  Then I did what I saw in the movie Garden State and asked her to listen to this song I was listening to, plugged her headphones into my iPod and she listened to Weighty Ghost  and agreed it was good.  I then listened to some of her German bands - including some Jazz in German I had never heard before - and we talked the way back.  When we got back to town we did go to a couple bars she knew in the "graffiti zone" but they were dead cause it was Sunday so we went back to the river/main square area and had a Lasko (missing upsidedown ^ on the S makes it a "shh" sound, LASH-Ko) beer and chatted lots.  She is working on an EU exchange program for a few months in Ljubljana.  We had a coffee in a park and dinner the next day too.  It became a bit of a joke that she was stalking me... and this seemed confirmed when she pulled out her city map and had a mark on it labelled K4 exactly where my B&B was (she claims it's a club recommended to her- I never saw the club).  Oh, and in our discussions of difficult words to pronounce in our non-native tongues, squirrel, Sicily and comfortable were on Anja's list, and proven, hence the previous journal entry.

A few Slovenian words for you:  trg (square), ulica (OO-leetsa means street), avtobusom (bus), Vhod (entrance), Izhod (exit) -  look for this last one when you're try to get out of confusing places.

I took an early train to capital city Zagreb in Croatia (only about 2.5hrs away) - actually Croatia isn't yet in the EU and so a passport check to exit Slovenia and another to enter Croatia and get a stamp was necessary.  I can remember when I travelled around Europe after University we had passport checks at every border - now most of the west is free sailing but not yet all of the East.  oh, and did you know that the official name of the republic known as Croatia to us English speakers is actually Republika Hrvatska.

I met an American named Ken on the train - interesting guy full of stories who's travelled to about 80 countries.  He was not planning on staying in Zagreb due to a time crunch and so arranged a night train thru to Split but had the day to spend in Zagreb - we had some lunch and later a pizza dinner on the lively Tkalciceva cafe promendade scene not far from the main bustling main square of Jelacic (Trg bana Jelacica).  I stayed in a hostel called Fulir Backpackers Inn right near the square that had 12 beds in the spacious main room - many of the folks went out that night and stayed out until about 3am.  Hostels certainly do attract a young partying crowd - especially if there are young Brit or Irish guys.  But it was fun, I met lots of travellers from many far away places and had good chats in the common areas (+ free Wi-Fi).  The Croatians running the place were really, really friendly and interested in their guests.  Number one question from Croatians has been, "So, how much is this around the world trip of yours going to cost?".  For a country that is working on joining the EU and eventually to the Euro (from their Croatian Kuna) the cost of things is a common topic of interest for locals.

Zagreb is nice... but nothing too special or unique that would make tourists stay long... most actually just passing thru or do a few hours visit then keep heading towards the coast.  They are trying to develop their tourist draw to get people to stay longer.  Perhaps Rick Steves' description (and other guidebooks I guess) and opinion can really sway people, including, me to not plan much time here... I think the guidebook industry has a huge influence on where travellers go. 

There doesn't seem to be a good flow to the streets and plazas and markets, etc so its confusing or just a bit cramped and so it doesn't develop the same laid back vibe.  But there are lots of nice outdoor cafes everywhere-- it seems that everyone drinks coffee or beer or pop but they are never eating food.  The electric trams used in the central town are quiet and handy.  The upper old town parts of the city known as Gradec are ok but they were really quiet with mostly government buildings and few cafes, restaurants etc that would bring more foot traffic.  Lots of historic buildings and churches are covered in scaffolding for restoration.  The lower old town of Kaptol has a few site and cathedrals.  Perhaps it is a city that one could return to in a while and really delve into the bustle.    But a few hours in Zagreb is essential to, they say, getting a complete picture of Croatia versus the coast which is where most go.  Don't worry about that report of a car bomb that went off in Zagreb a week after I left - it was a politically motivated and targeted hit of some journalist guy who pissed off the mafia.  :-(

After one night in Zagreb and some of the next day I took an afternoon bus to my next stop which was the Plitvice Lakes National Parks.  The bus trip passes through some interesting landscapes including passing some towns where some of the houses are bombed out and essentially abandoned.  They were the houses of Serbs who were forced out by the Croats (not necessarily Croatians) during the war and most of them have not returned to reclaim the houses.

