Blogs from Prishtina, Centre, Kosovo, Europe

I wake early but not rested as I have slept on the floor. It is a struggle to wake up as im so tired but when I do get up and shower I'm relieved that my back feels so much better. As I am running late and it is nearing ten I pick a cafe on the main mother Teresa boulevard that does food and drink. I take a high seat inside near a plug and order coffee. An hour or so later I try to order breakfast but my attempt to remove the eggs fails spectacularly and I am talked into a sandwich and chips. I ask for another coffee but they bring me water. It starts filling up and by 11 the place is really busy. I stay put until 1230 then pay my ... read more

Bonjour à tous, Pour commencer je vais répondre à Thomas Wagner, (de je ne sais où il est sur la planète) qui m'a laissé un message me demandant si il y avaient des problèmes d'insécurité dans ces pays, et le meilleur moyen de circuler. Pour l'insécurité je n'ai jamais ressenti la moindre crainte où que se soit. Pour voyager, je ne crois pas qu'il y est beaucoup de lignes de train existantes, surtout en Albanie il y a de nombreux minibus qui circulent de partout, mais sur de courtes distances, le meilleur moyen reste la voiture, même si les routes sont désastreuses. Toujours pas de nouvelle du "pelesse". Peut-être volontaire avec les incendies qu'il à en Grèce, pour limiter la gestion des touristes, Hier au soir repas sur la grande place de Skopje, au pied d'Alexandre ... read more

When we hear the word Kosovo, we think of war reports. But we find Prizren to be a small, quiet town set on a small river. It has a village feel. After our early morning coach journey from Albania, we find a small coffee shop and sit outside in the sun with very good cappuccinos. We climb up to the ruined fortress that overlooks the town. The view is stunning and we count the slim minarets. There are 40 mosques in Prizren and at noon those minarets burst into life, calling the faithful to prayer. In Albania we were seldom aware that it was a predominantly Muslim country. Kosovo is 95% Muslim and it is much more apparent. We had expected Kosovo to be Albania in miniature but it is not. If Albania feels close to ... read more

The Balkans experience continues with my first visit to Kosovo, a country that is 90% ethnic Albanian and after my recent experience a destination I was sure to enjoy visiting. The Ottoman Empire ruled the Balkans for 500 years, with the influence of the Ottomans evidenced by the religious affiliation of the Kosovars, including the beautiful mosques throughout the country. However, the locals are not strictly religious; it's rare to see a lady covered when strolling in the capital city Pristina or other cities in the country. As soon as I arrived, there was a relaxed welcome that's been reinforced through the duration of my visit to this lovely country. The hospitality in the Balkans is special, and something I’ll treasure long after this visit has drawn to a close. The journal left off in Skopje, ... read more

Although I had already been there, I had to go back to Skopje from Ohrid on order to catch a connecting bus to Pristina, Kosovo. On the bus to Skopje, an local man seemed to be annoying everyone by talking to them. From the looks on the faces of the people he was talking to, it seems he was talking sh*t or ranting - one dude in particular looked on the verge of punching the guy in the face. Stuck in traffic, I prayed that the dude wouldn't come over and start ranting at me - the bus ride seemed to last forever. And I still had another bus to catch - and it left early! Good thing I generally get to the platform about fifteen minutes early these days. In the bus station, I managed ... read more