Prizrin, Kosovo
A friend of mine had been suggesting we drive to Prizrin and spend the day but it was a bit of a drive and I was procrastinating for some reason. I eventually set aside a day and we drove down through the countryside and to the city of Prizrin, an ancient city as I learned that had been controlled by various forces throughout history.
We parked the car and wandered into what appeared to be an upscale restaurant and it was for the most part empty. We sat down and the waiter asked what we wanted so all ordered coffee as was our normal process by this time and chatted among ourselves for a bit. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this but in Kosovo all the wait staff seem to be men. I was rarely waited on by women for some reason although they were present and appeared to be working. The was true in every restaurant I ate in, women worked behind the counter in bake shops or at cash registers in grocery stores, little shops and the like but the waitstaff was exclusively men.
After the coffee we walked across a bridge into the town and came upon a fountain and my friend said that if you drank the water it was supposed to bring you luck. I figured, what the heck and had a sip. Feeling no change in my luck status I moved on but at least I can say I did it. The town was full of people, mostly locals I assume and had the normal assortment of shops. I did notice a craft which I had not seen up until this point and that was the making of figures out of some type of wire. There were all sorts of these elaborate figures of various sizes and it must take weeks or more of consistent effort due to the intricacy of the figurines. There were animals, angels, landscapes, it was amazing that someone has the patience to sit and weave wire in such a beautiful fashion. It’s a real work of art and as I have no artistic ability whatsoever these types of things are miraculous to me.
I spent several hours walking through the town looking for a perfect souvenir but found nothing inspiring. I did locate a church or cathedral which appeared to have been around for centuries. I ended up meeting a group of people from the United States, who were actually Kosovo Albanians returning for a visit. We chatted for a bit, took a few pictures and I made my way into the cathedral for a few pictures.
I saw what appeared to be a fortress on the hill overlooking the city so I made my way in the direction of what appeared to be a paved path and eventually located it. It started out as a cobblestone street and as I made my way up there was a guy sitting on his porch and he asked us where we were going. I pointed to the castle walls and he asked if we would like to stop for a drink. I politely declined and told him we would stop on the way down if he was still there.
It was quite a climb and the path was steep but still constructed of cobblestone the entire way. It was an old Turkish fort I believe that has some military significance at some point. It had long ago lost its significance and fallen into decay and disrepair but was it appears a designated national heritage spot of some sort. I walked the walls and snapped a few photos of the town below and managed to get a few good photos despite the fog that had settled on the town.
The novelty having worn off, I returned down the path and ultimately found myself in front of the house I had passed earlier and had a drink with the owner as he was still sitting there waiting for my return. He was very friendly and I remained for a bit and listened as he told me about his family and why he lives in Prizren. It was a very nice house and must have been quit expensive to build and maintain so I imagine he must be a business owner in the town somewhere.
I eventually returned to the city center and decided to have lunch at a local restaurant and chose one near the fountain. It was a very nice restaurant with a fountain and large fish pond inside. I sat by the fountain and ordered a plate with a variety of meats and cheeses locally made as I like to eat the local food when I have the chance. The staff were polite, the meal arrived quickly and was quite good. There was really too much food for one person to eat as the picture on the menu belied the actual dish that arrived. I sat and chatted with my friends and admired the fountain for a bit before tipping the waiter and leaving.
Having toured the city, eaten a great meal and drank from the luck fountain I figured the day was complete and made my way back to Pristina to download my pictures and discuss the day with friends.
I took a bunch of pictures while I was in Prizren, take some time and have a look
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