Plitvice Lakes Park (Plitvicka Jezera) is a beautiful place... it is essentially a park with 16 terraced lakes laced together by waterfalls with miles of walks throughout the park.  Check out http://www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr.  So here is the quick science of all of these pools and cascades you may see in the photos (and mine later).  As water flows over the park's limestone formationns, it dissolves the rock and the water becomes supersaturated with calcium carbonate.  When the water is still, it holds on to the mineral which creates the deep-blue color of the pools.  But when the water speeds up and spills over the edge of the lakes, it releases carbon dioxide gas.  Without the support of the carbon dioxide, the water can't hold on to the calcium carbonate, so it gets deposited on the lake beds and at the edges of the lakes.  Eventually these deposits build up to form a rock called travertine eventually forming new dams and barriers and so new waterfalls and pools are formed.  The landscape at the park is always changing.  The weather for the full day I had available to hike the park was okay but not spectacular with some late rain and coolness.  The fall colors of the park were nice and even a few major "leaf snowfalls" fell in the breeze.
 
      
 
The morning I hailed down the bus for my next destination it was absolutely pouring rain so I lucked out at my day in the park.  I packed my clothes and things into plastic bags inside my pack and had a cover for my day pack before walking to the bus stop.  But all worked out as the bus heading to Split, Croatia stopped for me at the bus shack.  And I spent the next 6 hours on the bus with a few brief stops at stations to grab a coffee and go for a pee, etc.  My rule number one for traveling is always go one-zees (or two-zees if required) at every opportunity and whenever you can especially if one suffers from TB like I do.  I have developed an amazing skill at emptying a bladder multiple times on command, within a short time period, that would seem to already have been empty.  TB stands for tiny bladder.  Oookay, too much information.

The ride was actually really nice and the scenery in the south near the coastline was amazingly beautiful.  Croatia has about 1100 islands with only about 60 of them occupied with people.  In some areas it looked a bit like the Whitsunday Islands in eastern Australia... like the islands were regular rounded and treed mountains that suddenly became flooded with the Adriatic.

I arrived at Split at about 4pm that afternoon and had no place to stay booked in advance.  All along the coast there are people hawking their rooms (called Sobes here) to travellers getting off a bus or train or boat.  While talking to another traveller an older lady approach me again with her tiny sign "Zimmer, Sobe, Room" and room offering.  It was very close to bus/train/ferry and the old town, only 5 minutes, so I followed her to take a look - you never know what you will find and she had no photos.  The other traveller and I were discussing that these seasoned ladies with rooms would do so much better with the male travellers if good-looking gals were the one's pitching the room, perhaps their hot daughters.  Well, my new landlady had a daughter at home but I would say luke warm.  Anyways the room was really simple but it was clean and fine and in a great location so I stayed.

Split has a long history and is the place where Roman Emperor Diocletian (AD245-313) built his retirement palace since he wanted to retire in his native Dalmatia.  Over the long history of this place the palace saw many uses.  Even the Venetians took over the Dalmatian Coast and fortified Split.  The local town built up around the palace and today the palace and old town blend together and all the little streets and courtyards are filled with residences, cafes, pizzerias and shops.  Wandering the old town and palace at both night and day was a treat... it has a definite feel like Venice in it and layers of Gothic-Renaissance architecture and stonework.  I visited the labyrinthine cellars of the palace that were filled with water from a freshwater spring, a sulphur spring and the sea but was later used to be a dumping area thru the holes you can see in the many circular brickworked dome centers as well as original Roman stone sewer pipes - square outside and round inside - designed to fit into each other to create long pipes.  I also passed through several times the Peristyle Square where late at night I listened to a musical duo performing for the crowd sponsored by the cafe there.  I was wondering if 1700 years ago there were also people listening to an evening musical concert in that same amazing square that was the centerpiece of Diocletians's Palace.   The pillared square was then complete with Diocletian's thirteen black granite sphinxes brought home from Egypt (along with the granite for the red pillars here) - one sphinx of the four remaining is on display in the square.

