Montenegro (17-21 July 2016)
Montenegro here we come (on a bus to Perast) - actually the bus driver wouldn’t stop in Perast so we ended up in Kotor with a short taxi ride back to Perast. We found our accommodation for the next 2 nights up about 50 stairs (not much, but with 30 odd kgs on your back it is a different story), and settled in.
Perast is an old town on the Bay of Kotor and is really small (<400 residents). It’s a picture book postcard place that is built into the side of a hill and looks out over two tiny islets – St George (a Benedictine monastery surrounded by cypress trees) and Our Lady of the Rocks (a 15th century artificially created island built around a rock where the image of Madonna was found).
The small town is full of churches and palazzi and everywhere you look is a photo opportunity. The water is crystal clear (Adriatic) and the place is very relaxed even with a number of tourists floating around. We visited the Perast Museum which dates back to 1694 and is full with tokens of Perast’s history and then St Nicholas’ Church. The original church commenced in the 17th century and has never been finished – although now a newer extension has been added to its front. A visit inside the original though was very special and showed just how unfinished the Church really is. We also managed to make it up the 55m (150 stairs) bell tower which provides fantastic views over the town and bay.
The following 3 nights were spent 20 minutes down the road in Kotor (founded 5th century BC and population <14,000). The first thing you notice as you pull into Kotor is the dramatic ancient city walls that climb up the steep mountainside behind the old town. The walls are pretty spectacular and frame the town perfectly and within them is a labyrinth of marbled lanes (super smooth) - another “stepped back in time” moment. We found our hostel pretty easily and after checking in went for a bit of a wander around the southern end of the old town and outside the gates – out the main gate (Sea Gate) and in the Gurdic gate where the old draw bridge used to be.
The following day we signed up for the “Great Montenegro Tour” which began at 8.30am. We soon found ourselves winding our way up Locven Mountain on the serpentine road (25 hairpins) to spectacular views of Kotor and the Bay. The road is pretty amazing when you think it only took 6 years to build in the 1880’s. We stopped in a small village called Njegusi - the cheese and prosciutto made here is famous in Montenegro and are genuine examples of Montenegrin cuisine. A traditional sandwich and coffee at a shop that has been here since 1881 (and is still in the family 5 generations later) and we were on our way again. Next stop is the Mausoleum on the second highest peak at 1675m. The greatest Montenegrin ruler and poet Petar II Petrovic Njegos is buried here where he can watch over the country (after a 461 stair climb you can see 6 countries from here on clear day and 60% of Montenegro). The chapel houses a sculpture of Njegos that weighs 32 tonne and was made from one piece of black marble.
On to the old royal capital of Cetinje. It was founded in the 15th century and we spent an hour doing a walking tour of the key sites. The Monastery, Vlaska church (1450) which is now only remains and a new Court church (1886) is on the site, the President’s residence, and through the main square. Continuing on we stopped for lunch and then another small town called Crnojevica. The scenery has changed markedly and is much more green (still lots of mountains and hills) with great views of the river and also the old bridge in the town.
Final stop for the day is Budva. The most visited destination in Montenegro with a cute old town (great old 6th century citadel), lots of bars, nightclubs (the largest housing 15,000 people!) and beaches. It’s set up for mass tourism and although nice is way too busy for us and far too commercial. We had just over an hour here to relax so after wandering through the old town on our walking tour we headed to the beach for a swim and a cold beer. We arrived back in Kotor 12 hours after we left.
Our last day in Montenegro we started out before it got too hot and headed up the city walls. The walls are medieval fortifications built up between the 9th and 19th centuries to form a ring around the old town and the cliff of the Hill of St John which stands over the town. The ring was completed in the 13/14th centuries with a thickness between 2 and 16m and length of ~4.5km. The walls were fantastic – they are so well preserved and felt a bit like a giant adventure playground! With a top point ~260m above sea level and around 1350 stairs it was also a good workout, but with views to die for. Absolutely stunning.
After a late breakfast we decided to head out and visit one of the small towns we passed on the way in to Kotor on our first day. Herceg Novi is a town with ~33,000 residents and although not too far away in distance took about 75 minutes on the bus to reach. We headed into the top part of the Fortress and again great views before wandering down through the town, past a naval museum and into the lower part of the fort. Reaching the very bottom we also found the crowds and the beach. Back in Kotor Gary decided to head around the bay and up the hill for good views of the old town and walls and the evening consisted of us meandering around Kotor’s old town, taking some evening photos and having dinner.
