Weekend Guests!

When I returned home last Wed. I found a little surprise in my inbox- an email from my blog friend Balkan Baby (aka Ed). A month or two ago, Ed announced his intention to travel around the Balkans with only a small backpack, a tight budget, and a very carefully planned itinerary. He asked if anyone who read his blog could possibly give him a bed for a night or two if he was in the area. I wrote to Ed and told him he would be more than welcome to stay with us if he came to Tirana, and he wrote back and said he'd be here in the beginning of June and he'd definitely take us up on our offer. So when I got an email from him last week I thought he was just confirming our plans, but I was wrong and Ed told me his plans were changed and he would arrive the next day. I take about a week to unpack from any trip so my house was a bit chaotic but nevertheless I let him know it was still fine. A little confusion occured between our Croatian/Albanian mobile phones and in the end Ed didn't arrive until Friday afternoon.

Coco and I met him in front of the National History Museum which is a block away from my house. I spotted Ed waving goodbye to two other guys and asked him who they were. He quickly told me that he had met these two guys somewhere along his route (I think in Ohrid Al.)and that they were going to go look for a hostel. Me, being Miss Hospitality, told him to call them back and I invited them to stay with us as well.

So then we had 3 incredibly nice young men stay with us for two nights and I was able to practise my mothering skills which I'm afraid have grown a bit rusty. We had a really interesting multicultural weekend, with Ray from Northern California, Pascal from Quebec, and Ed who is English. I must say these 3 guys are all very intelligent, exceptionally well-mannered, and their mothers (and fathers) should be proud of them. Peter and I were impressed with their ambition to travel alone all around eastern Europe including the Balkans. I think that travelling alone in western Europe is a breeze compared to the east mostly because of the lack of basic travel amenities, ie. hot water and towels. But here were three courageous travellers seeking out unusual places and experiences, and we are more than happy to have met their acquaintance! If you get the chance to meet fellow bloggers, follow your heart and do it- be brave and expand your horizons.

A friend is a present you give yourself. (Robert Louis Stevenson)

Pascal, Ray, Me, Coco, Peter, and Ed