We were supposed to travel last weekend, but Mark ended up with food poisoning, and we were supposed to travel the weekend prior to that but our oktoberfest flights were cancelled ,so we were really looking forward to a weekend away from Tirana. Our solution: pack up the car and head to Kosovo. Egzon, Mark and I left on Friday after school. We only got a little lost on the way, and ended up making it to Prishtina around 9:30pm. Callie, Andrew, Egzon, Vlera, Mark and I, all went out for Mexican food at a trendy new place. Then we tried to go out for beers, but since most places close around midnight, we just ended up heading back to Callie and Andrew's for some drinks. The four of us played dominoes and caught up on life. On Saturday we went to a bear sanctuary about a 20 minute drive outside of Prishtina. Until recently, it was legal in Kosovo to keep bears in cages outside of restaurants to attract more customers. Now that this practice has been outlawed, the bears need a place to go. This is why the bear sanctuary exists. There are currently 19 bears at the sanctuary, all with their own sad stories of captivity. The thing that struck me about the sanctuary was the size. It stretches across rolling hills and forest. It takes about 2 hours to walk from end to end. The bears are not kept in small areas like at some zoos, but instead are given vast expanses of land to wander and swim in. The difference is also in the caging. A wire fence, much like you'd see between the yards of two neighboring homes, is what separates onlookers from bears. It's electric, but... with power outages as common as sliced bread in the balkans, the question has to be asked, do these fences have their own generators? I sure hope so! Not only were we able to get up close and personal with bears who were pacing, sitting up and swimming, we also got to watch a feeding. A truck drove by with huge pales of tomatoes and apples. The truck stopped outside of each complex and two men heaved up the big pales and threw the contents into the enclosures. Watching the bears eat was a brand new experience (and a loud one at that!) but was so wonderful because it showed the transformation these bears have had-- in the restaurants stale bread crusts and old beers were thrown at them in jest, but now, fresh fruits and veggies are thrown to them to promote their health and well being.
After our walk through the sanctuary we sat on the terrace overlooking the mountains dotted with fall colored leaves and enjoyed a late lunch.
Our next stop was a Serbian monastery built in 1321. The outdoor stone work was beautiful, but the real beauty was tucked away inside, covering the chapel walls. The dated paintings from floor to ceiling were beyond what photos could capture and words could describe. Even though it's a quick visit, it's definitely worth it. Saturday evening Egzon and Vlera suggested a farm to table traditional kosovar restaurant. It was tucked away on a long road leading out of the city. The grounds were beautiful and the restaurant interior was rustic. (If only it had been warm enough and we could've sat outside on the cozy patio overlooking the farm!) We had a six course traditional meal, complete with house wine. The food was SO delicious and it was really nice to have Egzon and Vlera, local kosovars, there to explain everything to us. We tried an assortment of meats and cheeses, vegetables, side dishes and were even given a traditional apple cider with our dessert. To say it was filling would be an understatement.
On Sunday we breakfasted at a local bakery and then headed to the scottish pub to enjoy bloody marys and rugby. It was the perfect end to our weekend away (finally!)
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