2011 Balkan Trip Summary

I made it back from my latest Balkan adventure. I traveled well over 1,200 km (745 miles) and I managed to do it all by bus.

Sofia was my starting and ending point. Bulgaria was fine except for that confusing head nod thing that they do. The next time I fly to Sofia it will be to visit Plovdiv, about 150 km (~93 miles) away. On the east side of the country, on the Black Sea, I still want to see Bourgas and Varna.

Macedonia was fine and Skopje made a good one-day visit. I'll wait and see what the capital looks like after all of the construction is completed.

I wasn't that impressed with Kosovo. Prishtina wasn't what I expected. I can see going back to Kosovo to visit Prizren. But that would be the only reason why.

Albania was interesting because I really didn't know too much about it before. Tirana was fine, except for having to dodge cars. I'll go back one day to visit Shkodër, Krujë and Berat. And of course, to see the completed museum exhibition. But, if Durrës is any indication then I can guarantee I won't be planning any beach holidays in Albania.

For me, the best part of the whole week was the brief time I spent at Lake Ohrid. For some reason it took me a while to get the name right. I kept saying Orhid or Orchid. But it is pronounced "Oxh-rid". You can bet that now that I've got the name down, I'll be back there for sure.

Overall, this was a good little adventure. Four new countries (again, all by bus), four currencies, and three languages (none of which I know). It was worth it. But it felt so good to sleep in my own bed last night. At least I'll be able to do that for a few more days. Then I'm headed back to Slovenia for a couple of days and then a road trip to Italy and San Marino.

Sofia's Soviet Army Memorial

One of the large parks in Sofia has a Soviet Army monument that is a point of controversy.

The monument of a Red Army soldier, with a Bulgarian man, woman and child, was erected in 1954 to honor the role of the Soviets in defeating fascism in WWII.

When the monument was built, Bulgaria was a communist state that was firmly entrenched in the Soviet Bloc. It was commonplace to find monuments to Lenin and Karl Marx. Red Army memorials too. There's still a Red Army memorial in Brno's Moravské náměstí.

Today there are mixed views on the monument in Sofia. Some people feel that it represents an important part of the country's history and should be maintained. Some people view it as a never ending symbol of Bulgaria's occupation by the Soviet Union.

The problem is that Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the monument can not be moved or dismantled. The basis of the ruling is that, according to the Bulgarian Territorial Organization Act, it is a memorial object which means that it can only be dismantled with agreement by the creators which is impossible to obtain.

On June 17, 2011, overnight, a street artist painted over the bronze figures on the side of the memorial transforming them into American superheroes and pop culture icons – Superman, the Joker, Wolverine, Santa Claus, Ronald McDonald, the Mask, Captain America, Robin, and Wonder Woman. The Soviet flag was repainted as an American flag. In Bulgarian, the phrase "In step with the times" was spray painted below the figures. This obviously upset Moscow which took it as a huge insult.

The monument was cleaned on June 20th but you can still see a bit of paint remaining. Many east European cities have had to come to terms with the communist years. Some statues were destroyed. Some were moved to out of the way areas or became part of socialist art exhibits. Budapest, for example, opened a communist memorial theme park outside of town.

EDIT:  In 2013, the memorial was painted again.
EDIT:  In 2014, the memorial was painted again, this time in support of Ukraine.

Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

From Sofia, it is about a two hour drive (120 km / ~75 miles) south to the Rila Mountains and the St. Ivan of Rila Monastery.



It is the largest and most famous monastery in Bulgaria. The Eastern Orthodox monastery was founded in 927 AD.







Ivan (John) of Rila was a hermit who founded the monastery. The monastery was built by students who came to be taught by him.


The cave he lived in is about a 30 minute walk from the monastery. It's a nice place to do a little hiking.


The outer walls of the main church are decorated with Bible scenes. Inside the church are various relics on exhibit. I don't have any pictures from inside the church because there is a strict no photography rule. Near the main church, in the middle of the inner courtyard, is the stone Tower of Hrelyu which is the oldest structure in the complex.

The residence has cells for 300 monks. There are also four chapels, an abbot's room, a kitchen and a library.

The monastery was restored in the 15th and 19th centuries. During periods of foreign rule the monastery acted as a depository for Bulgarian culture and language. In 1976 it was declared a national historical monument and in 1983 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Burek

One of the good things about traveling in the Balkans is the burek. Burek is popular for breakfast, but it also makes a great snack or midday meal.



It originated in Turkey but is popular in all of the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

The pastry consists of layers of thin, flaky phyllo dough that is filled with various ingredients and then baked or fried. Normally it has a type of feta cheese or ground meat & onions. While not as popular as the meat or cheese variety, my favorite is the spinach burek. In Ljubljana you can even find apple burek. I never tried the apple because to me that sounds less like burek and more like strudel.

