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Kosovo to Macedonia
Prizren Still staying in Prizren, we set off the next afternoon for a rustic wine tasting a short drive out of the city. By rustic, I mean standing in a small dark cellar. We tried generous samples of whites, roses, and reds, accompanied by sumptuous charcuterie boards including goat, sheep, and cow cheeses. We all agreed the whites were really good, the rest were inoffensive – that’s what Australians call good but not great wine apparently. Also included was raki tasting. Raki is the traditional drink of many countries in eastern Europe, and is a by-product of the wine making process. The grape skins and other fruits are used, and…
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Kosovo
Gjakova We left Peja for a stop in Gjakova, one of the oldest cities in Kosovo. It dates back to the 15th century. The town center, flattened in the Kosovo War 25 years ago, has been restored to its traditional style. There is a beautiful mosque here, built in the 16th century. The imam there spoke to us about the mosque, and islamic traditions and history. Nearby, we went for a short visit to a sufi tekke, or lodge for practitioners of the religion. Sufis seem to be a mystic branch of islam, related to the famed “whirling dervishes” based in Turkey. We entered the prayer building, filled with strange…
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Adventures in Kosovo
Via Ferrata On the way to Peja, our tour leader asked if anyone wanted to do a via ferrata that afternoon. I knew nothing about via ferrata other than pictures I had seen where it looks like you’re hanging off a cliff. A few people decided to go, and said “oh come on Lynn” so I signed up also. (Our tour leader Dusan found a sheet of paper, wrote “Release Form” on it, and asked us to sign underneath). I find it hard to turn down an adventure, and how hard can it be? Well, as I found out, via ferrata, which means “iron road” in Italian, is a climbing…
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Entering Kosovo
To stamp or not to stamp your passport in Kosovo We left Albania in driving rain that had continued through the night. It cleared up gradually as we got to the border of Kosovo. It’s fun to look at all the passport stamps you get, but that is due to change. With the new passports with electronic chips, facial recognition and digital stamps will take over soon, at least at airports. For now though, why wouldn’t you get a stamp from Kosovo? Kosovo is one of the newest countries in the world, declaring itself an independent country in 2004. Before that, it had most recently been under control of Serbia.…
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The Accursed Mountains
Lake Koman We started out in the early morning, driving along winding roads to Lake Koman. This massive reservoir was created in the 1980s under the communist government, when a hydroelectric power station was built. At the lake, we got off to wait for our boat driver. This was a popular place, as it’s the only way to get to the remote mountains in the north. The boat ride is advertised as one of the most beautiful boat rides you will ever take – emerald water merging with the cliff walls on the sides of the lake. The mountains surrounding the lake are almost uninhabited. Strangely, the lake is very…
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Shkoder, northern Albania
Heading out of Tirana I met my 11 travel companions and tour leader in Tirana. They are all very well-travelled, and include three people who will hit their 100th country on this trip! (In case you’re wondering, I don’t know what my country count is, but I think it’s between 50 and 60.) (Update – I made a list and it looks like 82!) Travelers from UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, USA, and Canada are in the group. Our tour leader is a guy from Serbia who seems to always be happy. We all went out for dinner to a big touristy place with local food and singing by locals…
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Tirana, Albania
What could go wrong with my trip to Albania? Two things were potential roadblocks to my trip – an airline strike and the weather. The Air Canada strike did not happen, with pilots settling for a 42% increase over 4 years! I covered myself with a Westjet flight that was cancellable for a credit. Weather has been unpredictable in eastern Europe this fall. After a summer of temperatures up to 45, there has been torrential rainfall and deadly flooding. Looking ahead in my weather app to my time in Albania, I saw a day when 70 – 100 mm of rain was predicted, and temperatures of 30 in early October.…
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Will an Air Canada pilot strike scuttle my plans?
Air Canada pilots will be in a strike position soon Air Canada pilots have voted to strike if they have not reached an agreement with Air Canada by Sept. 17. And if the pilots don’t strike, Air Canada has suggested it will lock them out. My flight to Albania is Sept 19 – Regina to Toronto is Air Canada (AC), onward is with Polish Airlines (LOT). The booking was made using Aeroplan points. When will I know if my flight is cancelled? If an agreement is not reached by Sept. 15, either party could give 72 hours notice of job action. Air Canada would begin to pre-emptively cancel flights for…
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Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia
Where am I going next? In a few weeks, I will be joining a small group adventure with Intrepid Travel to these countries. If you want to know more about the trip, click this link https://www.intrepidtravel.com/ca/kosovo/kosovo-albania-macedonia-explorer-143597 “It’s hard to find a patch of Europe as secluded as this one. Among the rugged mountains and green fields of Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia there are plenty of shepherds, monasteries, lakes, valleys and Byzantine churches – what’s lacking is crowds. It’s taken decades for the Balkans to wipe away memories of conflict and communism, but (amazingly) they’ve emerged strong and smiling. From hip cafes in Skopje and the soft shores of Lake…
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Maldives
Maldives is a country of almost 1200 islands. Somewhere between 150 and 200 of them have private resorts – one resort per island. Another 80 or so islands are inhabited by locals. The actual number is hard to pin down since the numbers change – resorts appear, islands disappear. Yes, islands have disappeared already. Maldives is the first country that may disappear due to rising sea levels from global warming. Much of the land is only about a meter above sea level. I decided I must visit since I was only a short flight away from the capital, Male, when I ended my Sri Lankan adventure. Why is Maldives so…