Escape to myself

Well where shall I start. I rather like it here. Shkoder is definitely a city of contrasts. This morning I woke to the sound of a cockerel from some garden nearby and then breakfasted in the garden on fried eggs, a type of spicy sausage, coffee, fruit juice, delicious bread and jam … all for 4€ … my stay is costing €13 a night! after breakfast and before it got too hot I started my hike to Rozafa Castle which took me through the city.

This is a city of great contrasts. Stray dogs sleep across pavements in the sun; traffic is chaotic and cyclists have bike lanes but use pavements; no one stops at crossings … you just take your life in your hands. Shkoder lads wear a uniform of black Nike or adidas tops and sweat pants and there were many drinking coffee in cafes for much of the day. There are no luxury shops but many little market stores and people selling their own produce on the pavements; a few potatoes, salad greens and the like. I mentioned the air of decay in many buildings but this is contrasted by a lot of building work, some new hotels and a rather lovely park in the centre of town. This is also a city of canaries; as I walked they were singing from balconies or from cages hung in trees outside shops… it was lovely to hear them.

Rozafa Castle

The walk was long and very steep took me outside the city. The views were spectacular; the city spread out below, lake Skodra, two rivers and the mountains all around. The castle was mainly built by the Venetians who ruled before the area was occupied by the Ottomans. The area, like all the Balkans has a chequered and troubled history. The castle setting was stunning as befits its strategic site atop a hill. The castle contained a small museum telling the story of the settlement of the area over 5000 years from Early clans, Bronze Age, romans, Venetians and Ottomans. A beautiful place and well worth the climb and the little cafe was a lovely spot to rest and take on n the atmosphere. Absolutely stunning and an insight in the fascinating history of the area.

I’ll post more tomorrow. This is such a fascinating place. Chaotic, noisy but alive.