Kosovo: Chapter 9, Scene 1 Prishtina Dresses For Spring

I can’t say it was a bitter winter, but I can tell you it is a spectacular spring in Prishtina. The mountains are green. The fruit trees on the playground were white with blossoms only a couple of weeks ago. Now they are laden with   cherries. The lilacs are blooming. I was walking Sunday and noticed buds on the rose bushes. Of course best of all may well be the warm sunshine and spring breezes filling our days. 

A visitor at the school on Friday commented on the natural light streaming through the tall windows in my classroom. I have a balcony outside my class as well. It’s a great addition to the classroom.

Yes, I am loving spring. There are flowers everywhere. People put flowers in window boxes and planters on the porches of their homes. Every restaurant has rows of flowers welcoming their patrons. 

Prishtina knows how to dress for spring.

I wanted to enjoy this time of year fully, so this morning I took the bus to a local market selling plants. I bought fifteen petunia plants for my balcony. It was deeply satisfying to dig in the dirt and transplant the colorful flowers into larger containers. I scrubbed the table on the balcony of the winter grime that had collected on it and swept the balcony clean. 

I opened the windows to let the fresh air fill my apartment. I found myself singing as I cleaned my kitchen and washed a load of laundry. Spring can do that to you. It fills you with hope and music. 

I sometimes wonder if I run on solar power. It seems I always have more energy when the sun is shining.

Finally, I cleaned up and headed to my friends’ house for our small group gathering. 

“Did you get your flowers planted?” my friend Jill asked.

“Oh, yes and they look beautiful!”

“I’m impressed,” Jill said.

“Impressed?” I didn’t see anything particularly impressive about planting petunias. 

My Balcony "Garden"

“I mean I’m impressed that you planted flowers and you only have about six weeks left here in Kosovo.” 

“But the flowers make me happy,” I told her. “I’m not quite ready to check out yet.”

I sat on her sofa munching on a cookie, warm and fresh from her oven. 

Six weeks? Really? 

Jill counted them out for me. “Four weeks in May and two weeks in June, right?” 

Members of our small group started to arrive. I set my thoughts about leaving aside and enjoyed the moment.

As our time came to an end, I headed home (The same apartment building…a mere three floors above.) I turned the light on to my balcony and admired the planters filled with flowers. 

I poured a cup of juice and sat out under the stars, listening to the crickets chirping. 

And one more thing. I checked the calendar. Jill was a little off. It is seven weeks until I leave. Well worth the five Euros for my balcony garden.

Join me in Kosova (the Albanian pronunciation for Kosovo) in Southeastern Europe. Each week I share my experiences. Leave your comments and questions below. I’ll try to address each as best I can. And if you don't want to miss a post, simply add your email address in the box on the right where it says "Follow by email."