Tag: travel
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Finding Harmony on an Accordion in Shkodër, Albania
The moment we stepped into the tiny Albanian bar bearing mint-green walls, I regretted having not been more studious when learning Italian several years earlier. The five gentlemen inside the Shkodër establishment spoke Albanian of course, but between the two of us, Shawn and I only knew about five Albanian words. The seven of us quickly defaulted to Italian. When that…
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Orthodox Easter Celebrations in Ohrid, North Macedonia
This spring, we’ve had the fortune of observing Easter celebrations not once, but twice. In Croatia, where Catholicism predominates, we celebrated Easter in late March. This past weekend, in North Macedonia, we had the chance to observe Orthodox Easter festivities. The city of Ohrid has been dubbed the “Jerusalem of the Balkans” since it once…
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Photo du Jour: St. John Orthodox Church at Sunset – Ohrid, North Macedonia
A boat glides across the golden, shimmering surface of Lake Ohrid on the eve of Orthodox Easter. A silhouetted version of Saint John at Kaneo stands guard in the background. Archaeologists think that the church was built before the rise of the Ottoman Empire, perhaps in the 13th century. Frescoes adorn Saint John’s dome; they were discovered in the 1960s.
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Albania and its 700,000 Bunkers: Profiling a Man Who Built Them
As our minibus chugged through the Albanian countryside during a 6-hour trip, my husband and I inadvertently created a new car game to pass the time: Who could first spot a bunker as a new one appeared in the ever-changing scenery? With nearly 700,000 bunkers still dotting this southeastern European nation’s landscape, the game didn’t…
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Photo du Jour: Commuting by Horse-Drawn Cart – Shkoder, Albania
Transitioning from Montenegro, we’ve arrived in Shkoder, Albania. To get here we had a two-hour bus ride from Kotor to the border town of Ulcinj, Montenegro. Then, we traveled from Ulcinj to the Albanian city of Shkoder. It is fascinating to watch the pace of life here in the semi-rural neighborhood where our guesthouse is located.…
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Gluten-Free Goodness in Dubrovnik (& Two Must-Try Recipes)
Life has a funny way of shaking things up and throwing in surprises that often lead to unexpectedly-delightful outcomes. Let me introduce you to Dubrovnik restaurateurs Gildas and Ružica, who epitomize this idea. When this couple visited Dubrovnik several years ago, they intended to visit for a single day. However, when they arrived, they decided…
