There is a church near Peja, Kosovo with a Catholic exterior and an Othodox interior. The Catholics call it The Church of St Nicholas and the Orthodox call it The Church of Ascension. The church is part of the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Visoki Decani where 20 monks live.
The church was built in the early 14th century and has survived all this time. The architect was Italian/Venician. The frescos used gold leaf and lapis lazuli colours. It is amazing that most of the frescos are still intact and beautiful.
There are gargoyles protecting the inner room from the unbaptised in the outer room. Murray cautiously entered the inner room and was not attacked by them!
Two lions sit above the main entranceway to the church. Legend has it that during a siege, the leader was going to turn the church into a mosque, suddenly one lion fell onto the leader and killed him. The followers saw the omen and decided not to turn the church into the mosque and vacated the area.
In Prizren, we discovered a whole street of shops selling ladies evening dresses. All colours, all styles, bejewelled, flouncy, lacy, sleek, white, red, blue, black. Apparently they are for weddings. Many Balkans, who are working in other countries, come home in August and September to get married, so the dress selling business explodes in these months. Fascinating!
