It’s warm enough to be outside again! This is a picture of me and a group of my 7th graders at the American Corner where I have free English activities every Thursday 3:30-4:30. We’re playing a very energetic game of Simon Says. My students aren’t actually doing what I told them because they’re laughing too hard at my enthusiasm. When I say “Simon says shake your booty,” they laugh even harder.
Yeah, not the same thing. Same logo, very different fast food. Star Burger boasts an 80 cent hotdog and a 1 euro hamburger on their menu. But hey!, toast is only 50 cents.
Car wash service, UK style. This car wash has more class because it’s got the great city of London included in the name.
Outside of Decani monastery, hidden in the cliffs along the Bistrica River Canyon are several medieval hermitage sites. They are small caves where monks and brothers of the Serbian Orthodox religion would become hermits, dedicating several years to prayer while living amongst God’s most beautiful creation: pure, rugged nature. I can attest, it is in these places where one can really feel the intense spiritual energy of peaceful solitude and experience a slice of the medieval ages. Francesco, an Orthodox monk at the Decani monastery, showed me the way to the most well-known hermitage site, the Most Holy Theotokos in Belaja. It is famous because of its well-preserved frescoes that date back to the 10th century….that’s the 900s!!!!! In fact, the hermitage sites predate the monastery, showing that this area of Kosovo was already a popular holy place. Francesco has quite the sense of humor. As he positioned the ladder and motioned for me to climb up, he said “Welcome to the Middle Ages Laura.” I couldn’t have been more excited. Then, he took a flashlight and put it up to the fresco to show me the scratches in the plaster that would’ve acted as a guide or outline for the painter. He said “Come here. Feel the scratch lines.” On my tip toes I put my hand to the fresco and Francesco remarked “You are feeling the dark ages.” As an art history enthusiast, it doesn’t get any better than this!!!
Recently, I’ve gotten to know an Orthodox monk who lives at Decani monastery in Kosovo. He is actually not Serbian, but Italian from Sicily! I’ve visited him several times in both Prizren and Decani to talk about Serbian medieval history and the art history behind the fabulous monasteries here in Kosovo. I was having a lazy weekend in Prizren and all of a sudden I got a call from him. It was a Saturday evening and he said that there will be a great big feast at the local Serbian Seminary/Theological School in Prizren. He extended an invitation to me too. And he also said that he was going to be the cook!!! What a treat, Sicilian seafood cuisine in Kosovo. Now that is a rarity. Several Serbian priests were in attendance at the dinner. Wine from Syracuse, Italy was flowing like water! Then, the priests started talking about the nuns’ confessions and how some of them were so silly: “I kicked a cat when I shouldn’t have.” or “I eyed an attractive young male visitor to the monastery.” Many laughs from everyone at this dinner table.
Laura in Kosovo 