Dec. 18 - 26
Montenegro. Doesn't that sound exotic? It does to me. Today we are going to explore the Bay of Kotor. This is a large T-shaped bay behind another bay. The road along the water is mostly one lane with no side pull-offs. Tricky, but the locals are used to it and somehow we all get where we are going. We are in a pocket of salt water surrounded by big powerful stone mountains. It is all stark and simple...water, mountains, sky. A sign points out to the water. Two islands, one, Sveti Dorde (St. George) is a Benedictine Monastery nestled on a hill in Cypress trees, the other, Gospe Od Skrpjela,(Our Lady of the Rock) was artificially created in the 15th century, and is flat like it is on a barge. Is rare to see two opposite shapes next to each other and it does grab your attention and imagination. Quite mysterious. We travel the thin road further and it seems we are about to get to the town of Kotor when we come across road construction. We proceed slowly through it and one of the workers shakes his finger at us. No, no. You must go all the way around to get to Kotor. So we turn around and drive for an hour on a good wide road through a tunnel and arrive in Kotor, a much bigger town than we expected. We do not stay here but take note of the old wall ruins marching up the mountain...not easily visible at first as they are built of the same craggy grey rock. In the summer there is an active tourist community behind these walls, all based on marble lanes. Churches, restaurants, shops and bars.
We travel the loop around the bay through two important villages....Perast, a formerly very rich and powerful town, has much from its past to see... Risan, the oldest, boasts Roman mosaics. Day is fading so unfortunately we hurry through the area, which I think would be a good place to spend about three days.
Where will we stay tonight? We look for auto-camping so we can plug in to the electricity. The evenings are not fun if we don't have heat. We do have a furnace, but running it for any length of time drains the battery. We are comfortable in bed under the down comforter so we tend to get into bed early on cold nights. We see an auto-camp sign along the highway so we watch for its entrance and make our way down a very steep hill in the trees...no road lights. Three men come up the road. Hmm. They don't seem like campers. In another minute we come across many men climbing the hill. This is creepy and scary so let's get out of here! There are no campers to be seen.
The next town is Petrovak. We explore it for sleeping possibilities and end up at the police and fire station. David knocks on the fire station door. Four burly firemen are watching TV. “Sure, you can park right here for the night.” It was one of those nights that we jumped under the feathers early...and we felt safe with those big guys near us! Wind, lightening and thunder through the night. In the morning light we could see the collection of fire engines. Two are old and sweet, but working, and one is a new Mercedes.
The country of Albania is next. We get on the road early. Some haystack rocks in the sea remind me of Oregon. Fall colors are green-golds here. No reds. The rock mountains are receding and more vegetation takes their place. A rugged coast with coves of villages snugged in the recesses. It has the feeling of the California Big Sur, those familiar wind swept pines. We stop at a lonely beach for breakfast and a stretch. This seems to be a small community summer beach, with food and drink and toilets, but it is all wrapped up tightly for winter. The wind is playing with the sea again. It moves in gusts in all directions, pushing and digging against the flow or skimming white mist off the surf, sending it spraying and racing. I find many berries and leaves that I have never seen before, but the most interesting is the 15 foot tall Aloe Vera!
We are heading inland now, the road winding like a snake along a high plateau. Snow Drops are in bloom. Rural, old world villages. Cars are older here...not so many shiny new models. The road leads through the center of a town. People are milling about...mostly men without jobs. It is market day. We have to push the van through the crowd. On the open road again there are sweet little donkeys on the loose. A man leads one cow on a rope. Mosque spires are skinny and tall, looking a bit like space rockets. They are minarets. We brake for a hen strutting slowly across the road. Farmers and herders wear old tweed jackets and handsome worn hats.
At 11:00 am we reach the Albanian border. After the usual passport and car papers ritual, we are “welcomed to Albania” by the police officer on duty. He is quite pleased with the American license plate. We find the borders confusing. It seems there is always construction going on and no signage...at least not in English. We are never sure if we are getting into the right line. And then there are two booths to go to...the customs and the police. And sometimes two border crossings...sometimes not...the country you are leaving and the country you are going to. But, we have made it through once again. What will Albania be like?
