The Trip to Tetovo


We were getting antsy and wanted to get out of Dodge so Stephen rented a car and we invited my fellow Fulbrighter , Christina, to join us. Our destination was Tetovo, about 40 minutes from here, north into the mountains. Another Fulbrighter, Dan, is working in Tetovo, with kids, coaching rugby, among other things.. And it is the home of Gazmend, our embassy guru, who helps us with everything.  Gazmend gave us a great itinerary, including the best bakery. 

(Renting the car proved to be the only hassle of the trip. Stephen booked it the day before. We walked a mile to the rental place and the guy looked at us blankly, said he had no reservation nor any cars. We could wait 40 minutes to get one from the airport. Stephen, who likes to have EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL, was pissed and walked away. We ended up getting a car from the Marriott hotel...a burnt orange beauty. It took a few tries ...and a tad of frustration...to get it into reverse. But he persisted! (interspersed with a few curse words)


Tetovo has a predominantly Albanian Muslim population so the minarets  started sprouting up along the highway as we got closer. The snow-capped mountains were spectacular. 



Our destination was to visit an NGO that works with kids to produce theater and other artistic pursuits. The rift between the Albanians and the Macedonians runs deep. The schools here are segregated, Macedonian speaking kids go in the morning and Albanian speaking kids go in the afternoon. So this NGO is one place where kids from all backgrounds can get to know each other. 

Our host, Bujar Luma is a theater director and  started the organization many years ago. They have a film fest, visual arts, theater and more.  Bujar told us about his grandfather who lived into his 90's. In over the course of his lifetime, the grandfather never left his village , yet, his nationality changed 9 times. A pretty good example of the shifting borders and constant tumult in the Balkans.








Gazmend suggested a restaurant of lunch, a rooftop with great views of the mountains. Unfortunately I deleted all but one of those pictures.



Tetovo is home of the Sarena Dzamija mosque,  one of the rare Ottoman-era historical structures in North Macedonia. It is often referred to as the the "Paintd Mosque" or "colorful mosque so we checked it out. Amazing!








And just to keep in the good graces of Gazmend, we felt obliged to visit the best bakery in town before heading home. Pistachio cream pie! I am doing a lot of walking here....but unfortunately I pass by too many bakeries enroute!








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