You go, I go, we all go to Yugo

On December 1st Kamelya and her entourage are pulling up anchor in DC and setting sail for the former Yugoslavia. We'll be in the enchanted and verdant Pristina, Kosovo, for about two years, where we will have an extra bed ready for all of you to use when you visit.

Pristina is not exactly like Paris, at least not in every respect, but there's a reason they call it the Cincinnati of the Balkans--or at least they will once it catches on. It has a lot of very nice things going for it--bunches of restuarants and cafes, warm and friendly inhabitants, Mercedes at affordable prices, and easy access to some pretty swell places: there are direct flights to Izmir, for example, and Thessaloniki, Macedonia, the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, and Italy are all within striking distance. But Kamelya is most excited about the fact that there is such a big Turkish influence in Kosovo. After 500 years of (utterly friendly and without exception beneficial) occupation, the Turks left behind food, language, customs and religion that will seem very familiar to her. So that will be nice.

Kamelya will live on a floor of this house:

And when she takes a walk a nearby street will look something like this:

But she'll take much better pictures to share after she arrives.

Kamelya's new neighborhood is at the top of a hill, away from the smog of the city but near enough to walk there easily, and there's a big park nearby where she'll make her first snow angel. She'll do her shopping on Mother Theresa Boulevard and go to Prizren to hear Turkish being spoken in the street. There's so much to explore and she can't wait.

But the thing she can't wait for most of all is your visit. Kosovo is a hot destination, with lots of visitors...

And in addition to its Turkish roots, a strong feeling of American friendship...

So really, none of you has any excuse to stay away! We'll see you soon, and in the meantime keep you posted on Kamelya's next big adventure.