Right away it reminds us of Romania. The people here are having a hard time just existing. In many ways the country has remained back in another time, though many are trying hard to change their lives. They want a better life. There are mosques...and there are wartime bunkers. Bikes, motorcycles and old cars. Traditional clothing such as men wearing flat-topped turbans or black berets, women in large white scarves, long skirts and aprons walking the dusty road. We are driving on the flats but there is also a wall of mountains not too far away. There is hardly a string of Christmas lights...but there are notably a few. I guess we will not be handing out our usual Merry Christmas. Our guide book says that 70% are Muslim, 20% are Christian Orthodox and 10% Catholic...though it also says that up to 75% of the population is non-religious. A secular society.
More interesting sights along the road. A very wide flat flooded river with fishermen huts up on stilts. A castle or fort hewn out of the rock hill. A gypsy town, kids not in school. Bicycles used for cargo carriers, some being walked, others being ridden. They know and trust their bikes...how to pile them high without mishap. All towns have gatherings of men. Old and shabby buses. Carts and horses. We are traveling inland. Perhaps things are better on their coast. Old style hay stacks with a stick supporting them up through the middle. A gypsy woman sitting at the roadside with live turkeys for sale...just what we need for our Christmas meal! But we are not bringing a live (or dead) turkey into the van. And then we see turkeys in bunches being herded along like sheep! And then we see a fellow pulling two dead geese out of the bus baggage compartment. There are water tanks on top of some of the houses. David says that water is pumped up there on “good water days” so it can be used during drought. I am really enjoying this day of driving and looking at everything.
We are in country like Bakersfield, California...a wide valley with mountains on both sides. Periodically there are policeman stationed to wave you over with their little ping pong bats with long handles, green on one side, red on the other. They never bother with us. It always seems to be men in dark cars they want to search. We pull over for gas. “No we do not take any credit cards. Leke or Euros.”
The bad economy. They want cash! ($1 = 98 leke / 1 euro = 142 leke) One would think that we would be saving so much money when our money is worth more than the country we are in. It just does not work that way. Things are more expensive plus large taxes on stuff...25% on groceries! There are many gas stations. So many that I don't know how they can make it with so much competition. It is a main road to its capital and to Greece but we did not see that many cars. We do notice a lot of old Mercedes Benz cars. I guess they were sold on the black market at one time, to avoid heavy taxes.
There is certainly a natural beauty here in Albania but your eye first notices the ugly. Restaurants and hotels that we would never go into. Junk and trash and dreams gone sour. Too much war to get ahead? Bad governments? Bad choices? We read that it is having a boom but we do not see it. We read that it is looking at EU membership but we do not see it.
Tirana. We drove through this town of crazy chaos. People and cars vying for position. So many people, so many cars! There is no way that we could park our car and feel comfortable about leaving it to walk in the city. Not so much the worry of theft, but it might get bashed into! Street markets line the sidewalks in front of the regular stores. People selling anything they can. Colorful! Busy! This place is alive! Sheep, secured with ropes, join in with everyone else in the town streets, finding what they can along fence-lines. An old lady wanders in the street between the cars, begging. This is the most different place we have been, the culture is out in the open for us to gawk at in awe. There is an empty lot full of huge piles of used clothing. People are picking through them. Horns honk, honk, honk. At an intersection a policeman is there to direct traffic. Cars stop. Cars go. No one pays a bit of attention to the officer. He lights up a cigarette. Young gypsy women with babies in their arms wander through the cars begging, their faces portraying their need and concern for their babies, but the child may not even be theirs! Dramatic actors, though I am sure they are in need. Wild and crazy place! But there is the side that is grounded and working. Little boys laughing with each other, dressed in school uniforms. Best girlfriends arm and arm, smiling and telling each other secrets. Old guys just shooting the breeze. Most of the horn honking seems friendly and helpful. Maybe the scene just looks like chaos to us? Pretty girls neatly and fashionably dressed in boots and scarves at their necks and big purses over their shoulders, on their way to lunch, to work, to a hair appointment? Stray dogs are foraging for something to eat, but there are pet hospitals and vets. And through the city tall thin minarets point to heaven and melodically wine their calls to worship.
