Crossing Borders

Leaving northern Albania, we headed through a fertile agricultural area to the border with neighboring Montenegro. Borders between European countries are transparent if you remain within the Schengen Zone (a group of 29 countries and, no, it’s not the same as the European Union). While Montenegro is part of the Schengen Zone, Albania is not. It has its own border controls that we had to pass through. The amount of time this takes is unpredictable. We were lucky that Kledi was able to facilitate our border crossing and we were able to complete the formalities in less than 15 minutes. He was a wonderful trip leader (and a real mensch, as we say in Yiddish) so it was hard to say goodbye. Fortunately, Kruno, our very capable and engaging OAT leader for the main part of the trip, was waiting for us. 

 

We were now in the historical region on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea called Dalmatia. Soon after crossing the border, we got a glimpse of the sea when we made a restroom stop. It brought back memories of my trip sailing down the west coast (the Italian coast) of the Adriatic a couple of years ago. The mountains tumbled right down to the coast, with rocky fingers of land extending into the beautiful blue waters. 

 

When I wasn’t looking out the window of the bus, I spent some time studying a map of the former federation of Yugoslavia. After the death of its founder, Josip Tito, in 1980, Yugoslavia faced severe economic and political challenges that led to its gradual dissolution. This was a time when communism was weakening throughout Europe and ethnic tensions were flaring up in the Balkans. In 1991 and 1992, four of the republics – Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia – declared their independence. The union of Serbia and Montenegro lasted until 2006, when voters in Montenegro chose to declare independence. According to Kruno, Montenegrins feel that they have a lot in common with neighboring Serbians. One reason may be that both countries are primarily Eastern Orthodox. The story of the breakup of Yugoslavia is extremely complicated and quite bloody. During the course of my trip, I learned a lot about it.

Given the beauty of Montenegro’s coast, it’s not surprising that the country’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism. As we drove a never-ending series of switchbacks along the coast, we could see countless tall hotels and apartment buildings under construction, often blocking lower, older houses. Our driver stopped so we could get a photo of a 5-star resort that was formerly the property of the queen of Serbia. 

 

We stopped for lunch when we reached Budva, a popular resort town that was established in the seventh century BCE as a Greek colony. It’s one of the oldest settlements in Dalmatia. While the year-round population of Budva hovers between 18,000 and 20,000, the summer population soars to over 100,000. Kruno commented that many Russian oligarchs try to hide their yachts in this area.  

 

On the hillside above the town, we could see a fortress that was built to repel the Ottomans. One of the main goals was to prevent Ottoman slave traders from capturing local residents and holding them for ransom. This was a common practice starting in the 15^th century.

The restaurant had a beautiful setting overlooking the water. 

 

From the restaurant terrace, we could look down at bathers on a sandy beach. Kruno told us that this stretch of the coastline is filled with high priced resorts where it’s not unusual to pay $200 a day for a couple of chairs and an umbrella at a prime spot on the beach.

After the previous day’s food extravaganza at the agriturismo, I was grateful that we had a reasonably sized simple lunch today – a salad followed by fish and potatoes. The single dessert was the ubiquitous tres leches cake. (I’m not complaining; I love it.) 

 

We spent a few post-lunch moments taking in the views before we had to hop back into the Sprinter and continue our journey on to Dubrovnik. We made a quick ferry crossing across the narrow channel of water that separates Montenegro from Croatia. 

I’ll tell you about Croatia in my next post. For now, I want to focus on Montenegro. While we were based in Dubrovnik, we made a full-day trip back to Montenegro to explore the fjord-like Bay of Kotor (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the fortified medieval city of the same name. The bay, like the mountains, was formed by the shifting of tectonic plates. As we drove along the road that encircled the bay, I looked out at the mirror-like surface of the water.

 

We stopped when we reached the quaint town of Perast. This is where many people start their exploration of the bay.

In Perast, we boarded a small private vessel that brought us past two tiny islands. On Our Lady of the Rocks, an artificial island, you can visit a 17^th century Roman Catholic church and see the Saint Nicholas Tower, built by the Venetians to resemble Saint Marks.

 

The natural islet, Saint George’s, has the remains of a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery and cemetery dating back to 12^th century. 

We spent an hour or so out on the waters of the bay, soaking in the serene beauty our surroundings. The mountains that surround the bay are made of limestone. 

 

I’m glad we weren’t there in the summer, the height of tourist season. Kotor is a popular stop for mega-sized cruise ships that sail up and down the Adriatic coast. When we disembarked at the town of Kotor, we saw one of them docked outside the walls of the old town. 

Our local guide, Christo, met us at the entrance gate to the walled medieval city.

 

Kruno had told us that Montenegrins have a reputation for being both tall and lazy. Christo laughingly concurred. He certainly wasn’t lazy, however. After letting us know that he was a big fan of Elvis, country music, bourbon, and barbecue, he led us through the streets, pointing out landmarks and giving us a wealth of information about Montenegro.  

