Blogs from Kosovo, Europe - page 2

Rano ma vyhana z postele bolest brucha, neskor uz len vylihovanie a relax v posteli. V lobby dopisujem dennik, medzi tym staff chysta ranajky. No ranajky ked sa to tak da nazvat, dzus, kava, jeden toast, vajicko natvrdo,maslo,syr, 3 kolieska uharku, 3 kolieska salamu a jedno koliesko rajciny. Zlate turecko, tam boli kralovske ranajky, ze sa potom clovek ani pohnut nevedel. Inak vcera sa mi pokazil zips na nohaviciach, t.j. uz z nich nemozem spravit dlhe ale ostavaju iba kratke. Po jedle smer bus stanica cca 25.min pesibusom. Cestou nic specialne aj ked som siel bocnou ulickou, proste nic co by ma oslovilo, mozno akurat zas cigany v smetakoch. No a este na hlavnej triede bol vybity vyklad, vonku hliadkovali policajti a ja si v pohode na mieste cinu zavazujem snorky. Este su tu zaujimave nemocnice, ... 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

We are currently on a bus from Skopje, Macedonia to Lake Ohrid. Let’s recap our 4 days in Kosovo. We took a mini bus from Vila Dini to Peja, Kosovo. Our first stop was Visoki Dečani monastery. A Serbian Orthodox monastery since 1327, as with other Serbian monasteries and communities in the country, it is heavily under guard by the KFOR (NATO-led Kosovo Force) another legacy of decades of tension and violence between the Serbs and ethnic Albanian community of Kosovo. This white-washed monastery is set amidst a large lush green lawn, and Orthodox frescoes decorated the walls of the church which was surprisingly in good condition after all these years. 25 monks live here in isolation and produce wine, cheese and honey. Some of us bought some for our trip! After the Monastery it was ... read more

After a good night rest we woke up and took a nice Greek breakfast. Or next destination for today is Prizren. A picturesque city in the south of Kosovo. According Google Maps it would take us only 3 hour from Thessaloniki. Reality showed the difference… We left Thessaloniki behind us and drove towards the north. Passing Macedonia (Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia) and entered the border with Kosovo. However there was not a long queue it took some time until it was our turn. Passport check was fine. Green card…. Kosovo is not covered by our car insurance. At the border we could insure our vehicle for 15 Euros for a period of 15 days. Now our car was insured we continued our journey. Off course we know that we don’t have to trust Google Maps ... read more

Kosovo is the newest country of Europe, or at least the last one who has been recognized by many. Back in February 2008, Kosovo declared his independence over Serbia, and was diplomatically recognized by 108 UN member states. So as they still lack 85 UN member states to recognized them, they are not a full member of UN. They are only recognized by 23 out of the 28 members of the European Union. With time, we all guess that the Republic of Kosovo will fully be recognized as a Sovereign State. Interestingly enough, you will find way more flags around Albania than over Kosovo. The country is populated by a huge majority of Albanians, a majority of them being Muslims. Albanians are rather, let say politely, nationalists. Albania is covered with Albanians flag. In Kosovo, way ... read more