Things that we will remember about Montenegro:
Lots of sun
The clearest water we’ve ever seen
Old cities / towns
Town walls and forts
Mountains
Amazing views
Serpentine roads
Albania (22-27 July 2016)
Bus ride first up from Kotor in Montenegro to Tirana in Albania. A pretty scenic route though lots of curvy roads through the mountains and along the coast. The trip took us ~7 hours and we arrived in Tirana around 2.30pm. As we are only here one night (transit) we headed straight out to explore. Tirana is known as the heart of Albania and post it's communist reign has emerged with buildings painted in primary colours, lovely squares and easy to walk streets.
We headed towards Skanderbeg Square (Sheshi Skenderbej) and into the National History Museum. Skanderbeg was an Albanian nobleman and military commander in the early to mid 1400's and is held in very high esteem with statues and monuments aplenty. A replica of his sword is within the museum and was almost as big as Lesley! It's a fantastic place to learn a bit about the Albanian history which dates from as early as 3000 BC (seems everyone wanted and had a part of this country at some point and it’s a surprize they have a national identity at all). More stable post the communist region collapsed in 1990 they are now applying to become part of the EU.
Following that it was a lovely wander through the squares, past the Et'hem Bey Mosque (one of the oldest buildings left in the city that opened in 1823) and into the area known as the block (Blloku). This is an upmarket area in Tirana that is known for its shopping and entertainment. During the communist era it was off limits to the general population (as was the mosque and a number of other key buildings/sites).
The next day we bused to Berat and two hours and a short taxi ride later we arrived into this magical town. It is one of Albania's oldest towns first emerging as a fortress-settlement built around the main castle in the 4th century BC (although remnants of human settlement have been found dating back 4,000 years). It's known as the city of a thousand windows due to the striking Ottoman style houses that climb the hills to the castle and is a real picture.
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| Our accommodation |
The old town is made up of Kajala (the neighbourhood inside the castle walls), Mangalem and Gorica. After checking into our hotel (which itself is within an Ottoman house and is quite gorgeous) we headed out for a wander across the Osum River into Gorica. The views of Mangalem and the "thousand windows" is great from here.
The following day we headed straight up the long cobbled road to the castle. This is one of the few remaining castles that is inhabited inside the walls and was a real treat to wander around. So old and raw and so beautiful. We saw many sights within the castle including churches, mosques, the armoury, cistern, Acropolis, the city walls and gates and some amazing views. From the South Tower in particular the views of Berat and the more ancient town of Gorica were absolutely sensational.
The highlight, apart from the entire site itself, was the Onufri Museum which is housed within the Assumption of St Mary. The church was rebuilt in 1797 over the foundations of a 10th century church and was named after an Albanian painter who was active in the 16th century and whose work is displayed within the museum. It's so beautiful inside (unfortunately no photos) and words don't really do it justice. We've seen many very large and ornate Cathedrals but this is simple in a really stunning way with so much history with amazing woodwork and artwork. Most definitely one of the most beautiful scenes we've ever seen and well and truly worth the visit. After having spent a couple of hours within the walls we decided to hike up the adjacent hill to get a better whole view of the castle and city within.
The next day we left early at 7am to head to the bus stop for our transfer to coastal Saranda.
This ride would have to go down as one of the worst ever - not because of the roads or the transport but imagine this... a 19 seater minivan with little to no room for luggage storage and 26 passengers (+ a driver). There was already a row of seats too many (given everyone's knees were hard up against the seat in front), little to no air flow (and 30+ degrees outside), no air conditioning and everyone babysitting bags either under their feet or on their knees, all the while avoiding the stools placed in the aisle for the additional passengers - and this was a 4 hour trip. To top it off we had loud local music and people being sick in plastic bags. Could go on for ages about how bad this experience was but enough said - we got to our destination and were extremely glad to be out of the van. Put that one down to experience!
Arriving into Saranda you immediately notice the change of pace. In summer very much the bustling place, with lots of high rises and people carrying swimming gear and umbrellas heading for the beach. You can see Corfu (Greece) just across the bay. We went for a walk to arrange transport as the key things to see here are both out of town and then went to the beach for a couple of hours and had a couple of swims as well. Went to a nice place for dinner for Gary's first birthday dinner (it was at least his birthday in NZ).
Gary's birthday! We headed out early for the first of our two sites, Blue Eye Spring. Wow - we thought we had seen clear water but this spring takes the cake. It's a natural spring where the clear blue water bubbles up from a stunning, 50m+ deep pool. The depth is still unconfirmed but the colours were something else and absolutely amazing. The spring is the initial source of the Bistrice River which runs for 25km and the area is surrounded by a nature reserve. A really beautiful area and lucky for us we beat the bus loads!
