Having recently finished a Society Heritage Survey, and having been repeatedly chided by certain unnamed officials of the society to release an abstract of the eventual report, we dutifully present to you:
Annual Heritage Survey #37, Occident, Balkan subsection, synopsis of travel notes
- Note to self: do not confuse Geneva and Genova. The Consequences are irksome and require workarounds.
- Frankfurt-am-Main is much livelier a city than travelers credit it for, even if the locals seem to have an odd penchant for glaring lighting. The river parklands are most excellent for a lazy sunday stroll (which we must skip in our hurry), and cultural currents seem to have blessed the polis with a healthy trade in worldly delights.
- Tirana, Albania. Recent troubles and strifes, politickal and economickal, are evident in the nature of the bustle and the numerous archytechtural skellingtons; renovations now proceed, most visible around the main square. Overloaded conveyances, mounds of rubble or trash, indefinitely paused projects, and people making their living as they best can remind us of the Far East. The people are polite and gently curious without intruding; traders ply with courtesy; countryfolk help the waylost wanderers without hidden designs. A learned gentleman treats the delegacy to meal and entertainment, refusing to hear about compensation. (He has, naturally, been invited to speek at the next Introdus of Auspicious Acquaintances.)
It pleases us to note that the Pelumbas caves have been conserved; certain scratchings on the walls are evident, but hopefully attention to the resource will erase such acts. Testudo marginata is observed in its natural habitat, quite self-sufficient and eager to get on with its personal matters.
Prices in Tirana and southern Albania are to be among the least irritating to the esteemed Treasurer of all locales of this survey. In particular, we must mention the bothersomely big lamb&offal platter, with all accruements, for a mere 6 coins.
- Shkoder, Albania. The bordertown phenomenon is evident in the Illyrian capital: the gentle manners of the southern countryman have been tweaked toward brusque and demanding by rich northern visitors, and their stolid nature makes the drivers of rented cabs fearsome hagglers. The only solution to exorbitant fees (and, indeed, continued travel) is to blend in
with some locals renting a whole cab; the prices magically reset toward the reasonable (but rarely occurring) bus ride.
The Rozafa castle is quite phenomenal; huge tracts of land lay atop a high hill, a strong position overlooking river and fertile valley. The Illyrians a couple of millennia ago, the Romans subsequently, and the Venetians lately must have appreciated the views. One is curiously reminded of the Viaborg battlements.
- Kotor, Montenegro. Nestled at the end of a veritable fjord at the foot of steep mountains, watched by a overhanging fortress, this jewel of a town approaches perfection in all criteria. Note to treasurer: if the prices of real estate drop, secure the area as base of operations forthwith!
While encroached upon from the sides, the old walled town remains cozy and labyrinthine. Disneyesque influences do take root, as the occasional cruise ship docks, but have remained palatable. Back gates take one upon steep paths to the fortress, providing a worthwhile brisk morning's exercise to observe the views - and the hidden valley, the ruins of an old mountainside town, and the old inland road. Signs warning of precarious paths must be considered in all seriousness; yours truly successfully circumvented the hordes of basking snakes, but was forced to turn back as the path tilted vertical.
- Dubrovnik, Kroatia, has not been able to resist the disneysque, and is thus demoted despite the quite impressive old town. Pushy fishmongers, in particular, earn a negative note. That said, the small cafes on the rocks outside the fortress walls offer unique ambiance. Perhaps, were cruise ships to be blockaded, this site would earn its heritage marks again.
- Mostar, Bosnia. One can but wonder at the sniper perches atop the bouldered hills, the ammunition induced fissured in skeletal buildings, and the picturesque riverscape, diligently restored since the recent troubles. A certain eastern block mentality is evident in transport - let the traveler beware of overbooked omnibuses - and the heritage status is well exploited by artesans and purveyors at the most visited spots, but this gilding does not manage to distract from the sincere foundation.
Our accommodations in an Ottoman mansion leave us more satisfied than any other domicile during these travels. A note to other society ambassadors - avoid the suspicious tavern keeper near the station. He charges opportunistically.
- Split, Kroatia. While once again more tourist-infested than some of the other sites, and similar in size and frequentation to Dubrovnik, this town seems somehow more down-to-earth with its foreign influences; instead of pushy fishmongers baiting ambling cruise passengers, the old town is filled with regular and quite presenceworthy people enjoying dinner, cocquetailes, live music, and company. Various eras of construction have interleaved, leaving the architectural atmosphere disjointed in a pleasantly disjointed, puzzle-like way.
The Survey Team wishes to particularly thank the nameless conveyor of paper products for rides along the countryside, the Professor for meals and merriment, the people of Albania for being jolly good chaps, the towns of Kotor and Mostar for being jolly good burghs, and of course the incredibly efficacious Lady X, without whose organizatory skills such surveys would be but fevered dreams.
P.S. Found it necessary to acquire below kindjar, alleged by artesan to be damasqued with heritage ore carrying traces of Hasan-i Sabbah's blood. Submitted to Society Archivist. Apologies to Treasurer.
