Voskopoja (in pictures)

The volunteer I visited took us to a village in the mountains where she used to work.  Gorgeous.

an Orthodox church from the 17th century

The column on the left read "Enver Hoxha (Hoe-jah)" until about a month ago when someone painted over it.

Some NGO made signs indicating the location of churches around the village.  The juxtaposition of one such sign near this pile of rubble is quite telling of the situation of the village, and Albania in general. 

There was still some snow there, but the frigid stance is for dramatic effect only.  :) 

This church was in relatively good condition.

The inside of the church was particularly spectacular, but photo-taking was not allowed. 

It amazes me that this church is still standing after years of communism and relative neglect. 

17th century murals outside the church

graffiti from the ages

The architecture was unique, I assume to the region.  It is a curious blend of East and West. 

You can drink water straight from the ground.  I took this opportunity to fill my water bottle.  Delicious.

The winter's heavy snow caused a major part of the roof to collapse.  The volunteer is working with the community to get a grant to fix it.  Fingers crossed. 

view of the town

"tourist" banner in the volunteer and counter-part's office

Stuffed animals, dolls, impromptu scarecrows, and/or stands of garlic are hung from buildings to ward off the "evil eye."  Alex calls this "the land of suicidal teddy bears."  Obviously, I love her humor.   

Voskopoja is known for its honey.  The church had several bee-boxes (or whatever they are called) in the back yard. 

We walked around a lot that day.

This is a particularly interesting mural, especially the top mural.  It depicts the apocalypse, as assumed in the 17th century.  It is very surrealist though, I think. 

Another mural at the same church apparently shows the evolution of man from animals.  How progressive, and odd.

A close-up of the mural above.  Evolution in action?  Albania is an ever-unfolding mystery.

a Voskopojan man makes his way slowly down a road on his donkey

Hoxha built thousands of tunnels as a refuge for the "impending" American invasion.

Guess which cemetery plot is from the communist era.

stunning vista - I hope they get some funds for preservation

We had coffee at this mountain-top hotel.   I have a video but am having difficulty posting it.  Perhaps it is too long.  If only I knew how to edit it.

We saw this image in a church in Voskopoja, but photos were not allowed.  It is remarkable because it is the only example of a non-religious image allowed to be painted in an Orthodox church (in Albania?).  It is by the famous artist David Selenicasi, and depicts a typical Albanian peasant of the 17th century.  I think now some food company has this image as its logo, of course. 

view of town from the place we ate lunch

This is one of the most delicious dishes I have ever eaten.  It is "Lakror", and was filled with tomatoes, cheese, and onions.

Orthodox-style hotel, Soviet-style monument - welcome to Shqiperia

Apparently, in the late 1990's a Saudi-backed madrasah opened in Voskopoja and was teaching extremist ideology.  After the young students started defacing religious buildings, it was shut down.

Randomly, there was a bear cub in a woodshed.  The guys who "owned" it had shot the mother for who-knows-what-reason and sold the other cub.  This cub was as adorable as the situation was tragic.  

Honestly, I hope the little guy is dead by the end of the summer.  I think only a life of misery awaits it in Albania.  Placement in a foreign zoo would be the only positive outcome, and that seems impossible.