If we had to choose the United States foodie capital, Chicago would certainly be in the top 3. Not only is the city full of gourmets, but it also benefits from the fact that each culture brings something different to the rich foodie scene of the Windy City. People love to eat in Chicago, the…
Visit the newest National Park: Indiana Dunes
The Indiana Dunes National park is located in Northwest of the Indiana state about 1hour drive from Chicago (if you don’t hit traffic). Known as Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore since 1966 it became in February 2019 the 61st National Park in the US. The park runs for about 25 miles (40 km) along the southern…
Baptistery of Butrint and its Mosaics
Butrint, the pearl of southwest Albania is the most visited archaeological site of the country and for good reason: besides its exceptional natural setting, the park is a microcosm of the history of the Mediterranean, covering the Illyrian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and finally Ottoman periods. First excavated in 1928 by Italian teams, it was…
Visiter Saranda (presque) sans la foule.
Quand on pense à l’Albanie, on imagine un pays encore peu visité et qui ne connait pas encore le tourisme de masse, et pour cause c’est ce que toutes les agences de voyages essayent de promouvoir. Si c’est encore un peu vrai pour une bonne partie du pays, il est une ville qui fait totalement…
Bunk’Art: 100 ans d’histoire dans les bunkers de Tirana.
Devenue l’une des attractions les plus appréciées tant par les habitants que les touristes qui visitent Tirana, Bunk’Art propose un concept vraiment original. Le premier Bunk’art à ouvert il y a plusieurs années au Nord Est de Tirana. Le principe était alors l’ouverture au public du plus grand bunker secret jamais réalisé sous l’ère communiste…
Visite inoubliable: teqe de Sari Salltik à Kruja
Pour ceux qui me lisent depuis un moment vous connaissez maintenant mon intérêt pour les Bektashis. J’ai visité chaque teqe que j’ai croisé sur ma route en Albanie ou a l’étranger, participé aux fêtes religieuses, rencontré derviches et croyants, exploré les musées, prié dans les turba, mais s’il y a une expérience qui m’a vraiment…
The celebration of Sultan Novruz in Tirana
Last year I went to discover the celebration of Sultan Novruz at the Bektashi center in Tirana. This celebration was entered as an official holiday in the Albanian calendar in 1996, and it is related to the Muslim Bektashi community. In Albania people of different religions attend it. The roots of it go back to…
A culinary discovery from the Balkans: the Trahana
Forget your sushi, your tacos and your burgers. It’s only a matter of time before the Balkan food becomes the new trend. From New York to London, many chefs, including Jamie Oliver, have started to be more and more interested in the Balkans gastronomy. Where does this success come from? The cuisine of the Balkan…
First Albanian Bektashi Tekke in the U.S
No need to remind you of my interest and fascination with Bektashism and Bektashi heritage. Most of you already know that I have tried to visit every Tekke or Turba that I found on my way when I was living in Albania. So when I heard about the first (and the only) Albanian Bektashi center…
Christmas lights at the Morton Arboretum Chicago
If you are like me and you love Christmas, you surely love the Christmas lights too! For those who know Illinois, the place to be for Christmas lights is the Lincoln Zoo in Chicago, which offers every year music and lights show. Very beautiful and fun for young and grown-ups. This event is totally free. Yay! But…
The E world 