Albania - Tirana

This is Skenderbeg Square , the heart of Tirana.  It has a statue to their national hero, Skanderbeg and this Clock Tower built in 1822 and the Et'Hem Bey Mosque started in 1789. And a large Albania flag.

The National Museum

In 2000, the mayor began a project to make government buildings more colorful.

Youth in the park

Seniors in the park (playing a kind of chess)

Newly weds driving by the park

I had to answer the age old question : "Can you get a decent Chinese meal in Tirana?"  Based on a sampling of one , the answer is no - not very good and very expensive

I should have tried this place which reminded me of a certain restaurant I have found in almost every country visited

On second thought, I could have just called for delivery.

Albania - Kruje

The remnants of the Kruje Castle are shown on the bottom of the photo and the Skanderbeg Museum is built within the castle grounds.  The museum honors the national hero George Skanderbeg (1405–1466) who fought off three attempts by the Ottoman Turks to conquer the land.

The watchtower is one of the few remaining parts of the original castle.

A view of the castle - museum

Skenderbeg - The Albanians greatest leader.

One of three battles against the Ottomans . Skanderbeg died in 1468.  The Turks made a fourth, and successful, siege in 1478 and incorporated the land into their territory.

My driver works for the embassy during the week and drives tourists on the weekends in his immaculately maintained Mercedes.  He had a great command of the history of the area which made the trip all the more interesting.

The city of Kruje below.  It has a population of 16,000 and is only 12 miles from the capital, Tirana.

One of many souvenir shops on the way to the castle.

People sold souvenirs right out on the sidewalk.

Not a great photo but it shows the uneven stones I walked on up and down, hoping all the while not to twist my ankle or worse.  I cannot imagine doing this walk when the stones are wet. 

Kruje has a statue erected to George W Bush as well as a street named after him to commemorate his visit. It even has a bar-cafe in his honor.

Sarajevo - Some History

THE SPARK THAT IGNITED WORLD WAR ONE

This scene looks so peaceful but it was just off the Latin Bridge on June 28, 1914 that Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Ferdinand and provided the spark that ignited World War One .

There had been two Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913 . The Serbs wanted freedom from Austrian-Hungary influence. There had been assassinations of other Austrian - Hungary figures in different parts of the Balkans.  

The fact that Princip did not act alone but as part of an organization led by the Serbian Intelligence Service made it government linked and not  the act of a lone gunman.worse. 

FATE

Incredibly, Princip was not even one of the principal assassins.  The plot leader had stationed three men with bombs and grenades at different spots along the route the Archduke was to take on his visit to Sarajevo.  The first two men lost their nerve and did nothing.  The third man threw his bomb but it flew over the Archduke's car and hit a follow car. 

The Archduke was outraged at the attack but he was convinced most people welcomed his visit and further travel would be safe.   The new route called for his car to cross the Latin Bridge and follow the right bank.  The driver however took the wong turn after the bridge and attempted to back up.  In doing so, he stalled the car.  Princip,  who thought the Archduke dead three times over, could not believe his eyes and he raced across the bridge . He shot Archduke Ferninand once and shot the Duchess Sophie once.  Both died within the hour.  The spark was ignited.

The Siege of Sarajevo is the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Serb forces of the Republika Srpska and the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996 during the Bosnian War. 

The attackers held the high ground and turned the city into a killing zone with artillery and sharpshooters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Sarajevo

A mosque in the old city.

Unlike other countries that had Muslim and Christian living in different  parts to the city, Sarajevo was known for tolerance and community.  But that was not the case in the 90s.   

The Market Building where trade and commerce took place.

The oldest mosque in the city.

The church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The National Theater

A lovely, calm place in the woods called a "music gazebo"

Sarajevo - The Old City

The end of the new city with its wide , traffic-filled, streets and behind it the old city.

Wandering the streets of the old city is so enjoyable.

The cafes are not too crowded on cold winder days

The old city has a modern face to it also.

If outdoor cafes do not appeal to you, there are signs pointing to a different type of cafe - The Mc Cafe

Ljubljana

Main street in Ljubljana

I loved walking around Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.  It was once part of Yugoslavia  but it became an independent state in 1991 when Yugoslavia broke into seven independent countries.

I think of all the cities I have been to Ljubljana has to be in the top five for beauty and warmth.  It seemed magical with its castle-like buildings , open with its wide streets,  friendly with its warm smiling people,  most of whom spoke English fluently.

Here is a small description from Wikipedia:

Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants. Throughout its history, it has been influenced by its geographic position at the crossroads of the Slavic world with the Germanic and Latin cultures.

For centuries, Ljubljana was the capital of the historical region of Carniola,^[4] and in the 20th century it became the cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative centre of Slovenia, independent since 1991.

Read more about Ljubljana:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljubljana

Everywhere I walked, I heard music either from street musicians or piped out music from the many cafes that were everywhere.

The main square of the city - Preseren Square -  has stately old buildings,  many ornate  foot bridges, fountains and statues.

The Franciscan Church of the Anunciation built between 1646 and 1660.

The Triple Bridge is one of the symbols of Ljubljana. In 1929, the architect Plecnik designed this structure.  

The Cobbler's Bridge,  or Shoemaker's Bridge, over the Ljjubljana River dates back as far as the 13th century.  It was first made of wood and later took on its present appearance. Outdoor cafes line the way to this bridge.

The Philharmonic built  in 1701

There is a bike lane demarcated in red on every sidewalk.  People ride by at great speed so woe to the person , especially the tourist, who gets in the way.

Don't have a bike ?  No worry.  Just rent one at the many convenient locations around town.  Kind of a Zip -Car but for bikes

Are these bike locks ?  What are they doing here ?  Who put them there?  Newly engaged couples place a lock here to show their hearts are locked together.

For some,  the push cart is still the only form of transportation.

I walked through the flower and vegetable market on the last day I was there. 

I thought it interesting that this vendor decided to highlight his oranges with a spotlight.

.Another part of the market

Some  just relax by the square.

Some seem to carry the weight of the world.

Some just play

U.S.Embassy

Some work to improve relations .  So charming in design.