We see some familiar names, Carrefour Super Markets, an Adidas store and much more in a large mall. So malls are here too, a bit removed from the chaos. We are leaving the city. Still the traffic is heavy. Cars mixed with three wheel cars with cargo, many buses and trucks. Slowly we move on ahead. Very slowly. Impatient drivers dive out into the oncoming lane to pass. There is no way to see ahead. They do this without fear. Whew!
On our way at a decent speed now we can breath and enjoy the sunshine and views. Yet another castle on a hill. And in the fields are goats, being watched and moved by herders. A billboard is advertising Sarajevo Marlboros, custom made by Philip Morris for Bosnia. Signs for workers ahead. A landslide on the road, water and dirt. One lane has been opened so we take turns with the on-coming traffic...directed by automatic lights.
The route takes us into the mountains. We can see layer upon layer of low mountains but a few stick out high, wide and huge like Mt. Rainier, almost obliterated by clouds. We drive across a high ridge with mountains on both sides of us. As we come down from the heights we enter a wide river delta where the city of Elbasan is situated. An inland industrial area, with wide streets like Aurora in Seattle or Division in Spokane. Small roadside shops specialize in hub caps, many shiny designs. Car washes. Everywhere we observe people washing their cars. We veer off toward the next town, Korce.
A donkey is clip clopping sprightly along, loaded to the gills, being led by his master. Donkeys, for the first time in our travels, are the animal of choice. Wheel barrows are the most important tool. And brooms...for sweeping the doorsteps. Small buses are moving in all directions, full of passengers, picking up, dropping off.
We follow the river into the mountains and into a tight valley, then up and over a mountain pass and down to Lake Ohrid, which is shared with Macedonia. The roads are terrible. Potholes! Unexpected and hard to dodge. They will shake this little van to pieces. It is so irritating! A small town is open for Christmas sales. Holiday lights are scattered in the darkness, all of them blinking. They are hung in a pleasant casual way, nothing perfect. Santa and his reindeer have even made their way here!
We begin to look for a place to stay the night. Nothing looks safe or inviting. We stop by some roadside shops. A man is coming toward us so I roll down my window and ask, “Do you know of any auto-camping close-by?” He is the owner of the little grocery we are parked in front of. It doesn't take long before the whole family is involved. Nobody speaks English. The granddaughter is called from their home. Dea (Day-ah “goddess” in Latin) speaks English. They are all so kind to us. Soon we are parked in a parking lot he owns, and we are plugged into electricity. Just the dearest people. Dea is in her last year of high school and has always wanted to become a doctor. She is a straight A student who loves math and science. She is beautiful and a good good person. Long dark hair, nice smile and a bit serious. I wonder how she will make it. Life is so hard and money short. Maybe there is a chance for scholarships. The family is: Grandfather and grandmother, their daughter and granddaughter Dea. All of them huddle around us to make things work for us. It is Christmas in a few days...so I look around for some gifts to leave for their graciousness. I am ahead in my knitting so Dea gets a scarf and hat, Grandpa gets a hat, Grandma gets a large black and white mug and Dea’s mom, a package of my Klee Wyck cards. They really made Christmas happen for me.
Friday, Dec. 21
Last night we listened to Christmas music on a local station. It was mostly rock pop in English and some in the local language. Music is the fastest way to bring one into any celebration, especially Christmas.
During the night David was sick and we had to change the sheets. Glad we brought lots of changes. I wonder how on earth we will wash them all. No laundromats here. And no dryers. David is a bit better but exhausted and a little queasy...but still ready to drive on. We have not figured out what bug got to him. I am fine.
Korce. We drive through it. Another town of chaos. In the middle of it all is a gorgeous palace (or church?). It has a Russian feel to it. Too many people, too many cars. Pedestrians rule, and they know it. They just start walking and expect the cars to look out for them. Though the flavor is exciting and exotic, we keep going. Shrines are different here. On stilts or pedestals and remind me of birdhouses at home. There is more snow on the mountains, white-white and fresh. Gloria In Excelcious Deo is being sung by a large choir. Yes it is Christmas!
