We made it through January. We all slept with several blankets on our beds and had electric heaters in use upstairs where the bedrooms are. The stone, uninsulated walls were cold! Downstairs, we kept the fire going and were warm enough.
A good friend of mine was planning on coming for an extended visit at the beginning of February. I was hoping that the weather would be more comfortable around the time that she came. Thankfully, it was.
It was so much fun to take her around Shkoder and experience it together. It is quite an experience! The people are lovely. There are many older people out and about in the streets. Some are sitting outside their shops watching people go by. Others are sitting on their balconies doing the same thing. Some are walking to or from a store, while others are on their bikes.
Most of them have lived in this small city all of their lives. You will hear them greeting each other, "Si je kalova" (See yeh kah-lo-vuh, literally, "How are you passing?” There are several other greetings that are commonly used as well. Shkoder has its own accent and slightly different dialect than the Albanian which is spoken in the capital city, Tirana, and is what is used in literature.
We enjoyed hopping on our bikes and going around the city. As I do, she also appreciated the beautiful mountains that surround the city, as well as byrek, a traditional flaky pastry which can be filled with meat, cheese, yogurt, or spinach. From the ancient castle that rests high upon a hill, she was able to see the breathtaking views all around.
Believe it or not, I had never walked or seen around three sides of our neighborhood- the sides facing away from the center of the city. Without a reason or a car, I just never had! We were waiting for a clear day, to go take a walk around our neighborhood with the kids. It was overcast for the first week and of a half of her visit, and we didn't want to miss the views of the mountains when we did talk a walk.
It was a beautiful day in the middle of February when we were finally able to take our walk around the outside of our neighborhood. The air was so pleasant and comfortable. There was green grass sprouting up in the fields and a mule standing there as I took pictures of him with the snowcapped mountain behind him.
There were sheep grazing,
I would have loved to have a picture of the front of this woman. She was about as traditional as they come, with her outfit and babushka which she had tied under her chin. There she was, walking her large goat down the sidewalk past us. My older kids who are out and about frequently, said that they often see her.
Below you can see part of a fence that someone had constructed using whatever branches they could get ahold of. It reminded me of the fences that my kids had so carefully built back in the United States to protect their gardens and animals.
It's amazing how cheerful a beautiful day can make you feel! God has made so many beautiful things- people, landscapes, plants and animals to name a few! Psalm 148:5 "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created."
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