One of the greatest pleasures of travelling through the western Balkan region was the fact that as tourists we were always given our own space to observe, experience and interact if and when we were happy to do so. I mean this as a contrast to those many places where as a visitor from western Europe you are constantly being cajoled into shops, towards restaurants or being approached for money by direct or indirect means. The latter scenario is entirely understandable but the former undoubtedly makes for a more pleasant and hassle-free trip.
As a result of this space we were able to witness many of the very ordinary activities in the towns and cities we visited. I’ve put together this small selection of images from my photo album, showing a little of the everyday life from the places we visited. I’ve never been particularly good at photographing people (I’m just not comfortable with doing it), so as a result I didn’t have that many to choose from; in fact I was quite surprised to find seven!
Evening promenade in Berat, central Albania - it seemed the whole town was out enjoying the warm evening
This group of young singers in Ohrid, Macedonia created a large gathering of admirers on the main street
A Macedonian wedding, Ohrid - we watched the elaborate motorcade from a hilltop vantage point
These formidable men ensured there was no entry to the old settlement (now exclusive resort) of Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
An animated chess game in Sarajevo - we watched in silence as the crowd of men shouted advice to the two players before every move
Pilgrims touch the statue of Christ at the Catholic shrine of Medjugorje, Bosnia and Hercegovina. The knee of the statue is said to emit an unexplained colourless fluid
Dubrovnik in mid-morning, when the cruise ships have deposited their cargo onto the streets of this beautiful old town
Lovely! This post just fuels my growing fascination with the Balkans!!
Interesting..
Lots of events are going on there. Chess game looks interesting. I’ve seen similar one in Christchurch. And Harry Potter movie! LOL! 🙂