Our Mitrovica Muffin.

Introducing Muhammed.

This student invited us to his city, Mitrovica, for a day-o-fun.

And after the barricaded bridge, we shared some coffees and some lunch where we were joined {and treated} by Muhammed's dad.

Muhammed, also, may -or may not- have been our chauffeur.

He's only 15.

{And I thought bikes without helmets were bad.}

Best. Home-visit. Ever.

I love this place.

A Tale of One City.

A city divided in two.

Kosovar Serbs in the north.

Kosovar Albanians in the south.

The Ibar River, running through the center of the city creating a visible reminder of an ethnic division that has existed for centuries.

And in July of 2011, ethnic Serbs living in northern Kosovo have taken matters into their own hands by creating physical barricades to block entrance into northern Kosovo from southern Kosovo.

Before moving to Kosovo, I was warned about Mitrovica.

I heard rumors that it was dangerous.

That it was still war-torn.

That license plates need to be removed from cars.

That walking across bridges that connect north to south could mean a death sentence.

That snipers hide in trees, on each side of the river, waiting to attack.

That the hills offer refuge for war criminals.

So when I went to Mitrovica, I was pretty scared.

Truth: Seeing the Serbian barricades that were erected in July of 2011, the KFOR soldiers guarding the bridge to maintain safety for the Albanians on the south side, seeing the people camped out on the north side of the bridge to prevent crossovers, watching the Serbian flags fly in the wind, witnessing the Serbian cross whose four Cyrillic Cs stand for the ominous "Only Unity Saves Serbia" was every bit as scary as I thought it would be.

It was also heartbreaking. Heartbreaking to know that my student lives in this city with this blatant dose of hatred and intolerance every day.

For more information about Mitrovica and photos, please visit this link!

London, Take 2.

On our second trip to London, besides showering in stand-up showers that never lose heat or water, we rented Barclays Bikes and rode around the city, stopping at various pubs for delicious pints that are not called Peja.

We caught up with a friend from home that made us laugh until we cried and then made us cry because we didn't want to leave.

We drank Starbucks -- and I'll tell you, I have never been so freakin' happy to fast drip coffee in my whole entire life.

We ate Indian food until our stomachs hurt, and we couldn't even finish our beers.

We shopped for things like taco seasoning, GAP clothes, fitted sheets, couscous, lanterns, batteries, smoke detectors, and Splenda.

We, most importantly, emailed and remembered my amazing dad {while sitting at Anchor Bar looking at the Thames River} who celebrated his 62nd birthday on Sunday! {Don't you think he should have met me in London?!?!}

Venice Love.

Venice is known for its picturesque canals, its orchestra cafes, its carnevale, its piazzas.

It's known for epitomizing romance.

Before we left, people warned me that I will either love the city or hate it.

Good news ... I loved it. All of it.

Venice, for Mr. Umbrella and I, was drinking great homemade wine, picnicking with fresh seafood next to a canal, enjoying a river cruise ride, sipping coffee in a cafe {for the record, Kosovo's coffee is way better}, watching the sunset over the Adriatic Sea, falling in love with Venetian Sea Squid {squid cooked in it's own ink sauce}, wandering around piazzas and back sidewalks, and walking amongst English-speaking tourists.

I love, that right now, I get to do day trips to Venice -- and to think, I used to think day trips to Keystone were great. ;)

4 Countries in 4 Days?

No Problem!

For Columbus Day weekend {apparently that's cause for a day off in Kosovo}, Mr. Umbrella and I headed on a "country hop".

Stay tuned for information about our visits to:

* Skopje, Macedonia

* Venice, Italy

* London, England

I love living in Europe.

A Little Gem of Kosovo.

Starting our day with coffee and pretend Starbucks and some Albanian lessons from local friend, Flanza, we left behind the chaos of the capital city and headed south to the historical city of Prizren.

Highlights of the trip:

Enjoying the sights of the city and nearby mountains -- love this city, even more than I love Prishtina, for sure! {Not as much as Denver though! ;)}

Drinking from the Shadervan Fountain -- rumor has it, if you drink from the fountain, you will marry a local.

{It didn't work for any of our boys!}

Getting our Heroes On at the Albanian League of Prizren -- don't worry, Flanza did serenade the heroes statues with Bryan Adams's, "Please Forgive Me".

Witnessing damages left from post-war activity including the remains of several houses said to have belonged to Serbians and destroyed once Albanians returned to the city in 1999 and Orthodox churches burned during the riots of 2004.

Appreciating various pieces of graffiti art and political protest pieces -- many displayed directly on the destroyed buildings which created a strange but thought-worthy combo of old and new vandalistic protest.

Climbing up a steep hill to The Kalaja of Prizren -- a fortress originally created to protect the trade route in the Lumbardhi Valley. The fortress dates back a long, long, long time ago -- at least to the 11th century during the Byzantine Empire.

{And the views of the city from all the way up there are breathtaking!}

Drinking some Pejas and eating some d-to-the-licious foods at Te Sylla.

Touring a Bath House of Gazi Mehmet Pasha with Tour Guide Ben -- group photo in the Women's Room.

Watching the sunset behind the mountains as the day slips away.