The Balkans

Small Wonders.293

In the park area around the top of the Mt Dajti Cable cars near Tirana was this peacock showing off. During some of my LA-based years, I heard from friends who lived on the PV peninsula that the feral peacocks up there would now and then scratch up a shiny expensive sports car, because when they saw their reflection in the shiny surface, their attack – the – rival instincts were activated.

City Views.283

Tirana: parliament building to the right, main mosque to the left. Steve pondered what the contrast between the two might indicate. Amongst images in the gallery below is the monument to Albania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire.

Ah, Royalty.83

We’re back to Tsar Samuel’s Fortress, at the top of a lovely hill overlooking Ohrid City. The passage of time is evident in the nature of this building, and in the fact that it’s nearly two months since I first showed you this lovely location and well over a month since I returned to my regular work life in A’dam. The photos we showed in that prior post came from our first visit, when the fortress was closed. As you’ll see, on the day we could go in, the weather was a good deal moodier :-).

Lake Living.92

Above, the side-canyon neighborhood of Trpejca where we spent 10 days. Below, a bunch of other shots from the shores of Lake Ohrid.

Small Wonders.292


City Views.282

All from in and around Skanderberg square in the center of Tirana. Amazing that it’s already a month ago that we finished those lovely two weeks in the Balkans.


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Urban Entrances.182


Mountains.102

On our first day in Tirana last month, Steve & I took the cable car up to Mt Dajti National Park to enjoy the views. Lovely, eh?

The Source.22

Here you’ve got it as vapor in the sky, solid on the ground and liquid down in the lake. Pretty amazing, H2O, really. And a correction: the whole mountain is Galicica. The peak behind me in the photo above is what’s called Magaro, a subset of Galicica. And in the gallery below, you’ll be seeing some of Lake Prespa as well as good ol’ Ohrid which we got to know better.

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Skylights.32


Signs of the City.142

Yes, there’s some kind of sign in each of these drizzly-morning photos from Ohrid town.

Windows.42

These all caught my eye at Sveti Naum Monastery on Lake Ohrid.

Urban Garden.252

The garden and grounds of Albania’s former dictatorial ruler, Enver Hoxha, are now a lovely museum and oasis open to the public in the heart of the busy city.

Small Wonders.291

An assortment of the many stunning wildflower and abundant beds of purple irises that we saw just on our first full day in Trpejca :-).

Urban Entrances.181

A sampling of Tirana entrances.