Albania – Europe’s Forgotten Country (Part 1)

Contents     Part 1     Part 2

 

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My Albanian guide
On arrival at Rinas International Airport, I selected a guide (looked dodgy at first!) who would act as my part-time taxi driver and tour guide to wherever I wanted to go in Albania.

 

 

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Mosque in the countryside
With regard to religion, 65% of the population follows the Islamic faith, 20% Orthodox and 10% Catholic.

 

 

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War monument in Durrës
Monument of soldier carrying a rifle set against a new block of flats in the seaside town of Durrës.

 

 

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King Zog’s summer palace, Durrës
King Zog crowned himself in 1928 and ruled Albania with an iron hand up to his exile during the Italian invasion in 1939. Albanians have seemed to be in control by despots throughout its turbulent history. This was his summer palace in Durrës.

 

 

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Durrës
40 km west of Albania’s capital, Tirana, lies Durrës. Constant development seems to be taking place on the seafront.

 

 

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Albania’s best road
The 40km stretch of road between Tirana and Durrës is, without a doubt, the best there is in Albania. The rest of the road network is absolutely abysmal and needs substantial capital in order to upgrade it.

 

 

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Skanderbeg Square, Tirana
Skanderbeg Square is the central square of Tirana, where, until 1991, was home to the great gold-leafed statue of Enver Hoxha. Now, unfortunately, in its place is a children’s ferris wheel.

 

 

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The Pyramid
The Enver Hoxha Memorial (known as ‘The Pyramid’) was opened in 1988 and used to be one of the weirdest museums in the world. It had an illuminated star mounted on the top of the exterior, from which light rays were projected down the side of the building. Sadly, it has turned into a very mundane international trade exhibition hall.

 

 

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Side street leading to Skanderbeg Square
Most of the streets are in dire need of improvements in Albania. Unfortunately, due to the many banks that collapsed in 1991 from the ‘pyramid’ schemes, the economy has never picked up. This is a side street leading to Skanderbeg Square.

 

 

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Opera in Skanderbeg Square
Functional opera house built in Tirana’s large Skanderbeg Square.

 

 

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Symbols of Albania
Albania’s national flag with the double-headed eagle, a mosque in the background, and a statue of King Skanderbeg, the national hero of the Albanians. Skanderbeg led the resistance against the Turks in the 15th century. It was erected in 1968 on the 500th anniversary of Skanderbeg’s death.

 

 

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Government ministries, Tirana
These Italianate government ministries were built in the 1930s by King Zog after a general plan designed by the Italian architect Armando Brasini.

 

 

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Don’t take photos here!
I was told off for taking this photograph as this happens to be the National Information Service (SHIK). It used to the Ministry of the Interior and the Headquarters of the Secret Police.

 

 

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Never walk around Tirana at night!
Ensure you’re back at the hotel before dark as the police go home and the mafia come out. You also have to contend with the open deep manholes and street lighting is basically non-existent.

 

 

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Road along River Lana, Tirana
Looking west towards Mount Dajti, the road follows next to the heavily-polluted River Lana.

 

 

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Needs a real clean up
Sadly, the city seemed to be in one state of perpetual chaos.

 

 

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Woman selling corn-on-the-cob
In Tirana, one can find many vendors selling grilled corn-on-the-cob for a few Leks.

 

 

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Fruit market, Tirana
Watermelons are in great abundance in Albania and are wonderfully sweet and juicy.

 

 

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Olives galore!
If you like olives, this is for you!

 

 

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Man with weighing scales
Apparently, for a small fee, pedestrians can weigh themselves.

 

 

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Woman getting off bus, Tirana
Old, much in need of repair, bus in central Tirana.

 

 

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Nighttime café in Tirana
Enjoying a warm barmy evening before the sun goes down at an outside café in Tirana.

 

 

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Good food and beer
A spinach and cheese crêpe and an ice-cold beer is well-received!

 

 

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My hotel in Tirana
The Hotel California. Like the Eagles song, was I ever going to leave?

 

 

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The Bank of Albania, Tirana
Unattractive Bank of Albania in Skanderbeg Square. By the way, Shqiperia is Albania in Albanian, a very difficult language to learn. By the way, don’t even bother with credit cards!

 

 

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People wandering in Skanderbeg Square
While I was sitting in the square on a very hot day, I was thinking that I only met two Western Europeans during my stay in Albania.

 

 

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Colourful buildings in Tirana
Albanians love garishly-painted buildings.

 

 

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Breakfast in Tirana
Coming to breakfast at the Hotel California.

 

 

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Selection of breakfast items
Help yourself to morning breakfast.

 

 

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Interesting colour coordination
Someone got carried away with the paintbrush here!

 

 

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 My guide’s house and children
My guide had a house very close to Rinas Airport, which is convenient when looking for prospective customers!

 

 

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Good road sense?
On our way to Krujë, we ended being behind this pickup truck carrying reinforcement bars.

 

 

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At the gift shop, Krujë
This woman tried to sell me white wool shoes and a fez.

 

 

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Krujë
High up in the mountains lies the historic town of Krujë where the Skanderbeg Citadel is situated.

 

 

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Skanderbeg Citadel, Krujë
This great castle, the citadel of the national hero Skanderbeg, is a shrine and monument to the aspirations of the Albanian nation.

 

 

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Skanderbeg Citadel, Krujë
Another view of the Skanderbeg Citadel.

 

 

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Painting of King Skanderbeg
Inside the Skanderbeg Citadel is a stunning wall painting of a battle led by King Skanderbeg.

 

 

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Inside the Skanderbeg Citadel
King Skanderbeg sculpted out of a rock face.

 

 

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Stained-glass window
Inside the Skanderbeg Citadel is a stained-glass window with a girl holding a book about the history of Albania.

 

 

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Krujë
One can see the lowlands where Tirana is situated from Krujë. The temperature was still excessively hot despite being so high.

 

 

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Fushë-Krujë
Driving from the town of Krujë back to Tirana, we encounter many little towns like this.

 

 

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More concrete bunkers
Looking from the ancient Greek site of Apollonia near the city of Fier, we can see, yet more, concrete bunkers littering the countryside.

 

 

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Apollonia
Apollonia was founded in 588 BC by a joint company of Corinthians and Corcyreans. Walking around here was deathly silent and the heat was unbearable, even for Albanian standards.

 


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Apollonia
A leaning column and an old stone portal bide their time.

 

 

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 Apollonia
Staircase made from tree roots lead up to higher ground overlooking the temple.

 

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