I only had about 24 hours in Split (which is enough to see the highlights) before I took a catamaran ferry to the island of Korcula (KOR-choo-la) to continue my journey down the Dalmatian coast.

Korcula is a small island town that boasts an atmospheric Old Town, tiny narrow cobblestoned streets and a charming appeal. It was founded by the ancient Greeks, became a part of the Roman Empire and was eventually a southern outpost of the Venetian Republic.  Explorer Marco Polo was also born here.  The Old Town was strictly planned and tiny lanes branch off the humble main drag like ribs on a fishbone.  This was creatively done to catch both the ocean breezes and the shade.

When I got off the catamaran, the owner Ms. Lenni of my pre-booked apartment room was actually waiting for guests.  Here I also met Hannah who is a New Zealander gal working for now in London.  We decided to explore the town a bit after dark and go for dinner.  About 10 minutes later we had seen about half the little old town - it was super quiet with few people around - and noticed that the air temperature was much warmer at night than Split.  While strolling near the outer wall my human sixth sense felt that another person was behind me and perhaps about to silently jump or attack me.  It's amazing that if you're in tune to it, you can feel the energy of others without any contact.  Sure enough, an arm slapped down on my left shoulder and my immediate reaction was to be ready to strike back.  As I glanced back to identify my attacker I was surprised again to find that it was Ken whom I'd met in Zagreb.  Here he was on this tiny island in Croatia, albeit a popular one on the tourist track but dead quiet now, in the dark, several days after Zagreb.  The coincidence that we'd meet again at that spot and that time was amazing to me.  But that's how it goes sometimes when you're exploring the world - seemingly usual coincidences occur (or maybe we unknowingly generate those experiences and cause them??).  Ken had decided to just keep travelling non-stop all the way to Dubrovnik to make sure that he got there in his limited time and then work his way back north up the coast.  He still had to get all the way back to Venice overland for his return flight.  Anyways, the three of us wandered a bit and decided to grab a bite to eat and a carafe of local white wine (not great) in a little place right in the main square overshadowed by the cathedral.

There isn't much to actually do in Korcula except wander around and explore the little streets, hike up the back hills for a view, hit a couple of beach areas, visit tiny museums and then stop at a cafe for a cappucino while admiring the view of the nearby penisula, the coastline and the houses that dot the landscape.  It was a nice relaxing day with a bit of exercise hiking up for some views.  I am naturally drawn to want to climb higher and higher for a nice view in many of the hilly places I visit in the world.

The next morning was an early bus (6:30am I think) that travelled all the way to Dubrovnik.  The short ferry crossing to the penisula connecting this area to the mainland took a whole 11 minutes I think.  The scenery all the way down the coastline was truly spectacular as the skies were clear and the sun was rising.  The multitude of islands of all shapes and sizes along the coast were so beautiful.  Very few of them are inhabited so they were preserved in their rugged natural forms.  I was a bit surprised to see how rocky the entire coastline was with much more sparse vegetation than I had imagined.  But then again, I really didn't do much research into the look of the Croatian coastline so I was pleasantly surprised at its uniqueness.

What can I say about old town Dubrovnik except Wow!  The old town is huge and well preserved (or rather partially restored) and juts out to sea.  The fortification Walls beefed up in the 15th century (when the Ottoman navy became a threat) and towers or forts at strategic points (with rounded walls so that cannonballs glanced off) surrounding the old town are enormous and really high.  You can walk around the top of the wall and if you take your time to snap some photos it will take about 1.5 hours+. 

The main Stradum street runs through the center of the town with narrow streets fanning out.  To the north the quaint narrow alleyways rise up steeply with hundreds of stairs.  Actually, the amount of stairs you need to climb to get up and away from the old fortified town escalating up the surrounding mountain are extensive.  While quite touristy with regular busloads of tour groups from the many Cruise ships that dock here, it is still an amazing old city to explore (wasn't too crowded in this offseason but the high summer season I hear is horribly hot and packed with big, slow, clogging groups).  There are lots of museums,  historic Franciscan and Domincan monasteries, the second oldest Jewish synagogue in Europe I believe, galleries, and several cathedrals.  I visited a broad selection of these sites over a few easy-paced days and also hung out with Hanna a bit since we kept running into each other (again a weird coicidence given the shear size of the old town whereas back in very tiny Korcula, we didn't run into each other all day on that Sunday spent exploring the area).

