by Krista | Apr 29, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
I love the Albanian countryside. It is such a riveting combination of wild and serene.
Last time we trekked through the rugged hills far outside Tirana admiring mule trains and shepherds guiding their sheep along narrow mountain paths.
Today we’re in a valley, driving along a turquoise river lined with towering trees and meadows of wildflowers.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw this dog emerge from the woods to drink deeply of cool river water.
I would’ve loved to have a flotilla of inner tubes at the ready to toss into the river and bob along with my feet in the water and the sun on my face.
The fields of wildflowers were exquisite. Great swathes of purple and white in a sea of green under a blue, blue sky.
It took a second glance to notice the pill box nearly hidden by the tall grass.
It was one of thousands we would see as we got closer to the Albania/Greece border. Stark evidence of conflicts that have raged for years.
It’s hard to imagine bloody battles and scared soldiers when the sun is shining and birds are singing as they flit through the trees.
I’m so glad there is at least a semblance of peace now. Deeply rooted prejudices and grievances may still linger in many hearts on both sides of the border, but for now at least, the shooting has stopped.
And that is something to celebrate.
“May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others.
May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.”
– Mother Theresa –
Wish you much peace today.
xo
by Krista | Apr 19, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
Although getting lost can be quite an adventure, getting found again is so very wonderful.
After the grand comedy of errors our first night in Albania (click here for the tale), we finally traversed the maze of Tiranë – thanks to the finger-pointing, arm-sweeping, head-nodding directions of numerous Albanian gas station attendants – and found our hotel, the Vila Baron.
Words cannot describe our utter relief at seeing the golden glow of lights shining in the darkness, the assurance of a smiling lad at the gate waving us in, and the immeasurable comfort of big welcoming hugs from our hostess.
It was nearly midnight but the dear lady and her two sons welcomed us as heartily as if it were the middle of the day. They hauled in our luggage and beckoned us into the dining room where they served us delicious homemade pasta and glasses of red wine that washed away the stress of the previous hours.
At last we trudged groggily to our rooms, utterly exhausted, pausing to smile at the individual pairs of house slippers laid out for each of us, before falling into bed.
We were asleep within minutes that night, and nearly croaked at our 5 a.m. wake-up the next morning. But the views from our windows were so worth getting our heavy eyes open.
I felt like a fairytale princess on my balcony with roses clambering up the stone walls.
The sun flooded the valley with light, opening up vistas we never imagined on our nighttime meanderings through the blacked-out city.
Hastily packing our suitcases, we arrived blearily downstairs to find our lovely hosts beaming and urging us to dig in to a buffet table lined with trays of sliced cheeses and meats, baskets full of bread, and little white dishes filled with yellow butter and jewel-tone preserves. I couldn’t believe they had stayed up so late to cook us dinner and woken only a few hours later to make us breakfast. Truly, such hospitality goes far above the call of duty.
With my breakfast in hand I found a seat on the balcony, delighting in the cool morning breezes as I sipped my delectably strong coffee and took in the views of the Albanian countryside.
All too soon it was time to load the van and head out to explore Albania.
We bid farewell to our wonderful hostess who gave us squeezy hugs like a beloved mother would, waving good-bye as she watered her flowers.
How to Rest Well in Albania:
- Plan for the unexpected. A 2-hour trip in the day time can turn into a 6-hour one at night. Leave in plenty of time to arrive at your hotel in daylight if possible.
- Secure a good, inexpensive hotel like the Vila Baron. For only 30 Euro ($42 USD) a night, you get secure parking for your vehicle, complimentary breakfast, and free internet. They also have late check-in which is a comfort when things don’t go as planned.
- Choose a hotel with a restaurant included. After a long day of travel, it is so nice to have hot food ready a short walk from your bedroom. Vila Baron serves delicious homemade Albanian and Italian food. Although we’d just spent a week in Italy, we all agreed that the best pasta we ever ate was at the Vila Baron in Albania.
- Take time for a glass of wine or hot herbal tea with dinner. The stresses of travel melt away and you can fall asleep much easier in a new bed.
- Bring ear plugs. I never leave home without them. Every new place has strange noises, construction at odd hours, and random horns honking. Block them all out with ear plugs and sleep like a baby.
- Choose a hotel with breakfast included. Especially if you’re road-tripping, it is wonderful to start your trip with a full belly instead of trying to find a place early in the morning.
- Take time to visit with your hosts. A little kindness goes a long way and new friendships, no matter how brief, are what great trips are made of.
What helps you rest well in a new place?
by Krista | Apr 12, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
There’s nothing quite like taking a wrong turn in Albania only to have your vehicle surrounded by gypsies trying to crawl in the open windows.