Here are a few highlights from his lengthy remarks:

 

-Montenegro is the size of Connecticut and 89 percent of the country is mountainous. The mountains are 5000 feet high. Because of the many mountains, rivers, and canyons in the country, it’s difficult to build roads. Jewish refugees from the Iberian peninsula who arrived in the 1500s saw the dark tree-covered mountains and called the land monte negro, which means “black mountains.”

 

-Most Montenegrins identify as Orthodox Christian. There’s no pope or central authority figure in Orthodox Christianity. The Montenegrin Orthodox Church falls under the authority of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. 

 

-Montenegro was allied with the Venetians for 350 years. Some areas of Montenegro eventually came under Ottoman control while other areas retained their autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. 

 

-Montenegro was liberated from the Nazis on November 21, 1944, by Yugoslav partisans, a communist-led resistance group. (You may recall that Josip Tito and Albania’s Enver Hoxha were both members of this group.) 

 

-Montenegro is a member of NATO, and its currency is the Euro. The economy relies heavily on tourism. In addition, the country exports electricity produced in hydroelectric power plants. They’re currently building a solar power plant in association with Israel. 

 

The weather was ideal for exploring Kotor’s small but delightful fortified medieval town. The clock tower, in the main plaza, dates back to 1602. The Pillar of Shame, a tall elongated pyramid of stone, stands next to the clock tower. In medieval times, a person accused of a crime was forced to stand there as a punishment so that the public would know of his or her offense.

The 17^th century palace that was the residence of the wealthy Pima family is notable for its beautiful balcony.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Tryphon, dates back to 1166. This Romanesque structure was severely damaged by a major earthquake in 1667. Its two bell towers were rebuilt in the 17^th century.

 

The oldest Orthodox church in the old town is the small Church of Saint Luke. Built in 1195, its architecture contains Byzantine and Gothic elements. A larger and more modern Orthodox church, the Church of Saint Nicholas, was built in the early 20^th century.

For several centuries, there has also been a Jewish community in Kotor. At one time, there were three synagogues and a cemetery. Nowadays, the Jewish community has shrunk to only 326. So the last thing in the world that I expected to see in the old town was a large gathering of bearded Orthodox Jewish men, chanting prayers and singing Hebrew songs. It turned out that they were there for a regional meeting of Chabad rabbis.

 

Kotor is definitely a good place for eating.

Just outside the gate to the old town, we stopped for a tasting of some of Kotor’s specialties, including cheeses (sheep, cow, and goat), sausage, prosciutto (both beef and pork), olives, and a very dark wine called black wine.

Anita and I returned to the old town for an al fresco lunch at Scala Santa, one of the oldest restaurants in Kotor. We shared two dishes: black cuttlefish risotto and homemade pasta with shrimp and truffles. Both were superb. A Hugo spritz was the perfect accompaniment.

 

And then it was time to head back to our hotel in Dubrovnik. There’s so much to share with you about the fortified city of Dubrovnik, the subject of my next post.  

Traveling North in Albania

After bidding a final farewell to Tirana following breakfast, the nine of us, plus Kledi, set out in to our next destination, the Albanian city of Shkodër. The route, to the north, went through farmland and took us past the village where Kledi was born in 1977. The Drina River flows through this area. It’s an important source of hydroelectric power for the country. I took these photos from the window of our brand-new Mercedes Benz Sprinter. 

About two hours into our drive, we stopped to visit a ceramics artist in his workshop. It’s set in the midst of vineyards and olive groves.The artist, Vasili, told us that he was from the nearby village of Lezhë and had studied in Italy. I wasn't surprised to learn that during the communist era, ceramics production was illegal. Kledi had already told us that it was illegal to wear tee-shirts with words printed on them or to wear bright colors. 

Because Vasili’s family had owned land, they were considered enemies of the state and were imprisoned. Nowadays, along with several other family members, he operates a large-scale business that produces a variety of ceramic items. They supply tableware to many of the restaurants and hotels in the area. Here he is, standing in front of an enormous mountain of clay. The source of the clay is one mile away from his workshop.

 

Sitting at his potter’s wheel, Vasili demonstrated his skills and explained the differences between terra cotta, majolica, and porcelain.

 

Terra cotta objects are made from red clay or earthenware clay that is somewhat porous. It’s fired at a low temperature (below 1200 degrees Celsius). It can be glazed or unglazed and it’s primarily used for decorative items and for architectural items such as bricks.

 

Majolica ceramic objects are made from earthenware clay that is coated with a glaze of tin oxide that vitrifies (becomes glass-like) when fired. It’s often painted with designs and is often used for decorative items, including tiles, and tableware. 