You can find burek at most bakeries. You can even find dedicated burek stands. Burek and a cup of plain yogurt makes for a great, cheap breakfast.

Lake Ohrid, Macedonia

From Tirana it is a 5.5 hour bus ride to Struga, Macedonia, and then a €5 ($6.75) cab ride to Ohrid. Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe. The lake itself is over 3 million years old. One-third of the lake belongs to Albania and two-thirds belong to Macedonia.


With a maximum depth of 288 meters (940 feet) it is the deepest lake in the Balkans.



Old Town used to be surrounded by walls. The Upper Gate is the only one of the three remaining gates to the city and dates back from the 3rd century BC.


The King Samuel Fortress is one of the largest preserved fortifications in Macedonia. It sits on a hill above the town. There are a few towers but not much else to see at the fortress. The best thing about the fortress is the views of the town and the lake.

Below the fortress is the open theater. The amphitheater is just over 2,000 years old. It is the only Greek theater in Macedonia; the other three are Roman amphitheaters. It was buried for centuries and fully uncovered by the 1990s. During the summer it is used for outdoor concerts.

Near the bazaar and the town fountain is a large tree. It's a local landmark and somewhere between 800 and 1,000 years old.

Ohrid used to be the city of 365 churches, one for each day of the year. There are no longer that many churches here now but there are a few interesting ones.

The 13th century St. Jovan Kaneo church sits on a cliff overlooking the lake. The view is great. The church is known for its frescoes and Armenian-influenced architecture. Below the cliff is a great place to catch a short water taxi ride around the lake for nice views of the town.

St. Sophia Church is an 11th century cathedral. It was built in 1035 and is the oldest church in Ohrid. It is one of the largest medieval churches in the area and home to the world's largest composition of preserved 11th century frescoes.

St. Bogorodica Perivlepta is a 13th century church that was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was built in 1295.

The monastery church of Sts. Kliment and Pantelejmon sits on a hill overlooking Lake Ohrid. This is the place where the Cyrillic alphabet was created. Opened in the 10th century, this was the first and oldest discontinued university in Europe.

On the south-east side of the lake, near the Albanian border, is the St. Naum Monastery. I really wanted to visit it but unfortunately, I just didn't have enough time. This time that is. I'm for sure coming back to Ohrid.

In 1979, Lake Ohrid was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 2010, NASA named one of the lakes on Titan (one of Saturn's moons) after Lake Ohrid.

Durrës, Albania

Durrës is Albania's second largest city. It's home to around 202,000 residents.

It is also one of the oldest cities in the country. The area has been continuously inhabited for 2,700 years.

Durrës is only 33 km (21 miles) away from Tirana and a one-way ride in a furgon costs 100 lekë ($0.95).



The city was founded by ancient Greeks and today it is the country's main port. There are several ferries that run between Durrës and Italy. Brindisi is 200 km/124 miles away and Bari is 300 km/186 miles away.


To be honest there is not a lot to see here. The main attraction is the Roman amphitheater that was discovered in 1966. It was built between 117 - 78 BC. Up to 20,000 people used to watch gladiators do battle here. Up to 25% of the archeological site is still buried beneath houses. This is the largest Roman amphitheater in the Balkans. Currently it is under consideration to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.



Near the port is the ancient Byzantine city wall.






The Venetian Tower was built in the city center during the 16th century.



The primary reason that people come to Durrës is because it is home to the largest and most popular beach in Albania. Around 600,000 tourists visit annually and many people from Tirana spend their summer vacations here.

I don't get it. There's no way on earth that I would use the beach here. The "beach" wasn't sand or pebble or even rock. It looked like garden mulch!! Looking at it made my skin itch. I saw some kids going out in to the water and they looked like they were having fun. Good for them.

I found this clip out on YouTube. It's not about Durrës per se. However, I found it interesting, and sad, and I'm glad that I didn't hit the beach.

©Reuters

Furgons

Furgons are a popular means of getting around in Albania. They had them in Istanbul too but I never tried it there. A furgon is a privately owned minivan that is basically a group taxi for 8-15 people. First, you figure out where you want to go to and then you ask around for where the furgons are that are headed to your desired destination.

Once you find the appropriate furgon you ask "how much?" and get in. Schedules are very fluid because the furgon doesn't leave until there's a full load. If it does depart with a couple of empty seats then it's not uncommon to trawl through the streets along the way looking for additional passengers. You don't pay until you get out.

Most furgons depart either early in the morning or in the early afternoon. After that, you're pretty much stuck wherever you're at.

