Hidden Albania
June 14 - July 2, 2021
I have to say that whatever bucket list was in my head, Albania was nowhere to be seen.
But here I was. And damn, I liked what I saw.
Let me backup a moment. Not too far back, only a week. I’m sitting in front of my computer in Botswana. The city of Maun. I’m with my partner Kelly and she is pacing the room. After eighteen months of traveling together, we’re being pulled in separate directions. She is homesick and wants to fly back to Tulsa. I am still going strong but ready for some beachtime to end our five months in Africa. No problem. Our plan was to separate now, but meet up in six weeks at my mother’s house in Maine.
The other problem is that there are basically no flights out of the tiny city of Maun. So that left Johannesburg as the nearest International airport. But that presented its own problems.
Remember that traveling anywhere during Covid is a game and a gamble. Flying Kelly to the US was easy. A negative Covid test and she’s off. But it’s not so easy for me. No one wants anyone flying from South Africa. As far as the world is concerned, it’s on everyone’s Red List.
So we threw in the towel and drove the 700 miles to Johannesburg to get a flight.
Two days later Kelly and I hugged each other good-bye. I had no idea that would be the last time I would see her. Looking back, I think she already had made up her mind. And I had too. She wanted a home in Tulsa… and I wanted the world.
I wasn’t expecting it. I liked traveling with someone. In fact I don’t know if I would have started this whole journey without her. But here I was. I was alone… but in reality, not alone at all. What I’ve found out about the world is that it is an incredibly inclusive place. It isn’t scary. It is where I belong.
So where did I go? To the one country who basically didn’t give a fu_k where I flew from.
Albania.
Tirana
I have to say that I usually spend time researching my destinations. It gets me into the right mindset and allows me to hit the ground running.
Not this time.
So when I arrived I had only a rudimentary knowledge of what to expect and what its history was. This is what I found:
It is a country recovering from its communist past (ending in 1992) and only now getting on its feet. The food is great and the prices are low. I saw pictures of stunning mountains in the north and empty beaches in the south. And how its tourist infrastructure isn’t very developed, but at the same time, how it’s destined to be the next Croatia.
I found all this to basically be true. They love Americans. Many speak English. And the people were some of the most generous I’ve met anywhere.
After a long flight to Istanbul, then changing planes, I arrived in Tirana, the capital of Albania. Albania didn’t require a Covid test to enter, so I breezed through customs and took a cab to Freddie’s Hotel, my home for the next few days.
Skanderbeg Square
Right in the middle of Tirana. The place to see and be seen.
The temperature was perfect as I spent the next few days wandering around the pretty downtown area. The city was busy with locals drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. There were lots of parks to enjoy. Eurocup Soccer was in full force and everywhere I went large TVs were broadcasting the game to anxious crowds. Albania wasn’t in the running, but that didn’t seem to matter.
In the middle of the city was a large city park that I biked and hiked around. It had miles of lovely trails. After a few months of sitting in a vehicle while I explored Africa, it was nice to get out, stretch my legs and get some exercise.
And of course check out…
The Food
A la Santé
Excellent Italian restaurant. I had Lamb Three-ways.
Salad, Entree and a 1/2 liter of wine with tip: $25
A deal in any country.
Drinking
Eriol was my favorite bartender. He worked at Radio Bar. He knew what he was doing — even made me my favorite Kettle One martini with a grapefruit twist. I couldn’t get that anywhere in the world.
But I did in Albania!
The People
I have to mention here what wonderful people Albanians are. I was staying at the funky and delightful Freddy’s Hotel. While I was there I made friends with one of the managers, Juljan. He was helping me find a rental car. I couldn’t find what I wanted, so without hesitation, he offered me his car and told me to return it whenever I wanted. I met this guy only two days before. And he was giving me the keys!
Let’s just say I took very good care of it and returned it with a full tank and a grateful heart.
Berat
Albania is a small country. It doesn’t take long to travel from one end to the other. So off I went in my little “rental” car and started my journey.
A few hours south was Berat.
The City of a Thousand Windows.
Berat was just the right place to wander around and explore. I found a very nice place to stay: Hotel Onufri. It was beautiful and rooms were only $40/night.
I spent the next two days wandering the hilly streets. On top the the steep, nearby hill was Berat Castle with outstanding views of the countryside and lots of interesting ruins to poke my nose into.
Ancient Cistern
This place gave me the creeps. No railings on the stairs. Bats flying around. And the tepid water looked like you would die if you touched it.
It made me think about how a dangerous place like this would never have this kind of accessibility in the US.
The last night of my stay I met three twenty-somethings over lunch. Emily from Denmark, her boyfriend Harsha from India and Tom, an Englishman living in Berlin. We decided to meet for beers at sunset then continued to party late into the night (I left at midnight, they partied until 3am). What fun it was pretending I was 20 again. And they didn’t care what age I was.
Traveling alone isn’t so bad at all.
Gjirokastër
I was told that Gjirokastër was a must see. Only a few hours from Berat I found myself at Mele Guest House overlooking the valley below and with the famous Fortress within walking distance.
Edmond, the owner, was a chef. His food was so good and the view was so nice that I spent most evenings hanging out on the balcony eating homemade local food and taking in the sights below. Ahhh, and his wine was perfect.
I found the area surrounding Gjirokastër well worth exploring. An hour away was Zagoria Nature Park, a vast secluded valley. So quiet and peaceful. A leisurely hike topped off a great afternoon.
Zagoria Nature Park
The Blue Eye
Albania in June was hot and I was ready for the beach. An hour and a half away was the city of Ksamil. But first a quick stop at The Blue Eye.
This underground spring brings lots of tourists — though I personally wouldn’t go too far out of my way to see it, it was a refreshing stop. The water was very cold and I saw a few brave souls take a quick dip.
The Albanian Riviera
Not to make it sound more pretentious than it is, the Albanian Riviera, also known to the locals as Bregu, is a wonderful strip of small coastal towns dotted with all kinds of beaches. Some big and crowded, others deserted and quiet. There is a laid back vibe that permeates it all. From the southern beaches you can almost swim to the Greek Island of Corfu (with prices three times higher).
I didn’t really know where I was going to spend my beach time. I had five weeks before I flying back to the US. My thought was to find a nice place near the beach, somewhere along the Albanian Riviera. I thought I would start in the south and work myself north until I found my bit of heaven.
Ksamil
Ksamil was my first stop. I must admit it wasn’t my idea of paradise. I found a few nice restaurants but the town was a bit overrun with tourists. No Americans, but I met people from Poland, Montenegro, Russia and Germany. Luckily English was the universal language.
Himare
A couple of hours north I found my place. Himare. Not too big and not too small. Nice restaurants, friendly people and of course a lovely beach. I found a nice clean Airbnb across the street from the water. It was the perfect place to hang, slow down and enjoy.
I quickly got into a rhythm. I would start my day with a long walk along the beach, then grab a lunch and a swim. Afternoons were spent writing on the blog. Then at night a nice meal and a glass of wine (or two).
Having a car made it easy to explore the nearby coves and beaches. Gjipe Beach in particular was a great place to explore and get away from the crowds.
Gjipe Beach
THE SIREN SONG
As much as I liked Albania, three weeks turned out to be enough. I was itching for new food and adventure.
Being so close to Greece got me thinking as it started calling me with its siren song. I visited there in my youth and haven’t been back since.
So off I went. To the island that changed my life 46 years earlier.
Crete.
