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I opted for a lazy day today. It started with a trip to the Patriachate of Pec (Peja), which is a medieval Serbian Orthodox monastery located near the city of Peć (Peja). The church is unique for Serbian churches, as it had three churches connected as one whole,with a total of four churches in one. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries and is seen as the spiritual seat and mausoleum of the Serbian archbishops and Serbian Patriarchs (or leaders). On arrival we were met by one of the resident nuns who explained a little bit about the monastery before sending us off on our own with an audio guide to explore. Just like the Monastery at Decani the Patriachate of Pec (Peja) is full of beautifully painted frescoes and was very impressive. At the end of the tour we were all treated to some plum flavoured Raki, which is made by the Nuns. They also make wine, Brandy, cheese and honey, which they sell in the Monastery shop.
Whilst the rest of the group headed off into the Rugova Mountains for a 4 hour hike I decided to head back into the city. It was a pleasant 2km walk along the river and within no time I was in Peja. I headed straight to the Ethnological Museum. The museum brochure describes it as "one of the most beautiful samples of old urban houses of the asymmetric type where wall cupboards, wooden ceilings, doors and windows and the floor boards are still well preserved. As such, it presents the spiritual and material heritage of the region, through collections of costumes, jewellery, utensils, working tools, music instruments, textiles, bedding etc."
On arrival I paid my €1 entrance fee and followed the guide as she opened the museum. As they don't get many tourists in this part of the world the museum is opened as and when people turn up. Apparently I was only the 4th visitor this week! The museum itself was full of scary looking mannequins dressed in traditional costume, rooms laid out in a traditional style to show how they would function in a traditional home. It was very interesting even if it only took 15 minutes to walk around the whole museum.
From the museum I continued into the heart of the city and an area known as The Old Bazaar". I wandered through the narrow lanes admiring the various shops selling mostly shoes, fake designer handbags and things for the home.
The Balkans are currently experiencing a heatwave with temperatures averaging 35 degrees. Even with half a bottle of Factor 50 on my skin it doesn't take long before I start to burn. I decided to hide from the midday sun by having lunch in a restaurant next to the mosque. My plate of salad, bread and kofte kebabs came to just €1 and was absolutely delicious.
I continued the afternoon wandering the streets of Peja before returning to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the group.
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