The capital of Kosovo - Pristina - "perhaps the ugliest, and most fun, capital in Europe." This Boston Globe article may have come close the mark, describing the not so aesthetic city in contrast to the lively nightlife, flowing cafes, and optimism of the young population. I have let on about Kosovo and Pristina already in my "Oh Kosovo" post (scroll down to find it) and now I want to post a few pictures to display somewhat of a visual description of the city. I will add to this post again, because there are still many pictures that I have yet to take, and the ones I'm adding here do not tell even part of the story.
I also want to mention some other blogs that have focused on Kosovo that I have ran in to (this list is not exhaustive). Outside the Walls is written exclusively on Kosovo by the Former UN Regional Representative to Mitrovica, Gerard Gallucci, who blogs about current events going on in the country, especially in Mitrovica. Todd's Wanderings, authored by Todd Wassel, is about his life and travels for the past 10 years; however he lives in Kosovo now and had the same experience I had trying to find a US soccer jersey - unsuccessful (they love America but not that much). Lastly, I was directed to Alyssa Milano's blog (I do not follow it) but she was in Kosovo at the end of May with UNICEF working with the Roma population, which is need of help. Although she is no political actress like Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, or Bono, it never hurts to have a celebrity advocate for a cause as they tend to have more 'popular' followings and perhaps it helps get those involved who would otherwise have not.
This piece of art was erected on independence day, 2/17/2008. Although it is tagged up with graffiti, people were asked to sign it when it was first erected, so the graffiti is not totally out of place (most people signed it with a marker). The building behind the figure is part of the University.
This is the main strip in Pristina, called "Mother Teresa Street" since she was Albanian. This is a pedestrian walkway and the street is lined with cafes, street vendors selling food, seeds, toys, and tourist trap items, as well as small stores.
Many, many apartment buildings.
Unfortunately there are many stray dogs here. This one has found some water to drink, but up close, the dog is a sorry mess, having lost its share of fights. Feral dogs and cats are a big problem here, but there doesn't seem to be a solution as of yet. If you can see, the side walk is pretty much unpaved and nice walking shoes around the city are a good idea.
Another reason to wear shoes and not open-toes or flipflops. There is always some sort of run off, even though it never rains. In the streets, many businesses clean their sidewalks with water (which is a waste) but also creates puddles and mud because there isn't a good drainage system here. Also there are "war washes" (auto larje) around the city, and these usually drain onto the street.
Always construction and this is on Bill Clinton Boulevard (need to get a picture with his statue), but for the most part, the city is under construction.
This is a small side street that is filled with cafes and some important international houses, which you will see in the following pictures. It is odd and neat at the same time, to walk by a plethora of cafes and in the middle of it, there is an embassy or a UN house.
Not the actual building, because there's really nothing to see, but at least a street sign pointing to where it is.
The International Civilian Police house, and notice the American Flag at the top.
Swedish and Switzerland shared Embassy.
As I took this picture, I realized there is a London Cab in it, which is one of the more reliable cab companies in the city. However, in the background, there are houses on the hill, which is where Pristina lies...on hills.
One of the newer and more modern buildings in Pristina, this is a government building and it's not incredibly attractive.
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