My camera takes a detour

...luckly I remembered Id left my camera at the hostel in Belgrade,
unfortunately I was just about to leave to Zagreb,
luckly my friend (Rachel) was still at the hostel,
but she leaves for the U.S,
.... So my cameras going to the U.S.
I know so much for that photo I was going to upload of the Roma kids.

Am in Rijeka (Croatia) at the moment waiting for to Andis Easyjet flight. Its a nice place but expensive 20 euro for a 2.5 hour bus ride, 20 euros took me from Belgrade to Zagreb!! Also, I think summer is over (I`m wearing shoes and jeans).

Skopije and Roma Town

Well I'm now in Belgrade but am leaving tonight to go meet Andi in Croatia. However when I was in Skopje I took the time to go see Skopje's Roma settlement , the biggest Roma settlement in Europe. Though I'm not sure where else the live?? Anyway , it's got a very, very cheap market , why I didn't buy the 20 euro phone, I don't know, and you can't help with but feel like a local celebrity. These kids insisted I take their photo (photo to follow when I can upload).

No more Sea ...

Well I've finally left the coast. Spent the last day by the beach which was a bit muddy

Am now in Thessoloniki and soon on to the FYROM .

A trip with the Police

After spending the night camped out on the Drymades beach (see pic bunkers in background) I realised I'd left my flash drive (with all my photo's on it) at the internet cafe back in Vlora.... So I go all the way back.

I picked up a ride with the police moonlighting as taxi drivers, which doesn't seem unusal for Albania. Actually when you consider the state of the policeman's car in comparison to usual polished BMW etc it becomes obvious why there's a problem with corruption and the Mafia. But it was a good drive, although the stop along the way for a large glass of Rakia was worrying , especially as the excepted method for overtaking on blind corners is to toot your horn!!

P.S Predictably I didn't find my flash drive only the cord.

Sunday 's wedding day

Well I'm off down the Albanian coast now. The Swiss guy has headed back. So it's just me and the American left.

We arrived in Vlora last night after passing about five weddings (it being Sunday of course) and the was a massive wedding in the hotel we're staying at. Vlora, as in the rest of Albania is covered in ad-hoc rubish sites and bunkers but at least the water was nice, we got space on the beach, didn't have to pay for deck chairs and check out time was 2pm ahh life is good.

Heading further down the coast today and should be in Corfu by Thursday.

The Bridge to Tirana?

We almost got lost, almost missed this bridge, the main thourghfare to Tirana , capital of Albania. Probably built to support hourse and cart (of which there's many) it now supports a steady stream of BMWs. Which brings me to the question of the day "Where's all the money coming from?" [NB answers so far Albanian diasporia, European Aid, Mafia.]

Tirana itself is like one big construction site. Brightly painted , completed, buildings sit side by side with dug up fields; bright new tarmac suddenly becomes something less than a gravel road and now it's clear why the lonely planet recomends a carrying a torchlight at night to spot lurking potholes.

Anyways, in the land of blood fueds and corruption it's derfinately the traffic you gota watch! P.S Am staying with a friend of a friend "Dorian" and planning on heading South probably ending up in Corfu, Greece.

Great night but .....

Well I've left Valivo and Serbia. A Swiss guy on the course has a van to drop off in Albania (a donation nt a smuggling operation) going via the Montenegro. So a group of 3 us Dutch, American and me set off with him and arrive in Budva.

On the second night we go out to the last night of entrance festival for a bit of dancing on the beach. So it was a great night, good music, swimming in the sea with lighting out in the Adriatic .... but unfortunately I got my phone and 140 euros stolen...... well I've had a good run and it had to happen sooner or later.

Serbian Men

We've all heard "All the good men are either married or gay" before but I'm having a drink the other night and hear this Serbian girl say "All the good men are either married, gay or damaged!!". And, it's not meant to be humourous or political it's just what they say.

Churches

ok, then religon... Serbia like most of Eastern Europe is Orthodox, in fact arguably the faith actually defines the place. Unlike Catholicism , the Orthodox faith has no central power which is why every state has it's own church i.e. Serbian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox etc. In modern Serbia the church is as much a part of national identity and community as it is an actual religon. ....

but enough with history etc , what about the pretty churches?? Ok, well the churches are almost complete dominated by the iconostasis, a series of traditional images showing important stories. At the top of the images are god and as you work you way down you pass through the angels, saints, mortals and finally at the bottom to hell!!!

Now what I want to know is where this (see pic) apparently meaningless design comes from. Everything in an iconstasis from Athens to Moscow seems to have some meaning and there never seems to be enough space. So, I find it hard to believe the artist just got bored! Any thoughts?