TravelswithCharie

The Pyramid of Tirana My guide, Eddy, didn’t show me around Tirana until a few days after I arrived. We joked about how I’ve been all over Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo without once setting foot on Skanderbeg Square. But it was a good thing we waited because we had a leisurely time exploring the city center on foot without the traffic that plagues the city on a weekday. I must confess that I didn’t expect much from Tirana beyond the bunkers. The videos I’d watched of the city didn’t impress me so I was pleasantly surprised by all the things I saw and especially the new, modern architecture. I would definitely want to stay close to Skanderbeg Square on my next visit so I can spend more time exploring and sitting at one of many outdoor cafés near the repurposed Tirana Castle. While we’re on the subject of confession, I have another confession to make. That is, I was wowed by Albania and I’m now a fan of this beautiful Balkan country. From Berat in the south to Shkoder in the northw...

Aerial view of the National Library of Kosovo I didn’t know much about Pristina (also Prishtina or Priština) before my visit last April. The only thing on my must see list was the National Library with its intriguing domes. My guide, Eddy, had a brilliant plan to ask his friend, Fatvera, a student at the university, to show us the library. We met Fatvera, a bright and articulate young lady, at the monument to Bill Clinton where we read the stone inscriptions of the statue and billboard of the former U.S. president and talked a little bit about his legacy in Kosovo. From there Fatvera suggested we go to the Cathedral to get a bird’s eye view of Pristina and that was the best idea ever!  Andria Mutnjakovič, a Croatian architect, designed the National Library which was inaugurated in 1982. His design has received mixed reviews. The domes have been compared to the Albanian national hat, “plisi”, which didn’t sit well with the Serbian community. The  building is covered in a metal ...