Kosovo

 We have made it to Kosovo which is a landlocked Balkan nation. It has a complex history marked by empires, ethnic shifts, wars and eventual independence.

First the Romans, then the Serbs followed by the Ottomans and during this time many converted to Islam. Then the Balkan wars of 1912-13 when the territory was annexed by Serbia and then became part of Yugoslavia after WW11.

Then many of us can remember because  of repression by the Serbs in 1998 the Kosovo war began. It was a very brutal war and the Serbs were accused of ethnic cleansing of the Kosovar Albanians. Finally NATO stepped in with 78 days of bombing against the Serbian forces in 1999 ending the war. In 2008 Kosovo declared independence from Serbia which was recognized by many of the countries around the world. However, even today the Serbia. Russia and China do not recognize Kosovo has an independent nation. 

A little history lesson but it helps me understand why these people are so proud and patriotic.

As we drove through the countryside we were amazed at how peaceful and lush it was…

We stopped for coffee in a small town which was very nice, not many people out that early…

Everywhere in Kosovo you see the Albanian flag as they identify as Kosovar Albanians.

This is also one of the towns where a lot of the fighters during the Kosovo war lived and they are celebrated with statues all over the town…

Our first overnight stop in Kosovo was the city of Prizen which is considered the cultural capital of the country. Unfortunately both of us were hit by a flu like bug which knocked us back and we didn’t see much of the city only pharmacies which are in every corner. And again we were surprised how they all spoke English so no problem getting medicine…

 The city is divided in two by a river with the Old Town on one side and the New Town on the other. It is joined by an old bridge called the Stone Bridge….

Old Town at night…

The New Town is much more modern and quite busy…

The city is known for the crafting of filigree and we saw lots of people selling it…

Also lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, we are still quite surprised by the freshness and quality of all the food we have eaten here…

One thing we noticed in Kosovo was the women who were very well dressed from head to toe. And everywhere there were stores selling fancy dresses. Asking the guide about this he told me that in their culture it was very important to dress well and that at parties and special occasions they actually wear this clothes. I told him North Americans are no where as fancy! 

Another day we drove up to the mountains to the Monastery of Decan which became part of UNESCO in 2004 because of its’ frescoes which portray the lives of people during the 14th century.

It was very strange to see it was guarded by NATO troops and we had to surrender our passports to enter. It is the only religious monument in the country that is not under Kosovo control due to ongoing ethnic and political tensions regarding its’ status as a major Serbian Orthodox holy site located in a predominately Muslim 

area.

The Monastery was built between 1327 - 1335 and is widely celebrated as the largest medieval church in the entire Balkans. It is now a living active community of Serbian Orthodox monks. They produce their own wine and cheese as well. 

Fresh water spring that is safe to drink.

It is surrounded by beautiful mountains.

Inside every surface is covered in frescoes that are still vivid after all these centuries.

The Orthodox Church has many saints and icons which can be seen throughout the building…

There are no pews as you are expected to stand except for a few along the wall you can lean on if you are really tired! 

Kosovo also has a long wine making tradition dating back to the Illyrian era over 2000 years ago. The region has 270 days of sun shine and great soil. Most of the wine is sold in the local market and not for export. Some of the wine making region…

This was the view from the winery where we had a little wine tasting…

They produce wine with grapes known only to this region as well as grapes from other countries. Both the reds and the whites were very good. We bought some white for us and a bottle of red for our guide. They cost 4 Euros a bottle which is about 6 CAD a bottle! 

Our supper that night was at a small roadside restaurant where we had Pljeskavica which is a national staple here. It is a combination of different ground meats stuffed with cheese and grilled over charcoal. This meal costs 8 CAD so you can see it is very easy to eat well here and not spend a lot of money! 

One thing we noticed as we drove were the size of the houses and the many unfinished ones. Our guide said a lot of them are multigenerational houses and often because of the expense to build them family members who work abroad send money home to their families. As well the people living abroad will also send money to have their own houses built there. 

Our last stop in Kosovo was the capital city Pristina. It is a very modern city with lots of construction everywhere. These workers from Egypt were eager to have their pictures taken with Don…

Right in the middle of the city there is the Cathedral of Mother Teresa which is a large Roman Catholic Church…

It is not overly detailed inside but still quite nice…

You can pay 2 Euro to go to the top of the tower for a view of the city. We didn’t stay long as it was freezing! 

You can see that the city is stretching upwards with lots of new buildings.

Also some interesting architecture…

The people of Kosovo love the Americans for their role in convincing NATO to bomb the Serbians so they could end the war.

There is a large statue of President Bill Clinton on Bill Clinton Boulevard in the center of the city…

As well as a small bust of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright…

Lots of street art….

Another interesting piece is the New Born piece which was unveiled on February 17, 2008 the day that Kosovo declared its’ independence from Serbia. 

The last one that moved us is called Heroine and it dedicated to the thousands of woman who experienced sexual violence and brutality during the Kosovo war. 

The structure is built from more than 20,000 individual metal pins or circular medals set at varying heights. Up close, each medal represents an individual survivor or victim; from a distance, they merge into the resilient face of an Albanian woman.

The people of Kosovo have endured a lot and are a proud and patriotic people. Both of us really enjoyed this country and are so glad we had the opportunity to visit and learn about their history.