I rented a little (stick shift) Kia Picanto at the airport and headed into the city.
My first priority was actually laundry, so I found a laundromat and threw my load in. Then I dropped in at a nearby cafe for a coffee and a big piece of burek.
Once my laundry was done, it was time to explore. I drove into downtown Pristina, but parking was going to be difficult for this not-used-to-European-urban-parking, not-used-to-driving-stick-shift driver, so I parked a little ways out by Taukbashqe Park and jumped on a bus back into the centre.
Kosovo must be the most American-loving country in Europe (which stems from American support for their independence in the 1990s), and it is interesting to see the monuments, flags, street names, etc. that speak to this. For example, on Bob Dole Street, there is a bust of the former American Senator.
And, along Bill Clinton Boulevard, there is a huge poster of the former American President.
Nearby is a women's clothing boutique--Hillary!
Once I started settling into Pristina, I really enjoyed the city. Kosovo is Europe's youngest country, and it was easy to believe as I walked along the streets as clearly one of the oldest people around!
I wanted to visit the Mother Theresa Cathedral (more specifically, I wanted to climb the tower!), but it was closed for lunch . . .
. . . so I headed to the national library nearby, which is famous for being architecturally . . . interesting. People seem divided a to whether it looks good or awful, and honestly I am not sure what I think, either.
I went inside, but it was a ghost town, presumably because it was lunch time.
Next door to the library is the Christ the Saviour Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, which remains unfinished more than 25 years after its construction was interrupted by the Kosovo War.
While there are many Serbian Christians in Kosovo, it is a majority Albanian Muslim country, and ethnic tensions remain hot.
Another famous (well, famous by Kosovo standards) spot in Pristina is the Newborn Monument, which was unveiled in 2008 when Kosovo declared its independence and so was a newborn state. Over the years the letter have occasionally been moved around, and so today it says No New B(roken) R(epublic) which refers to the challenges Kosovo is facing surviving independently.
Across the street from the Newborn monument is the Heroines memorial, which commemorates 20,000 female victims of rape during the Kosovo War.
I was hungry again, so I bought myself a donair and ayran for 5 euro.
After lunch it was time for another coffee. Similar to in Belgrade, cafe culture is thriving in Pristina, although I understand this is partly because unemployment is so high so hanging out at cafes is a way to spend the day. Newborn Brew was very full, but I found a table and enjoyed a macchiato, which seems to be the most popular way to drink coffee here.
After lunch and coffee I figured the cathedral would be open again, so I walked back.
From Mother Theresa Cathedral I walked toward Mother Theresa Square, past the Grand Hotel Prishtina, which at one time was the premier (five star) hotel here. Over time it began losing stars and therefore removing them from its rooftop signage such that there were literally stars on the roof. Eventually artists have intervened to make the "do ta" up there now along with the floating stars. You can read more about this here: https://momus.ca/the-non-places-are-the-places-manifesta-14s-uneasy-presence-in-kosovo/.
For my final macchiato of the day, I visited Soma Book Station, another cool place with lots of young people hanging out.
After my coffee, I walked into the bazaar to browse and enjoy that atmosphere, before heading back to my car.
No comments:
Post a Comment