The pair of Bunk’Art exhibits in Albania’s capital city of Tirana, each combine history and contemporary art in expansive underground bunkers left over from the Cold War period of 1978-91.
Bunk’Art: Shining Light On A Dark Era in Albania
Now In Albania, Still Cold
Earlier this week when I awoke in the morning there was no water in my apartment in Tirana, capital of Albania.
I notified my host, who said the pipes sometimes freeze when it gets too cold. The water came back mid-morning after the sun warmed things up a bit. But it could happen again at night, he said. Fortunately, it’s still flowing. But he did say it’s been colder than usual lately here.
Funny, my host in Estonia, where I recently came from, said there was more snow than usual in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, after I had arrived there in December.
Yet when in Finland, before I was in Estonia, it had been warmer than usual, my Finn friend said.
Not sure what to make of my influence, if any, on the weather, except coincidence, but should it really be getting colder the farther south I travel this time of year?
Nevertheless I’m in another comfortable apartment for this month of February, and the cost of living here — food and housing — is pleasantly affordable as I’d expected. I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to work on my book proposal as planned, while currently getting 108.5 Albanian “leke,” the local unit of currency, per U.S. dollar.
I’m centrally located so it’s easy to walk to the city center, and the past two days have been sunny and not so cold. So things are looking up.
As usual, my destination in March is as yet undetermined.
The Real On The Road Journey Continues
I have some business to attend to in Istanbul, and it is one of my favorite cities, but I’m most looking forward to getting down to the book proposal in Albania next week in what looks to be another comfortable accommodation. Hope so.
My place in Estonia was like no other I’ve been to, super well-maintained, clean, large, all the necessary amenities and more. But most important were the hosts, Jelena and her son Mark. Jelena and I both took a gamble agreeing to a long, nearly three-month stay, knowing very little about one another, but we became good friends.
They even entrusted me with the care of their beautiful home in Tallinn when they booked a Caribbean trip (who doesn’t want a break from the Estonian winter!) that started a few days before my departure date on Friday. I really miss them being around these final days of my stay here.
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite unpublished photos (above, right) from my visit to Kathmandu in November.
It’s All About The Book, Now
I’ve blogged about my travels for more than six years and, it’s about time I talked about why I’ve done nothing but travel all this time.
It’s a fair questions to ask: What prompted me to reject retirement in the paradise of Hawaii and become a nomadic, solo world traveler?
What has kept me on the road into my 70s, still traveling, now in my seventh year?
People ask, “When are you going home?” My usual response is that there’s no end in sight to my travels.
Yet I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately.
It’s because I’m now fully into the promise of writing a memoir about my life and travels.
Ushering In the New Year In Estonia With Another Icy Winter Dip
This time — Sunday, New Year’s day 2003 — it was in a beautiful, large outdoor public pool, ice chopped away from the sides (a few inches thick on the inner surface), allowing swimmers access to the water.
You may recall my first immersion in the frigid winter waters of northern Europe was in Finland, where I learned, after the initial plunge, how long-lasting the refreshing the effects of a plunge into near-freezing waters can be.
Note (I understand at least some viewers can’t load the video. I just posted it on Facebook. Here’s a link):
https://youtube.com/shorts/cuC7QfIvPcc?feature=share
I Said Goodbye To Finland, Now My Icy Arctic Trip Slides To Estonia!
I’ve fallen behind on my posts since I left Finland and I’ll start playing catch-up today. I left Finland several weeks ago and here are a few photos of my wonderful visit.
While my time in Finland’s Lapland region was too brief, it was still rewarding.
Good News Update: Kirilll* Is Well, Awaiting His Family!
My Russian artist friend Kirilll Stefanov *(yes, three lll’s at the end of his first name) was perusing his online portfolio of art works when he serendipitously discovered a sketch that he didn’t recognize right away.
It was the impromptu work (above) that I’m so proud to own!
Mission Accomplished: The Northern Lights!
A Dip In A Cold Dark River
How I Went To Finland And Got An Addiction
Thin ice was crusting along the shoreline of the Kemijoki, the river running through the city of Rovaniemi.
Beyond the shore the river was freezing but flowing freely through the Arctic Circle city, the capital of the Lapland region of Finland, said to be the true home of Santa Claus.
It was evening and, though not yet 7, had been dark for several hours in the absence of the waning Autumn sun of the earth’s far north.
Snow clouds occluded whatever celestial light might have broken through, though city lights on the opposite shore from a nearby change house penetrated the darkness.
What a great night for a swim!
I knew it was coming. My Finnish friend Minna had warned me.
I arrived in Rovaniemi two days earlier and she was already inviting me to perhaps the most challenging counter yet to my normal, warm climate comfort-zone ways of travel.
My Time in Nepal: A Himalayan Foothills Trek
I was living in New Delhi, India, in May, resting after a long, grueling trip through Egypt, Zimbabwe and Zambia. But I needed to make a visa run somewhere and Kathmandu, Nepal, seemed the likeliest choice of destinations.
I had time to spend in Nepal but wasn’t up physically or mentally for a full-on Mount Everest trek. Basically I just wanted a taste of the city to satisfy the visa requirement for returning to India.
I booked a room outside the city center and began exploring Nepal’s capital city by foot, as I’m used to doing in most places I visit, wandering about the neighborhoods, thoroughfares and backstreet corners of the city looking for interesting things. There was plenty of that.