We had prayed about whether to come here in May or September of last year. We were so grateful to God that we ended up coming in May. We enjoyed a very pleasant spring and summer here.
Shkoder is a very beautiful city surrounded by rivers, mountains, lakes, and the sea. There are a lot of nice restaurants, cafes, and pleasant streets to walk along. The architectural style of some of the buildings along the quaint streets is Italian. The prices are very reasonable. There are many tourists that come here to experience it during the summer months.
We have some friends that moved here a couple of years ago from Austria. They warned us that the winters here are very rainy. There was one day in early October that was very dark, and it rained heavily all day. It made me think to look up the average rainfall here in the winter. I wasn't very excited by what I saw.
I began to think of the winter ahead and imagined that I wouldn't venture out much. I don't enjoy the cold, and without a vehicle, going out would mean being cold.
Thankfully, it warmed up for another week or two, enough for us to be like squirrels, going out and about, gathering warm clothes and other things that would be needed for the winter. The younger kids and I bought several different colors of yarn with which to crochet hats and scarfs for ourselves. My daughter and I got busy trying to finish up a blanket that we had previously been leisurely making for her bed.
November came and it was just as predicted. It rained and rained! Life in Shkoder had such a different feel than when it was sunny and warm. During the rainy weather, a laundry rack often crowded our kitchen with clothes drying on it. With no dryer, I really have to plan when I do the laundry. I try to wait for a sunny day, but back in November, there weren't many of those!
My husband bought several ponchos which we ended up using often. We tried to coordinate when we needed to go out for when it would be dry, but that didn't always work out. Riding around on the bikes in the cold rain, there were times that we got pretty wet!
We were so thankful to make it through November! I don't know if this winter has been better than usual, but thankfully it hasn't been too rainy since then, with the exception of New Year's Day. It rained so much that evening that our yard was flooded with the water over a foot deep, as well as many of the roads.
During the summer months, I had wondered if the outdoor shops would be closed in the winter. Well, they're not. These hardy people endure the cold weather, bundling up, waiting for a sale. Many small indoor shops don't have heat and actually keep their doors open! The big grocery stores that are heated also keep their doors open! One cashier kept a couple of water bottles filled with hot water so that she could warm her hands in between customers! Perhaps they find that they draw more customers with an open door??? I admire them for their strong character.
My husband also has to work out in the cold shed while we are in the warm house. He has done what he could to elevate the temperature out there with some heaters, but he says that he prefers it more than when it was over 100 degrees out there in the summer. We appreciate the work that he does and that God has kept his business going.
Hibernating wasn't so bad. However, I did bundle up and ventured out into the cold, but I definitely tried to take advantage when the weather was nice.
It is a nice treat for us to look out and see the mountains covered in snow sometimes.
The older kids have kept busy finding ways to sell things online. Here are some mittens that they made from an old fur coat that they bought.
They also continue to enjoy taking time to go on biking adventures in different areas outside of the city.
It may have been cold and wet for a little while, but after all, the seasons are from God. “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22
What a beautiful world He has made for us!
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