I got up early today to take a bus to the tiny hillside town of Stublle e Eperme to participate in a bicycle tour, the annual Tour de Culture. Several of Annette's colleagues, all new arrivals to Kosova, also planned to participate using bikes rented at the start of the tour. After about 90 minutes of confusion and walking up and down steep, narrow streets we finally got our rent-a-bikes and the crowd finally started down the steep grade that eventually would reach the large town of Gjilan, 25 kilometers to the north. After about a kilometer in the densely-packed peloton I had to stop due to an accident ahead and discovered that my front tire was flat. Seeking assistance from the mechanics I was told they could not fix the tire so I should walk up to the trucks in the village and exchange my bike for another one. After another good uphill hike, this time pushing a bike, I find that there are no spare rental bikes, so I put my bike in the sag truck and hop on a bus, my day of biking at an end. As it turned out, it was a very hot day and the route had lots of long uphill pulls, so my bus ride wasn't that bad after all.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Just a quick post to add a photo Yada just sent to me showing me with Yada and her mother, Nada, sitting in their living room in Zagreb. Nada looks just the same as she did last time I saw her in 1991.
We celebrated our 28th anniversary today by taking a bus to Prishtina so Annette could attend a meeting at the University of Prishtina. After the meeting we picked up our last two big suitcases from her friend's apartment and hauled them back to Prizren on the bus. So, we are finally 100% settled-in after 2 1/2 weeks in Kosova!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
It's Thursday and Frank and I have had an eventful week. We were so happy to move into our apartment on Tuesday. The owners are very gracious, and, as the photos show, the apartment is well furnished and comfortable. The owners have a house in a small town about 15 miles from Prizren and moved there while we are renting. Frank had to take a cab from our hotel to the apartment with our big bags....two of my big bags are still in Pristina at a friend's apartment. One weird thing is that there is a guy who sells women's bras and panties on a table right in front of the front door entrance to our apartment building. When Frank arrived in the cab, the guy carried up some of the luggage with Frank to our place on the third floor, so Frank has yet another new friend!
On Wednesday, I went to the university to meet with the head of the English Department. The university is only 3 years old and has grown quickly. The English professor was very gracious and seemed intent on getting me two or three good classes for the coming semester. I will find out my schedule next week and probably start teaching on October 8. Unfortunately, the university is cramped for space and there are no faculty offices or desks to keep things. I'll have to carry materials to and from the campus. Usually, I will probably take a cab at least one way - the fare is 2 Euros.
Today I was invited to have lunch with the American Ambassador who was visiting Prizren for the first time. She is in her forties, I would say, and just started her assignment about a month ago. Her British husband and some staff from the embassy (a few of them I met during my orientation) accompanied her. There were also three locals in attendance - about 12 in all for lunch outside by the river at a nice restaurant. The man who sat next to me is an architect and involved in restoring some of the buildings that were damaged during the Kosovo conflict. He gave me his card and agreed to take Frank and me on a tour of some of the buildings sometime soon. I also saw the Chairman of the Board of a Pristina bank whom I had met last week at a reception in Pristina. He is very kind and friendly and is a former Fullbright scholar in the U.S. - I think in Michigan. He lives in Pristina, but is from Prizren and comes to Prizren on the weekends, so Frank and I will try to meet him for coffee sometime. The other local at the lunch is the founder of the Prizren Docufest which is an acclaimed film festival of documentaries held in Prizren in August and famous throughout the region.
On Saturday, Frank and I will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. We are going to daytrip on the bus to Pristina since there is a Kosovo English Teachers conference part of the day on Saturday. We hope to go to an international restaurant to celebrate...Prizren has some great food and great restaurants, but not anything international. Because of the UN presence and all of the internationals living there, Pristina has a variety of good restaurants. I'm thinking Indian food would be good. On Sunday, Frank has signed up to ride in a 20km bike ride south of Pristina which is organized by a Swedish NGO. A few of our friends in Prizren (Ilirijan, and Samir - a guy who teaches English at Oxford here and showed us a flat to rent ) are going also. The event is free, and Frank has reserved a bike for 10 Euros. They are sending a bus to Prizren to transport the participants to the event. I will stay home and rest. I wish I could go, but I tweaked my knee in a fall on uneven sidewalks in Pueblo in early August and the knee is still not 100%.
Miss you all, but we're having fun exploring!
On Wednesday, I went to the university to meet with the head of the English Department. The university is only 3 years old and has grown quickly. The English professor was very gracious and seemed intent on getting me two or three good classes for the coming semester. I will find out my schedule next week and probably start teaching on October 8. Unfortunately, the university is cramped for space and there are no faculty offices or desks to keep things. I'll have to carry materials to and from the campus. Usually, I will probably take a cab at least one way - the fare is 2 Euros.
