Travelogue of three Balkan states – Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia
- As I was walking near the bridge over the stream, I saw a man selling books. The books were laid out on the walls of the bridge, and the flowing water beneath, with green trees and mountains in the distance, made the whole scene very picturesque and romantic
By Abdullah Usman Morai
After visiting the fortress, we continued our journey. Along the way, we passed a few souvenir stalls. Soon, we descended the mountain and saw the Saint John Kaneo Church, located on a hill right above the lake. It was an incredibly charming and peaceful place. We descended to its courtyard, where some pigeons were perched on the church’s roof. There were benches to sit, and a large stone table in between. People sat there, enjoying the view of the surroundings, and time passed quickly. Right below, some boats were floating on the lake, perhaps for tourists, and some were docked on the shore, possibly waiting for the next tourist season. We descended and reached the lake’s edge. The narrow streets had houses on one side, with walls full of vines and cracked paint. Some houses were in poor condition, while others were in a livable state. Some streets ended near the lake, where a few boats were anchored. The water of the lake and the surrounding environment were very clean and pristine. In the search for a lawful livelihood, fishermen’s large boats were visible in some parts of the lake. We walked along the wooden platforms built along the lake, heading towards Ohrid city and occasionally stopping to take some memorable photos.
We continued our stroll through Ohrid’s streets, where we were occasionally greeted by brown-colored cats on the way or felt the breeze in the quiet of the city. After walking for a while, we reached another large church in the city, the Church of Saint Sofia, which is also part of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. We didn’t go inside but only walked around it. Slowly, we left the residential area and walked towards the old market of the city. Along the way, there were shops selling souvenirs. We soon reached the Ohrid City Square, which led us to the old pedestrian market. It was bustling with people, both tourists and locals. Some statues were also visible in the area. Following Khurdi’s suggestion, we bought some juice made from mulberries and other fruits from a small shop run by a young woman. The old market’s floor was made of marble, and the sky was clear, with no rain, making the road look so clean that it seemed like it was freshly washed, perhaps every morning. In this old market, we saw a mosque built in Ottoman architectural style, the Ali Pasha Mosque, with its minaret clearly visible. There were various types of shops open in the vicinity. At the end of the market, we arrived at an old sycamore tree, where Khurdi suggested that I wait there while he went to get the car. While waiting for him, I took in the surroundings and noticed that people were sitting around the tree, enjoying the shade, talking, or taking a break. Nearby, there were also water fountains.
When leaving the city, I realized that in summer, this city would be very lively, with many water-related activities like swimming, boating, and even diving into the lake to catch fish, with many tourists taking boat rides around the lake. After bidding farewell to Ohrid, we headed to our next destination, which was the Saint Naum Monastery, about an hour away from Ohrid. The road passed close to the lake, offering beautiful views. After about an hour, we reached the Malo restaurant, located by the lake. It was a large restaurant, but only a few people were there, mainly a family celebrating a wedding anniversary. The service at the restaurant was excellent, and we were served several starter dishes, followed by delicious main dishes, including that special fish from the lake, and then fruits and tea. I mentioned to Khurdi that if we had eaten this meal in Sweden, the bill would have been three times as expensive, but he pointed out that if they made the food too expensive, no one would come to this place.
The meal was delicious, and we enjoyed it, talking about our travels and experiences. We then got back in the car and crossed the border back into Albania after visiting Saint Naum Monastery. We were now traveling around Ohrid Lake in Albania, and the scenery remained the same, just the country had changed. While passing through Pogradic, Khurdi mentioned that it was the hometown of his company partner, Andy, with whom I had visited the first day. Khurdi recommended that I try a special kind of trout fish from the lake, which only grows in this deep water. I agreed to try it, and after about an hour, we stopped at a restaurant called Malo by the lake. It was a large restaurant, though not many people were there. A few families were gathered, likely for a special occasion. The service was great, and we enjoyed a lovely meal together, discussing how different this experience was from other countries. The food, especially the fish, was excellent, and Khurdi joked that in other countries, the same meal would have cost three times as much.
By the time we reached the restaurant, the sun had almost set, and we quickly headed toward Tirana. As we passed through mountains, valleys, and narrow roads, at one point, I saw a man who had parked his car and was performing his sunset prayer on a mountain peak. I thought about how, during the communist era in Albania, there had been strict religious restrictions for about 40 years. People had become distanced from religion, but the families who secretly continued their religious practices would not have been affected. While on the road, I asked Khurdi about Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. He said that to show off, they had built huge statues there that had no historical significance. We reached Tirana at night, and Khurdi dropped me at the hotel, saying we would meet the next day.