At 11:45 am. we reach the border of Greece. First the Albanian border check point. They are checking everyone. It is scary. Police with guns on their hips. Lots of men, again in dark cars. All luggage gets opened. A mirror is stuck under the chassis to see if anything is attached. Yikes! What will they do to us? Just before we entered the border area there was a friendly sign that said, HAVE A NICE TRIP! We were waved through both borders easily and on our way in no time.
The weather report says COLD and SNOWY. We are in rich colored earth areas; yummy deep reds, orange-yellow rusts. But shortly we are in snow. Road signs say watch out for deer and bear. Shrines along the twisty steep roads, places where people have lost their lives. The snow gets deeper and deeper though the roads are clear. The trees are laden with big clumps that hang over the road. So very beautiful, that silent winter grace. We pass by two ski slopes, the chairs are moving...one lone skier zig zags gracefully down the open swath. It is Friday, perhaps tomorrow others will join him! A wood and stone ski lodge looks inviting but we keep going...soon descending. At a lower level the deciduous trees are dusted with snow. A different pattern than the evergreens we are used to. The mountain villages and roads are kept up clean. Clean and fresh like the air. It is Winter Solstice. Without family and friends this season, we need all the snowy help we can get!
Out of the snow and into the hills of Northern Greece. Vegetation is thick and dense and close to the ground with grass or stone spaces between them. Short scrub brush and trees. We have this road all to ourselves through a valley of apple orchards. A pale winter sun looking frosty. We have followed the route given to us by Rainer, a German traveler. It has been so enjoyable and lusciously varied. But the town ofEdessa marks the turn toward Turkey on a big classy EU highway.
This Greek alphabet is so strange and beautiful. We cannot even guess at what signs say. The “L” is an upside-down “V” I think. A sign in a small town says Gyros! We know that word! Oh yes, we must have a gyros in Greece. So good and jam-packed and greasy (or Greecey?). The joint feels American. It is playing jazzy pop Christmas music. The waitress is chewing gum. Longish blond hair. It feels like the 1950's. The tasty food and the ambiance did not disappoint.
We stop in Kavala. This is a bustling city on an Aegean bay. There is an old town to explore. A family fun park in the city center. It just feels good. “Let's stay here for Christmas. Find a little apartment, something with a kitchen and make ourselves a special meal. Decorate a bit. Get KPBX streaming in over the computer speakers...maybe even hear friend Vern's great radio voice.” But a trip to the Tourist Information folks reveals that the town is full. Especially with our specifications... a kitchen and cheap! So we book a place in a town about 15 kilometers away, Lydia.
Lydia is an interesting place. We find that our apartment is in Philipi or Filipi (Philip II)...Macedonian city ruins with a still used stone tiered Roman amphitheater. It is believed that a colony was already on that site in 356 BC. Philip's objective was to take over the neighboring gold mines to add to the wealth of his kingdom. Eventually the Romans took over, building the theater, temples and fortified walls. The most amazing part of this is that according to the New Testament, in Philippians...Letter to the Philippians...and in Acts, Paul and other Apostles came to this city. Maybe even Luke (author of Acts). It is said that he preached here for the first time. The beginnings of Christianity were right here.
Our little apartment is so sweet, as is the family who owns it. We are the only residents over Christmas. Nicos, the son, is in college in another town taking a statistics course but is home for Christmas and he is the only one who speaks English in the family, so he has a job he was not expecting! Dealing with us! His sister Zoey also lives here with the parents. They are all so helpful and gracious. In this town another sister lives. She is the mother of their only grandchild, 8 year old Elena or Helena. A warm and close Greek family.
With the help and concern of the family, and a plate of homemade holiday cookies, we settle into our little home for Christmas. The apartment is new, decorated in a traditional Greek style. Blond wood cabinets line one wall and through its glass doors we can see wine glasses and goblets and glass liquor sets, rot iron and glass candles holders...just like we were in someone's home. The cabinet design is European, maybe even toward a Greek style. The sofa and big chair are covered in matching throws in a bold pattern. No dining table but in its place a large coffee table which we use for eating. On the wood top a white lace table cloth has been placed in diamond position and on top of that a piece of clear plastic. So our table stayed pretty and we did not have to worry about soiling the pretty cloth. A flowered carpet lies on faux-marble ceramic tiles. The kitchen is on another wall. Small and neat and ready-made. The stove top and oven are one piece, the size of a standard microwave. There is another pretty cut-out table cloth on the low refrigerator top with a large silk fern and rose bouquet set on top. The refrigerator is stuffed with our food, as is one kitchen cabinet.