I found a wonderful place to stay that was way up high over the town which meant lots of stairs to return to the B&B from the old town.  I knew this from online reviews and was prepared to climb the narrow walkways and stone stairways beautifully meandering thru the houses and villas in the surrounding neighbourhoods.  The views of Adriatic Sea and town below were spectacular - both the sunsets of early evening and the sunny blues in the morning seen from the outdoor breakfast area.

This place was called Villa Klaic which is run by an amazing guy named Milo (MEE-lo) and his wife.  Essentially a large house property that has been converted to have about 8 rooms, a swimming pool and lovely gardens.  It was super relaxing and like a resort - a perfect place to just enjoy the warm even hot (29C) sunny weather, the views and the old town for the 4.5 days I planned to kick back in Dubrovnik before flying north to Prague.

One of the best aspects of staying at Villa Klaic was, as the reviews professed, the amazing hospitality and friendliness of Milo.  He is absolutely committed to his guests having the best time.  He picked me up at the bus station when I arrived and took me to the oasis that early Monday morning, offered me breakfast and tasty pod-brewed expresso with the spectacular views and spent time sharing information and recommendation about Dubrovnik, directions and map from his place to the old town and more.  He does this with all of his guests.  His mother ran this B&B for about 25 years prior to his taking it over about 4 years ago.  She rented out 2 rooms and had one bathroom.  Milo has continuosly renovated and expanded and now has eight or so rooms with just as many bathrooms.  As one walks thru the narrow cobbled walkways you see Croatian men all working on their houses and gardens so it must be a part of the culture here.

Milo and I also talked about the war in the early nineties when Serb troops started bombing Dubrovnik.  Given the international reputation and historic immensity of Dubrovnik and its location on the Sea far from the conflict further to the north, everyone was shocked and shaken by the attacks.  Chaos ensued and like the whole history of the wars in the former Yugoslavia it was incredibly complicated as to who was fighting who and why.  Serbs, Croats, Bosniaks who lived in all areas suddenly were supposed to start fighting each other, including nextdoor neighbours and personal friends.  I can't even imagine the horror and the experience of your entire perception of reality being altered coupled with a fear for your life and those of loved ones.

Milo, who was trained by the former Yugoslav army in the reserves, shared how the training helped him immensely.  His military training taught him that in times of conflict everything becomes the opposite, think what was black is now white, what you expect to happen will be the opposite.  When it seems that a situation has normalized and is calm is just the time when it is not and further attacks are probably imminent.  I had never studied war much and never heard of this paradigm shift before but was fascinated to hear it from Milo.  He and several of his neighbours began to organize themselves after the chaos of the bombings and attacks started.  They were fighting for their lives and homes.

The Croatian Army was not in the area nor prepared yet to defend Dubrovnik and so he and his neighbours formed a ragtag defensive force and actually defended the area surrounding the B&B where I was seated and all the way up the mountain behind (which is where the Serbs came from, over the mountain high above the city).  They had no weapons for quite a while and spent the first while organizing and gathering information on reconnaisance of the hills.  Eventually some supplies were obtained such as guns and grenades.  The neighbourhood successfully defended their areas with valor.  It was eight months of bombing before the Croatian Army arrived and was able to liberate Dubrovnik by attacking the Serb positions from the north.  The 200 Dubrovnik citizens who lost their lives actively fighting for their hometown are aptly named "Dubrovnik Defenders" and are a well known and honored group of people for their bravery and successes.

One very meaningful conversation he shared with me was about human beings and how fundamentally we are all alike - in extreme life and death situations we are all full of the same fears even if expressed in what appear to be different ways.  You could hear the crying at night he noted.  Those tough guys who took up arms, acted really tough and at first glance appeared to kill with ease are the same guys who could not sleep at night and were haunted by it.  He said that there are no real invincible Rambos as seen in the movies and exist just in the movies.  He shared that the Rambos in the fighting were dead in 4 or 5 days.