Today was going to be my first furgon experience on my way to Durrës. But it turned out that Durrës is such a main destination that my furgon was actually just a normal long-distance bus. It's funny to me that, given train service here isn't what it is in Western/Central Europe, buses are so important but Tirana doesn't even have a bus station. You find the buses right alongside the furgons. The big difference is that with the bus you don't pay when you get off. After the bus departs, someone will come along later and collect the fare. So I guess I missed out on my furgon adventure today but I'm OK with that. The bus was at least a bit roomier.

Tirana, Albania

Tirana is the capital of Albania and has over 750,000 residents. Tirana is located almost right in the center of the country. It's a six hour (€20/$27) bus ride from Prishtina.


The Tirana area has been inhabited since Paleolithic times but the city wasn't founded until 1614 and it didn't become the capital city until 1925.


Skanderbeg Square is the city's main square. It was completed in 1929 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Albania's national hero. Skanderbeg managed to create an independent Albanian princedom for 25 years. Albanians consider him to the father of the country and the one who saved all of Europe from the Ottoman Empire. There was also a Skanderbeg monument in Prishtina. At the main square is the opera, the national history museum, the Et'hem Bey Mosque and some government buildings. Right now the square is a full on construction zone. The entire square is being renovated with funds from Kuwait. No one seems to know when the project will be finished.

The Et'hem Bey Mosque was built in 1789. Not only did it survive WWII but it managed to escape the communist crack down on all things religious. The frescoes on the outside depict trees, waterfalls and bridges which I'm told is rare in Islamic art because still life isn't the usual subject matter. The inside is small but well worth a visit.

Behind the mosque is the 35 meter (~115 ft) clock tower. It was built in 1830. For a long time it was the tallest structure in town. The USA provided the funds to restore it. Albania is a poor country but apparently has lots of friends. America paid for the clock tower, Kuwait is taking care of the square, I was some university building renovations under way compliments of Italy and few historic sites are currently funded by the EU.

Not far from the main square is an area called the bllock (block). An entire block of the capital was off-limits to the general public until 1991. During communism this is where the party leaders lived and there were armed guards to keep average people out. Today the area is filled with cafes, shops and pubs and is home to the nightlife scene.

In 2007, George W. Bush became the first U.S. President to visit Albania. He even has a street named after him. At least Prishtina has a boulevard name President Clinton. Anyway, on George W. Bush Street is the Statue of the Unknown Partisan. It was built to honor all of the people who died fighting the fascists in WWI. Today, this is where day laborers hang out waiting for work.


The National Art Gallery was looted in 1997. The current collection covers 13th century icons to modern art. There is a large section containing socialist art from the 1940s to the 1990s when the government dictated the subject matter. Behind the museum are the last statues of Lenin and Stalin.



Enver Hoxha was the country's ruler for almost 40 years. When he died, his daughter and son-in-law designed a museum called the Pyramid which opened in 1988. The marble and glass building was allegedly the most expensive building in Albania. After the regime changed the building became a conference center and then a disco called "The Mummy".  NATO used it during the Kosovo crisis. In front of the Pyramid is the Bell of Peace as a memorial to the country's struggle. Schoolchildren collected bullet cases, in the 1990s, from which the bell was forged. The government was to demolish it and use the space for more parliament buildings. It's a real eyesore.

The National Museum of History has a huge mosaic illustrating the country's history from the Illyrians to the partisans of WWII. The first part of the museum's exhibits are labeled in Albanian and some also have French translations, but no English. In the second part of the museum the French is replaced by the occasional English caption. I had heard that this was the best place to get more information on the totalitarian years. So this was the whole reason that I went to the museum. It sure wasn't to see the usual collection of Balkan prehistoric arrowheads. I made it up to the middle of WWII and the museum ended. The whole final third of the museum is closed for renovation. Nice that there was no mention that 1/3rd of the museum is closed when you purchase a ticket. I mentioned that the entire reason I came to the museum was to see the section that was closed. A staff member asked me where I was from. After I said the USA, she told me not to worry because it would re-open one day. I still don't really get the connection but whatever. At least the admission price was only 200 lekë (~$1.92).

The Martyrs' Cemetery is up on a hill that overlooks the city. This is where 900 partisans who died in WWII are buried. It is also home to a 12 meter tall statue of Mother Albania. Enver Hoxha was buried here in 1985 but his remains were moved to another cemetery in 1992.

Albanians are the worst drivers in Europe. Never again can I complain about how bad Czech drivers are. Until 1991, only communist party officials were allowed to drive or own cars. There were only 600 cars in the whole country. My Albanian colleague at work says that they went from donkeys to Mercedes overnight. All of a sudden there was a flood of second-hand cars but there were no traffic rules, no driver's licenses, no traffic lights and zero enforcement. I have never been so scared in my whole life of just crossing the street. The drivers that do slow down or stop aren't really worried about pedestrians. They are simply worried about denting their cars. I found that the safest thing to do was wait until other people crossed the street and simply use them as human shields.