Our Final Full Day In Kosovo

Today is our final full day in Kosovo and so we are spending the day celebrating with our Kosovar friends and their families.

This evening we will all gather at Liz’s house for a final "goodbye" celebration. I believe the youth are planning a separate get together as well. But we kicked-off our final full day with a picnic at Gjakove’s reservoir (the large lake that supplies Gjakove’s water). At first the workers would not let us past the gates even though others had been able to pass through. But thanks to one of Liz’s volunteers, Kaltrina, we were finally allowed past the gate. Kaltrina’s father apparently works for the city and all it took was a few cell phone calls.

Once we were past the gate our vans drove us across the top of the narrow dam and into a parking area. We then unloaded all of the food and drinks we packed along for the trip and walked several hundred yards until we found just the right spot to camp out.

It was a wonderful afternoon. The weather was perfect…not too hot…not too cold.

Many of the youth jumped into the lake. Others built sandcastles or walked the muddy lake banks. Everyone snacked on the traditional Kosovar food that Liz’s volunteers brought. It was all fabulous…and very filling. I had hopes of losing weight on this trip but given all of the food we’ve been presented during this trip I doubt anyone lost weight (and a few probably gained!).

Near the end of the picnic Liz and the youth grabbed their instruments and entertained the rest of us with impromptu versions of many of the songs the youth have been rehearsing for the past several days. Lori Carroll and Deb Porter even assisted (Lori on the bucket drum and Deb on pennywhistle).

It was a perfect way to end a truly spectacular trip.

I’ve posted pictures from the picnic below.