I visited an amazing Photography Exhibit in the old town which is on War (anywhere it occurs in the world).  On display are amazing high quality photos (with descriptions) taken by War Photographers who enter conflict areas to chronicle it to ensure the world knows what is going on.  Their hope is that we will all learn from it.  The current special exhibit was on the use of Child Soldiers in several areas of Africa, Nepal and South America.  There was also a permanent series of photos on the war zones in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo/Serbia that really hit home because it was so relevant to where I was and followed my great conversations with Milo.  The soldiers as well as the civilians started to look very familiar.  Their physical characteristics, their features and their dress was so similar to the people I saw and met everyday in Croatia and even Slovenia.  Even the architecture was recognizable.  They were people like Milo with whom I connected earlier.  The soliders fighting, shooting, running and the images of the crying, grief, shock and suffering of civilians and soldiers and children were the same people I was interacting with every day.  The landscapes, the damaged buildings and the bullet holes were similar to those that I had saw and would see further in my journeys. 

When one notices the mind's natural tendency to begin to disconnect, discount and shield itself from the intensity of the horrors it is seeing in the photos, as if it were created in a Hollywood studio, it begins to numb oneself from the emotions that would arise.  But if you consciously notice that wall going up and then consciously take it down and allow yourself to really connect with the emotions of the people in the photos under such extreme conditions, you will be moved in a way that is hard to descibe but one that is common to all humans.  You can catch a glimpse at some of the photos I saw in the exhibit at www.warphotoltd.com.

A few Croatian words:  
  Dobar dan (DOH-bahr dahn) = Hello
  Govorite li engleski? (GOH-voh-ree-teh lee eng-LEHS-kee) = Do you speak English?
  Molim (MOH-leem) = Please / You're welcome
  Zivjeli (ZHEE-vyeh-lee) = Cheers!  [confirmed by Gloria!]
  Dobro (DOH-broh) = Good.

Later in the week I took a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovenia which is about three hours from Dubrovnik and a popular daytrip.  Due to the impossibility of doing a day trip by public buses I went on an organized tour.  Mostar was hard hit during the war in Bosnia.  Many, many buildings were bombed from the mountains surrounding this quaint town and many of those buildings are still in ruins throughout the town and missing their roofs (rooves?).  Many buildings around the old center are absolutely full of bullet holes and/or had gaping holes in the side walls from what I assume was a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) or some other large projectile.

We had a wonderful and informative guide who was born and grew up in Mostar and was proud to share her city with us.  The blend of history and cultures and religion in Mostar is again fascinating with elements of its old Turkish influence (bazaars, jewellery, cuisine) including our tour of a former Turkish house. 

There is a beautiful arch bridge high above the Neretva Rriver (which fell into the river during the war but since rebuilt from the stones that fell) who's design is the same at the Rialto Bridge in Venice.  There is an intermixing of religions too which has in the past caused much conflict but Catholic Croat churches mix with Serb Orthodox churches and mix with many Bosnian Mosques with tall minarets.  Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs and Muslim Bosniak tensions are a fact of life here.  It was another fascinating mix of cultures and religions that is a part of many areas of the former Yugoslavia and an aspect I have enjoyed exploring here.

To hear and see the stories of so many people which is so different than mine and often, unfortunately, filled with trauma, poverty, war, communism and heartache and to see people move through that and generate a new optimism for their improving futures is truly inspirational to me and has me see my life in new ways (usually a thankfullness for our fortunate lives back home).  I've also read about and seen the very best in people with numerous acts of courage, valor and compassion.  My viewpoints are expanded and my mind is broadened.  And as Milo shared so generously with me, all of us, despite our stories and histories good and bad, we all share a common design and fundamentally are all the same.  We are all connected.  Our common humanity shines through across all cultures and in all areas of the world.

Having first hand and, at times, adventurous experiences like these, the learnings I can extract from different cultures with such unique histories, the amazing people I meet and connect with, the spectacular beauty of our planet, the opportunity to be an ambassador of my own country and the personal transformations these cause in me are what I love most about world travel.