Second stop was the ancient ruins of Butrint where the earliest evidence of occupation dates back between the 10th and 8th centuries BC. The city was thriving by the 4th century BC and the Romans came along in the 2nd century BC. The settlement was surrounded by defensive walls and included temples, forums, a baptistery, a large basilica, a theatre, fountains, baths, aqueduct and villas, amongst others and most of which you can see the remains of. It's a tranquil and pretty national park (and also Unesco site) if you can avoid the bus loads of tourists.
Both Butrint and Blue Eye Spring were two more of the sites off limits during the communist era. When Butrint opened it was made a tourist destination for foreigners but Albanian citizens were not allowed due to fears that they might try to escape the country by swimming to Greece! Thankfully no longer an issue. Both sites were definitely worth a visit and it was a day well spent... and of course Gary got to see Roman ruins on his birthday which is always a treat in his book.
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| Gary's Birthday dinner |
The following day was a relaxed start as our bus to Gjirokastra (75 min’s) didn’t leave until 11am. The old town here is just beneath the Gjirokastra Castle. The town is paved with chunky cobblestones (nice and slippery they are so worn) and perched on the hill has great views over the Drina Valley. The castle is one of the biggest in the Balkans and worth the walk up the hill. It’s remarkably intact inside with lots of arches and alleyways. The ancient citadel dates back before the 12th century but most of what you see now was added/rebuilt and renovated in 1812. We spent just over an hour wandering around and taking in the views before venturing off following a sign to the old aqueduct, which apart from some good exercise and effort walking up hill (and a good distance photo of the castle), proved fruitless. We did however get a good close up of the bunkers that are littered all over Albania – these but a very few of the 700,000 that were built between the 1940’s and 1980’s (and ironically were never really used).
Albania has been quite a surprise with hidden gems.
Things that we’ll remember about Albania:
Multi-storey houses
Corn/maize
Hay stacks and hand cutting
Vineyards and grape vines
Bunkers
Hanging dolls
Olive groves
Donkeys
Slate tiles
Big hills
Windy roads
Small flock farmers
Macedonia (28 July – 1 August 2016)
Our journey from Gjirokastra in Albania to Ohrid in Macedonia was always going to be interesting as there is no direct route. Albania is obviously open to travel but they are not yet fully organised with transport for tourists from one destination to another. Furgons (or minivans) are the most frequent form of transport and you've already heard how interesting that can be (although they are not all that bad).
So it began - we couldn't get a direct van to Elbasan which is where we needed to go to get a transfer to the border, so the ticket office suggested another route directing us to a place that wasn't even on our map, just out of Elbasan. We would then need to work out how to get to Elbasan in order to then get to the border (and this is just the Albanian side!). With no other option we were off at 7am on a van that was much more comfortable than previous experiences. About 2 hours into the trip we stopped at a petrol station and as luck would have it so did another van that was going directly to Elbasan. So a last minute swap from one to the other and we were off again - this time directly to where we needed to go.
We arrived in Elbasan more quickly than expected just before 11am. After some wandering around by Gary to work out what next (as Lesley was minding the bags) we loaded up and headed off down the road towards the "stadium" which was apparently where we needed to go (to get a van to the transfer point, another bus to a drop off point before the border and then to work out how to get to the border with baggage). It all sounded pretty complicated but at least would get us there. Lucky for us the local taxi drivers are pretty helpful (and will do anything for money) and they started talking to Gary about where to find the bus - while they were at it one of them offered to take us directly to Ohrid (in Macedonia) for $40 Euro. At this point this was an offer to good to refuse so we agreed and were soon on our way. The ride was 1 1/2 hours to the border and it took around an hour to get through both exit and entry points. Another half hour or so and we were in Ohrid then another 40 minutes finding our accommodation in the old town that has not really bothered to name or number streets and properties. The taxi driver was fantastic and was determined to get us to the door eventually getting us as close as we could by car. In the old town the roads are typical of what we've seen to date - very narrow and cobbled, so we continued on foot and luckily found our accommodation about 50m away.
The next day we set of to explore the old city and its sights. The first site was St Jovan Kaneo (13th century) which is situated in a beautiful spot on a high cliff overlooking the lake and a Fisherman’s village. Further up the hill was the Plaosnik where the Church of Sveti Kliment I Pantelejmon resides. It was restored in 2002 but the base (which you can view in a couple of spots through a glass floor inside the church date back to the 5th century). This was the site where by the end of the 4th century/beginning of the 5th that Slavic literacy, spirituality and culture were founded. Alongside this site is the Early Christian Basilica, also 5th century. These are the remains of a monumental early Christian church - the site is quite huge and the discoveries are still ongoing.
