From London we commenced our classy trip to the Balkans, Albania being the prime target. We spent most of our time in the capital Tirana - witnessing Kreshnick Qato win his boxing battle, having a night out with ex-pats and eating at the surreal Colonat, Albanian for McDonald's. Tirana backpackers can be highly recommended. From Tirana we set out on a roadtrip to Skopje, Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M) and to the troubled Serbian province of Kosovo. We drove over the beautiful mountains and the contradictory countryside: beautiful landscapes destroyed by large-scale littering and the heritage of Albania's paranoid communist leader Enver Hoxha: the 600 000 cement bunkers.

Pristina, the capital of Kosovo the locals have nicknamed UNMIKistan, was an interesting place to visit. The most realistic thing to do, in my view, is to grant Kosovo her independence. Replacing UN administration with the EU's would tie all the actors: Albania, Kosovo and Serbia towards an european future. Special emphasis must be placed on making sure the historical monuments and places of national significance to the Serb minority are respected. With good luck and patience, give 15 to 20 years and the European family will have a couple of more member states from the Balkans adding to its impressive array of different cultures and traditions.