 

Porcelain ceramic objects are made from a specific type of white clay called kaolin. It’s dense and non-porous and is fired at a very high temperature. One of its best-known uses is for fine tableware.  

 

Vasili creates terra cotta and majolica items, such as bowls, platters, candle holders, and vases in his workshop. Then his wife decorates them with traditional painted designs.  

 

Also in Lezhë, we stopped at an agriturismo (a farm that welcomes guests to stay on the property) for lunch. Mrizi e Zanave may have started out as a family farm but it has grown into something much, much bigger. There are villas and apartments in the farm-like setting for overnight guests. A restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating serves organic food that is grown on the farm. There are animals, vineyards, a winery, and facilities where jams, cheeses, and smoked meat products are made.

 

The number of dishes served at lunch was staggering. One of the starters looked like dessert, but it was actually cheese topped with beets that were a gorgeous red color.

Other starters were served family style: picked vegetables, various cheeses, pastries filled with spinach and cheese, sausage, prosciutto, squash jam, fried squash blossoms, roasted zucchini and pearl onions, and curds (to dip the warm bread in).

 

And that was all before we even got to the main course, which featured  lamb shanks, beef stew, and skewers of chicken, along with roasted potatoes. 

Of course, we sipped wine produced on the farm as we dined. I tried the rosé, made from kallmet grapes which are native to the area. It was delicious.

 

And then, when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, there was the three-part dessert course. Everyone got an individual serving of fresh berries and a layered cake. We shared two other desserts. One was a pairing of delicately flavored bay leaf gelato with chocolate lava cake. The other was a custard garnished with coffee beans. 

After we finished the meal, we walked off some of the calories we’d consumed by touring the farm’s winery and production facilities. The winery produces more than 70,000 bottles a year. 

These bottles were sitting out in the sun to make rose syrup.

 

Before we got on our way, we also took a look at some of the farm animals. 

 

We reached our final destination, the city of Shkodër, late in the afternoon. With a population of 120,000, it’s the largest city in northern Albania. Shkodër has long been an important commercial and business center. When Hoxha established communism in Albania in 1945, Shkodër faced very difficult times because the city was home to many wealthy business owners who became targets of the new regime. 

The blend of architecture in the city reflects the influence of Shokdër’s ties to the Venetians, the Ottomans, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The long pedestrian street where our hotel was located was lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. The weather was perfect for al fresco dining. 

 

Also on the pedestrian street was the National Photography Museum with a very interesting collection of photos showing life in earlier times. 

Ottoman governor of Shkodra - 1875

an Albanian poet and his wife - 1880s

Franciscans - 1944 (shortly before Communist takeover)

Walking down some of the smaller streets, we came across long abandoned buildings are now being used once again. Many are slated for restoration. 

The number of churches and mosques in Shkodër attests to the city’s long history of religious diversity and tolerance. The mosque right across from our hotel looked beautiful in the gentle evening light.

We stopped by the Franciscan Roman Catholic Church, built in 1905, which was used as a movie theaterduring communist times. Kledi told us that priests and nuns were viewed as enemies of the state by the government. A painting illustrates what often happened - the government would plant weapons in the churches so that they could accuse the priests of high treason and then arrest them. Many priests were tortured and died in prison.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Stephen, is an imposing building dating back to the late 1800s.

In one corner is a memorial dedicated to the priests and other clerics who were charged with high treason and murdered during the communist era.

 

When religion was banned, the building was used as a sports hall where basketball games and other sports events took place. It was restored and rededicated in the early 1990s. In 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral and celebrated Holy Mass here. A portrait of Mother Theresa, a native of Shkodër, is prominently displayed.

 

Shkodër’s castle, known as Rozafa Castle, stands on a hillside outside the present-day city. It was originally built by the Illyrians in the fourth to third centuries BCE. There’s an old Albanian legend that says the castle takes its name from a young woman who allowed herself to be buried alive in the walls as an offering to the gods so that the fortress could be built. 

 

All that remains today are Venetian reconstructions from the 13^th century. For approximately four centuries, the Venetians used Shkodër as a base in their battle against the Ottoman Turks.

 

We started our ascent under stormy skies. It wasn’t easy climbing up the rocky paths, but there were wonderful views.

These ruins lie at one of the highest points on the hill. Archaeologists believe there may have been a Christian church on the site as early as the 5th century CE. However, the walls that remain belonged to a second church built in the 1200s and used until the city fell to the Ottomans in the late 1400s. At that time, the church was transformed into a mosque.  

On our last night in Albania, we all gathered with Kledi for a special dinner. We’d be crossing the border into Montenegro and then Croatia the following day.

Thinking back now about my time in Albania, I marvel at the resilience of the Albanian people. They suffered greatly during the communist era and are now pouring tremendous energy into building better lives for their families and their country. Albania is a place I would love to return to one day.