Will leave it at that for now.  I have since flown from Dubrovnik to Prague, Czech Republic on a Friday to visit that great city for a few days and then it was off to Krakow, Poland for several days.  Then back to Vienna, a daytrip to Bratislava, Slovakia and off to Athens, Greece for a day before a ferry trip to Santorini Island (the ferry is actually where I'm finishing this journal update as islands float by under a sunny sky).  Will write more about these chapters of my travel booklet in the future.

Adventurously yours,

 Kelly

Somewhere in the Mediterranean on a ferry to Santorini

PHOTOS from above places are HERE!
Direct link is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmg-ca/sets/72157607788664073/

ps. Who I've taken on to being on this journey is the Possiblity of Being consciously inquisitive, boldy adventurous and compassionately interconnected with all of life.

pps. For those who have expressed an interest in my music tastes, here's some more songs I've been enjoying lately from my playlists...in no specific order.

"5 Years Time" by Noah and the Whale, Album: Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down

"Laid" by Matt Nathanson, Album: American Wedding (Music from the Motion Picture)

"Dream" by Priscilla Ahn, Album: A Good Day <also like "Opportunity to Cry">

"Breakdown" by Jack Johnson, Album: A Brokedown Melody (Music from Film)

"Wondering Where the Lions Are" by Donovan Frankenreiter, Album: Recycled Recipes EP

"The Road" by Matt Costa, Album: A Brokedown Melody (Music from Film)

"I'd Be Lying" by Greg Laswell, Album: Three Flights from Alto Nido

"So Nice (featuring Joy Voeth)" by Forest Sun, Album: So Nice

"What's Been Going On" by Amos Lee, Album: Last Days At the Lodge

"Scar That Never Heals" by Jeremy Fisher, Album: Goodbye Blue Monday

"Al otro lado del rio" by Jorge Drexler, Album: Eco

"The Things I Do" by Teddy Thompson, Album: A Piece Of What You Need

"Neapolitan Bridesmaid" by Tarkio, Album: Omnibus <also like "Keeping Me Awake" & "Tristan and Iseult">

"All My Days" by Alexi Murdoch, Album: Time Without Consequence

"Baby Doll" by The Fratellis, Album: Here We Stand

"Tonight Will Be Fine" by Teddy Thompson, Album: Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (Motion Picture Soundtrack)

"Walls Fall Down" by Bedouin Soundclash, Album: Walls Fall Down - Single

"Gate 22" by Pascale Picard, Album: Me, Myself and Us  <KG: I saw her in Montreal!>

"Share" by Bag of Toys, Album: Nooner

"Wherever You Go" by Brad Caleb Kane, Album: This Day in History  <also like "This Close">

"Either Way" by Guster, Album: Lost and Gone Forever  <also like "What You Wish For">

"Golden Hour" by Chris Stills, Album: Chris Stills

"Messages" by Xavier Rudd, Album: Food in the Belly

"face up" by ted lennon, Album: ted lennon

"Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab For Cutie, Album: Plans  <also like "Your Heart Is An Empty Room">

"Free Life" by Dan Wilson, Album: Free Life

"Guaranteed" by Eddie Vedder, Album: Music For the Motion Picture 'Into the Wild'  <also like "Ride" & "Hard Sun" & "Society">

"There Is So Much More" by Brett Dennen, Album: So Much More  <also like "Ain't No Reason" & "The One Who Loves You the Most" & Darlin' Do Not Fear">

"Trouble" by Ray LaMontagne, Album: A Lot Like Love (Music from Motion Picture)

"Mary" by Sarah Slean, Album: Feminissima

"Energy Spent" by Liam Finn, Album: I'll Be Lightning

"Two Ways To Say Goodbye" by Pat Monahan, Album: Last Of Seven

"Gone Away From Me" by Ray LaMontagne, Album: Till the Sun Turns Black  <also really like "Empty">

"Broke Window" by Gary Jules, Album: Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets

"Weak In the Knees" by Serena Ryder, Album: If Your Memory Serves You Well

"Here Comes A Regular (Remastered Version) by The Replacements, Album: Don't You Know Who I think I Was? Best of The Replacements

"Closer to Fine" by Indigo Girls, Album: Indigo Girls (Expanded Edition)

"Boy With a Coin" by Iron & Wine, Album: The Shepherd's Dog  <also like "Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car">