We have WIFI for a few days! We find Spokane's KPBX on the computer and hear some great music and familiar voices of the radio hosts, while enjoying a good meal. We try a little TV but can't understand a thing so we are not amused for long. There is no hot water! I take a shower in the cold, sort of tepid water, then we are off to sleep in a large comfy bed. Still a bit cold in the bedroom, we are happy to pull the ample blankets up around us and cozy up.
December 23
It is Sunday and very quiet. The hot water is turned on! We hang around home and the neighborhood, taking a leisurely walk though the streets. Along the way we met a Santa-looking man with a mess of white curly hair and beard, and a fun-loving demeanor...he even had a Santa belly. He was carrying a package, just like Santa! Ah, but it was for Christmas dinner, a very large hunk of a cow, all wrapped up nicely in white butcher paper. His granddaughter was with him. A 14 year old clone of him, except her curly hair was longer and brunette. She did a lot of giggling when we tried to communicate, and he just kept talking in Greek. It was fun. We continued on around several blocks and ran into them again. They passed us by with a big friendly wave, granddaughter hugging Santa tightly as they speed by on their motorcycle.
Monday, wash day. The owner consented to let us use her washing machine. It took us all day! Zoey, her daughter, would come down and tell us when each load was complete so we could fill it up again. Two white loads and a dark. They were all hung to dry in our apartment on racks that were lent to us. Leaving the apartment looking like a laundry establishment, we went to the grocery store to see what we could find for a special Christmas dinner. Greek words on different packages and no English spoken, but it is always so interesting to see what there is on the shelves and laugh at our attempts to play at the game of charades while selecting olives, cheeses, meats or asking where the cinnamon might be. The sales people have as much fun as we do.
Christmas Day
We found the Spirit of Christmas, even here alone, but we missed our families. The young ones are growing up while we are gone. This adventure is a trade-off...not always an easy one. A concert on television helped. Music of many countries in many languages. Soloists; male and female, a large orchestra, two choirs; adult and children. A rendition of WHITE CHRISTMAS brought a tear and a lump in my throat. The doorbell rang. The granddaughter with a big oval plate of special foods! Meats and dolmas. Traditionally Greek Holiday foods. So this offering became our lunch! Quite a treat along with a small glass or two of Ouzo. The Christmas cookies are nearly gone.
For most of the day we listened to music streaming in on our computer. Not only KPBX, but other favorite stations we have known over the years, KPLU for an example.
And...we made and ate a delicious dinner...
Pork Chops
Gravy
Grandma Black's Tomato-Apple Relish
Mashed Potatoes
Mixed Broccoli and Carrots
Greek Olives and Stuffed Green Olives
White Wine
Peanut-Caramel Creme Cake
THOUGHTS and OBSERVATIONS:
> There are many cars in Eastern Europe that have installed propane tanks in the trunks of their cars. Gas stations carry propane in regular pumps...along-side of diesel and benzine (regular gas). We see new cars being driven that have both gas and propane, automatically switching over when one runs out.
>Often there are cats in the large garbage pick-up bins. I found this out because I hit one on the head by mistake. Now I look first!
>Finally I have learned to make the easy calculation from Celsius to Fahrenheit. Double the Celsius temperature and add 30.
>Like Home Depot sells garden sheds, a similar type of store here sells ready- made temples and shrines.
>The license plates in Greece are identical to all the other EU countries, but, the letters have to be readable in an English alphabet...hence they cannot use all the traditional Greek letters.
December 26
Goodby to our Greek family. Hugs and kisses and waves from the balcony. We have transferred our Christmas center piece to the dash of the camper...though we are without our little red angel. She fell from the greenery to the floor and is under the apartment cabinet! So sad. Today we will be in Turkey!
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