Thought on Kosovo

Lazy day

Having done today’s share of sightseeing yesterday, I had no pressure to get going this morning.  When Ieft the room around 1000, the weather was cold, dull but dry.  It made me glad that I did so much yesterday.

My cereal breakfast in the room didn’t quite satisfy me so I had a burek.  It was far too much but I finished it anyway.

Around 1300, the weather had cleared up nicely.  I realised that part of it was smoke from heating fires.  I walked up to the fortress again hoping to see the city in a different light; it would have been pointless any earlier due to the heavy cloud cover.

I noticed that the gates to the Church of the Holy Saviour was open with a group inside the compounds.  I went in with them and saw the church door open as well.  It looked like a pilgrimage tour as there were a couple of clergymen with them.

The church itself is just a shell but there was a corner that appeared to be restored and used as a chapel.  I was very lucky with my timing and after that brief stop, I continued to the fortress.

Up there with me were some soldiers with Bulgarian flags on their arms.  I’m guessing they’re peacekeepers.

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I finished my outing with lunch underneath my hotel for EUR1.50 before chilling.  Having had to many mince-based kebabs in different shapes and sizes or otherwise rich food, I wanted something different for dinner.  I settled on a traditional restaurant and chose the vegetarian casserole.  It was a greasy stew of vegetables which cost four times the light meaty lunch that I had.  That’s a restaurant for you though.

It’s scary how little I can do in a day and still make the time fly, especially compared to how much I fit in yesterday.

Thoughts on leaving Kosovo

As I finish up in Kosovo with a bus trip back to Serbia tomorrow morning, here are some thoughts on the country.  It may be the cheapest, tastiest and friendliest country on the continent.

• I had sit-down simple meals for as little as EUR1.50 and more substantial ones at EUR2.50.
• Food is too meaty for me; fine for a few days but even when accompanied by big salads, it’s very heavy.
• There’s option to spice up food a fair bit. There are a few chilli pastes that are rather hot!  I’ve never had food that spicy in Turkey, Albania or anywhere in the Balkans.
• People are really friendly. Staff in hotel are so nice, polite, always offering help or information.  Similarly with staff at eateries and sometimes strangers on the streets. And it’s all genuine from the way the smile, talk, look at you like they’re really happy to see you visit their country.

Pristina wasn’t packed with interesting sights but it was a necessary introduction to the country where most of the people live.  Prizren was truly the highlight.  For those who are pressed for time, I would suggest skipping Gjakova.

I’m very pleased to have made the effort with the long bus ride to/from Serbia.  Love you, Kosovo!  Best of luck with your big neighbour and your entry into the European Union!