After a little rest at the hotel, I went out to explore the city again. The city was still quite lively, especially at Skanderbeg Square. The city has a completely different atmosphere at night. I walked towards the Parliament building, which was beautifully lit in blue. After spending some time there, I decided to head back. At one spot, the mist in a park was creating a very romantic atmosphere due to the pink lighting. I returned to the hotel; it was my last night in Tirana, and the next day I would be leaving for the airport in the evening.
The next morning, I got ready, checked out of the hotel, and left my luggage with the hotel staff for safekeeping. That day, Khurdi was going to show me around Tirana city. We weren’t in a rush, so I decided to take a walk along the Suleyman Pasha Street. The wide, colorful sidewalks were lined with trees, providing shade and a refreshing atmosphere for pedestrians. While I was strolling around, Khurdi called to let me know he was on his way and would arrive soon. As I walked a little further, I saw an elderly woman covered in a scarf, preparing sweaters, gloves, and hats to sell in anticipation of the coming winter. Her setup was simple, and she was living her life honestly, not depending on anyone. Soon after, Khurdi arrived, and we continued on our way.
Khurdi first showed me the Orthodox Church in the city center of Tirana, which is said to be the largest in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. The church also had a minaret, similar to the ones in Turkish mosques, which was a new thing for me. We spent a little time inside, but it was quiet, and there was scaffolding inside for repairs. Afterward, we walked to Skanderbeg Square, where I had only visited at night. Now, I saw it for the first time during the day. Close to the square, there were buildings like the Opera House, the National History Museum, and the Albanian Bank’s museums, along with puppet theater buildings. Nearby, I also saw carnival-style stands where people sit on wooden horses. This reminded me of the fairs in my hometown, and I thought it would have been nice to try one of them again, but time was short. We took some photos and moved on.
Outside the opera house, near the “I Love Tirana” sign, Khurdi took some memorable photos of me. We then continued to the new market in Tirana, which resembled a covered bazaar but with a glass triangular roof. The outer courtyard was painted in white and red colors, and there were a large number of pigeons and parrots sitting on the outer roof. The market had various shops, including those selling dried fruits, spices, souvenirs, prayer mats, prayer beads, fresh vegetables, and fruits. We sat at a nearby cafeteria to have tea, cake, and relax. The place was busy with people, and some of them were smoking, which could have been uncomfortable for those who didn’t smoke.
Afterward, we passed the Turkish-style mosque and headed to the 18th-century stone bridge called Tenrs Bridge, which was only for pedestrians. This bridge crossed a stream and connected Tirana to the nearby countryside, where livestock and goods were brought in the past. From there, we made our way to the old castle of Tirana, which now houses several restaurants, cafeterias, and shopping stores. I remembered that my colleague, Bismir, had mentioned this place to me. The castle walls made of stone, with vines growing on them, and bicycles parked around, gave the place a historic charm. We walked around a little, then continued our way.
Next, Khurdi showed me a modern 3D architectural example called “The Cloud So Fujimoto.” He also pointed out the bunkers built during the war to protect against attacks, which were built during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. He also showed me Enver Hoxha’s house, which seemed like a regular bungalow. Khurdi told me that after Hoxha’s death, his wife, Nexhmije Hoxha, lived there as an ordinary citizen until she passed away a few years ago. Indeed, everything in life has an end.
As I was walking near the bridge over the stream, I saw a man selling books. The books were laid out on the walls of the bridge, and the flowing water beneath, with green trees and mountains in the distance, made the whole scene very picturesque and romantic. I said goodbye to Khurdi and thanked him for the wonderful trip. He also thanked me for choosing to travel with his company to Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. During this time, I also received a message from Andy, expressing hope that I enjoyed traveling with their company. I thanked him as well. There was still some time left, so I continued to explore the city on my own. The roads had become quite familiar by now. Later, I called the same taxi driver, Aldo Nako, to take me to the Tirana airport. When I reached the hotel, I was having tea when Aldo called to let me know he had arrived. I took my luggage and headed out. Aldo asked me how I liked Albania, and I told him that the country was great, but still underrated on the world stage. It needed more promotion. He agreed with me. While we were driving, the drivers of other vehicles started pointing to Aldo’s car, and we saw that one of the tires had a flat. Aldo didn’t have a spare, so he took responsibility and called another taxi company to come. We waited until the replacement car arrived. I got into the new taxi and headed to the airport. There, I met Bismir, his wife, and his little daughter. His daughter was looking at me with surprise, wondering who this friend of her father was. Bismir and his wife asked me about the trip, and I shared my experiences with them. When his wife heard that I had passed through Elbasan, she asked if I had tried the famous Elbasani food. I told her that I had, and she smiled, saying it was her hometown and a well-known delicacy. We all returned to Stockholm on the same flight. My soul was happy to have seen new places, learned new things, and made great memories. Thanking God for all His blessings. (Concludes)
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
All photos provided by the author