It happened in the spring two years ago when my brother Ryan and I and 5 of our friends were on a road trip through the Balkans, driving a 9-passenger van through countries like Bosnia, Croatia and Montenegro.
We’d already accidentally driven through a Bosnian military encampment, suffered wounds from sea urchins in Croatia, and eaten who knows what in the middle of who knows where, but nothing prepared us for the wild adventures we were about to have in Albania.
Our adventures began at the border between Montenegro and Albania. Thanks to the naughty rental car company we only had a facsimile of our agreement instead of the original. Apparently this is verboten at every border crossing in the Balkans and caused us no end of grief. The Montenegrins didn’t want to let us out because they told us the Albanians would only send us back again.
For two hours we waited as my brother flashed his Cheshire grin and used his halting Russian to try to communicate. Finally they let us through. The Albanians weren’t any happier with the situation, but Stacey, Ryan and I beamed happily at them from the front seat and at long last our passports were stamped and we were in Albania!!!
The moment we crossed the border our GPS ceased to work and our map was in Montenegrin but we didn’t care. We were in Albania!!!
It was dusk and it felt like we had stepped back in time. It seemed everyone was out and about. Old ladies in head to toe black shepherding their cattle, old men in suit jackets and caps strolling along with scythes over their shoulders, and young bucks checking out the girls from their goat carts as they clip-clipped down the street. It was splendid.
(Forgive the blurry shot! Twas a tad difficult to capture clear images whilst careening over potholes.)
Alas, only moments later we missed our first turn and headed straight down a one-way alley filled with gypsy families. The whole crowd burst into laughter pointing back the other way and shouting, “Tiranë! Tiranë!” referring to the capital city.
Hordes of laughing boys swarmed the van trying to climb in the open windows, reaching their scrawny arms in to grab anything that wasn’t nailed down, and hanging on tight for a ride. Stacey, our intrepid driver, muscled her way through the crowd without squashing anyone while Ben leaped to our rescue, prying off clinging fingers and shutting the windows.
The encounter was unsettling and we laughed shakily as we breathed deep to steady our racing hearts. Our fears were forgotten however, replaced by awe as we drove over a rickety bridge and continued our way to Tiranë, delighting in the rugged landscape, fascinating people, and an ancient fortress atop a hill.
I had read somewhere that it was best to arrive in Tiranë before dark since the city’s power supply often quits leaving the city in darkness. Unfortunately our kerfuffle at the border had delayed us two hours and by the time we arrived it was pitch black.
Imagine for a moment a capital city. Instead of paved streets you have dirt ones with potholes so big you can barely drive 15 mph. All the street lamps and traffic lights are out, and there is no illumination from nearby buildings because their power is out as well. There is nary a street sign to be seen, and the road is filled not only with vehicles but sheep, cows, donkeys, carts of every description, and people everywhere. It was sheer glorious madness.
With no street signs to guide us we did the next best thing: stopping at every gas station we could find to ask for help. The Albanians were lovely! They couldn’t speak a lick of English but happily clustered over our map and sent us hither and thither throughout the city, down streets that dead-ended in a crowd of young toughs, through neighborhoods clinging to the hillside, until at last we arrived at our hotel close to midnight.
Our welcome there erased every bit of fear, anxiety and stress that had built up over the last few hours. Beaming smiles and warm hugs from our hosts made us feel like long lost relatives instead of complete strangers.
To this very day, just thinking about our hosts at the Vila Baron brings a smile to our faces and a collective, “Awww, I LOVED them!”.
Next time I’ll tell you all about them. 🙂
How to Road Trip safely through Albania:
- Have original documents for rental vehicle and keep them secure.
- Carry a map AND GPS.
- Have print outs of your hotel addresses so you can show them to someone in case you need directions.
- Drive slowly. The roads can be horrendous.
- Recruit all passengers to help the driver avoid animals, people, and carts in the roadway.
- Choose a hotel with secure parking included.
- When possible drive in day time.
- Carry an Albanian phrase book so you can communicate with the people you meet.
- Stop often to take pictures of this fabulous country.
by Krista | Mar 10, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
I haven’t shared too much about my spring road trip through Albania yet, but I hope to rectify that in the very near future.
I can’t wait to show you the gorgeous but wild back country, tell you stories of our adventures driving through this country without a working map or GPS, and the stark remnants of a history marked by war and economic upheaval.
Albania was the country hardest to get into and out of, the one place I was truly scared, and by far one of the best adventures I’ve ever had.
Today I want to give you a tiny glimpse of this wondrous country.
Near the border between Montenegro and Albania
Mountains between Albania and Greece
A glimpse of the sea on our way to Greece
What would you like to know about Albania?