Today I was invited to have lunch with the American Ambassador who was visiting Prizren for the first time. She is in her forties, I would say, and just started her assignment about a month ago. Her British husband and some staff from the embassy (a few of them I met during my orientation) accompanied her. There were also three locals in attendance - about 12 in all for lunch outside by the river at a nice restaurant. The man who sat next to me is an architect and involved in restoring some of the buildings that were damaged during the Kosovo conflict. He gave me his card and agreed to take Frank and me on a tour of some of the buildings sometime soon. I also saw the Chairman of the Board of a Pristina bank whom I had met last week at a reception in Pristina. He is very kind and friendly and is a former Fullbright scholar in the U.S. - I think in Michigan. He lives in Pristina, but is from Prizren and comes to Prizren on the weekends, so Frank and I will try to meet him for coffee sometime. The other local at the lunch is the founder of the Prizren Docufest which is an acclaimed film festival of documentaries held in Prizren in August and famous throughout the region.
On Saturday, Frank and I will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary. We are going to daytrip on the bus to Pristina since there is a Kosovo English Teachers conference part of the day on Saturday. We hope to go to an international restaurant to celebrate...Prizren has some great food and great restaurants, but not anything international. Because of the UN presence and all of the internationals living there, Pristina has a variety of good restaurants. I'm thinking Indian food would be good. On Sunday, Frank has signed up to ride in a 20km bike ride south of Pristina which is organized by a Swedish NGO. A few of our friends in Prizren (Ilirijan, and Samir - a guy who teaches English at Oxford here and showed us a flat to rent ) are going also. The event is free, and Frank has reserved a bike for 10 Euros. They are sending a bus to Prizren to transport the participants to the event. I will stay home and rest. I wish I could go, but I tweaked my knee in a fall on uneven sidewalks in Pueblo in early August and the knee is still not 100%.
Miss you all, but we're having fun exploring!
Master bedroom in Prizren apartment
Master bedroom and balcony
View of medieval fortress from bedroom balcony
View from dining room balcony - mountain in distance is in Albania
Annette and Fullbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), Ilirijan, in American Corner. Ilirijan is from the Bronx and speaks fluent Albanian since his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Montenegro. This photo was taken in the American Corner. On Friday, September 28, we're going to have a Meet and Greet at the American Corner from noon to 2:00 p.m.
Farmers' market in Prizren
Farmers' market in Prizren
Farmers' market in Prizren
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View of mountain in Albania from Prizren city center
River walk in city center of Prizren and view of Albanian mountain in the background
Sunday, September 23, 2012
This is a typical kabob served in Prizen restaurants. What you see here cost less than $2
Old Turkish baths which are adjacent to the American Corner in the library where Annette will work part-time.
Photo of the Catholic cathedral from our hotel balcony in Prizren
The old Stone Bridge which was reconstructed after 1979 floods. Originally built in the 16th century.
Prizren Fortress on the hill - place of defense and refuge since prehistoric times, strengthened in Byzantine and Ottoman times, and used until 1912.
Recycling Kosovo style
Ristras in the city outdoor market
We're craving red and green chili New Mexico style. Can't wait to get into our apartment and cook. Annette smuggled some Chimayo New Mexico red chile powder in for cooking.
Street view of our apartment building. Our balcony has the red Coca Cola umbrella on it.
Kitchen and dining area of our apartment.
Living room of our apartment. The couches can be converted into beds.
Our street just a few blocks from the apartment closer to the city center.
Living room of our apartment
Elise and Chrissy's room in our Prizren apartment. Sleeping arrangements will be cozy.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
This is my first attempt at adding something to the blog, so here goes...
Today was a good day since we finalized an agreement to rent a small 2BR 1bath apartment in the old central part of Prizren. We will probably get the keys on Monday and move in on Tuesday. It will be so nice to finally end our full month of homelessness and be able to wear socks that haven't been worn at least three times before.
I've been exploring all around Prizren for a few days and will add some additional photos when I can, but I'm going to try adding a couple now just to see if I can do it. If it works you will see a view of the old stone bridge in downtown Prizren, with Koritnik mountain in the distance. The mountain is about 8000' elevation and is on the Kosovo/Albania border. I'll also put in a general picture of Prizren showing the minarets of numerous mosques in town. The last picture is of Darko and Yada in their home, since I was lucky enough to visit them briefly in Zagreb before continuing on to Prishtina.
Today was a good day since we finalized an agreement to rent a small 2BR 1bath apartment in the old central part of Prizren. We will probably get the keys on Monday and move in on Tuesday. It will be so nice to finally end our full month of homelessness and be able to wear socks that haven't been worn at least three times before.
I've been exploring all around Prizren for a few days and will add some additional photos when I can, but I'm going to try adding a couple now just to see if I can do it. If it works you will see a view of the old stone bridge in downtown Prizren, with Koritnik mountain in the distance. The mountain is about 8000' elevation and is on the Kosovo/Albania border. I'll also put in a general picture of Prizren showing the minarets of numerous mosques in town. The last picture is of Darko and Yada in their home, since I was lucky enough to visit them briefly in Zagreb before continuing on to Prishtina.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
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