Czar Samuel's Fortress was the next stop on top of the hill. It was the capital of the first Bulgarian empire at the turn of the 10th century. It was renovated in 2003 so is an impressive structure that overlooks the whole town - old and new.
Other sites on our walking tour - the ancient theatre (amphitheatre) which was built for theatre until the Romans removed 10 rows of seating to accommodate gladiators. The upper gate, lower gate and lots of churches - Mother of God Perivleptos (13th century), Saints Constantine & Helena, Virgin Mary Chelnica, Virgin Mary Bolnichka and St Nicholas Bolnichka to name but a few. Ohrid is notable for once having had 365 churches, one for each day of the year, and has been referred to as the Jerusalem of the Balkans. They are dotted everywhere and walking the really pretty (and hilly) narrow quaint lanes unearths all kinds of hidden treasures.
Saving the best for last we visited Sveta Sofia Cathedral. The 11th century church is Ohrid's grandest - it's supported by columns and exposed beams and is decorated with Byzantine frescoes. The acoustics are superb and the church is often used for concerts - we had a very special moment listening to a young string orchestra practise for an upcoming concert. The moment was extremely powerful and moving adding even more to our visit to the Cathedral.
The following day we did the boat trip on lake Ohrid to visit the St Naum monastery which lies 29km south of Ohrid town on the lake shore. We headed off at 10am and on the way got great views of Ohrid's old town and then all the little villages and tourist hotels/resorts dotted along the edge of the lake. Not surprisingly the water is exceptionally clear and in the shallows very turquoise blue. In just over an hour and a half we found ourselves at St Naum and after disembarking headed straight for a row boat trip up the Ohrid Springs to the source of Lake Ohrid. The water was as beautifully clear as the Blue Eye Spring in Albania and at a constant temperature of 10-12 degrees is a never ending supply to the lake and people. At the end of the water you can see the springs bubbling up from the bottom, much like the bubbling mud of Rotorua.
After our boat tour we headed up to the Eastern Orthodox monastery which was built in 905 by the medieval Saint Naum himself (he is also buried in the church). The church is another one of those very raw on the inside and incredibly beautiful. It's on top of the hill surrounded by natural springs (there is water coming out of the ground everywhere here) and it's a really pretty spot with gardens frequented by peacocks.
Last day of July and a travel day from Ohrid to Skopje. The bus ride took just over 3 hours and was pretty curly and hilly. Our hostel in Skopje is just outside the Carsija (old town/Turkish bazaar).
We started out the next day in the already scorching sun and headed for the Carsija. The Turkish old town which is filled with many winding lanes with lots of stores, tea houses and restaurants. At one end lies the Bit Pazar which is the fresh food market laden with amazing looking fruit and vegetables.
The old town is quite large and we spent a bit of time losing ourselves in the streets before we ventured up the hill to Tvrdina Kale Fortress that dates back to the 6th century. It’s now more known for its views of the city as opposed to the site itself which although somewhat restored looks like it is no longer used as a key tourist destination.
Next stop was the Sveti Spas Church. Unfortunately closed on Mondays we were unable to enter the church but could get into the grounds. The church dates from the 14th century and is the most historically important in Skopje. It’s built partially underground (as the Turks banned churches from being taller than mosques).
Back into the winding lanes of the old city we then made our way over to the new and modern city into Macedonia Square. It’s the biggest in Macedonia and the buildings around the square were either fabulous or in a state of restoration. It’s clear the city wants this area to be their centrepiece and by the looks of it they will be very proud once everything is complete. Skopje is now famous for its statues, fountains, bridges and buildings that are all helping to build its identity and attract tourists. The jewel in the square is the towering central fountain/statue “Warrior on a horse” which is huge and very pretty when the fountain is playing. It’s also lit at night which gives it a whole new dimension.
On our way back to the hotel we passed the 15th century Kameni Most (Stone Bridge) that crosses the Vardar River. It was built on old Roman foundations between 1451 and 1469 and connects the centre of Skopje (Macedonia square) with the Old Bazaar. It’s one of many that cross the River.
As dusk started to hit we walked back along the river and into Macedonia Square and it was really something. All the fountains were shrouded in coloured lights and the incredible buildings were lit up in the Macedonian colours of red and yellow (as per their flag). While we were relaxing in the square there was a short thunderstorm with lightening that added a bit of drama to the background. Skopje definitely appears to be more about the new as opposed to the old and although our visit is short it is a great modern centre.
What we will remember about Macedonia:
Ohrid Lake
Spring water
Churches
Fountains
Cats
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