After walking around the town a bit, we got back in the car for our final destination for the day: Tirana, the capital of Albania, where we will be staying for the next three nights.
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Today we will visit the city of Berat, about an hour and a half south of Tirana. Ben was not picking us up until 10:00 am, so we had time to visit the House of Leaves Museum.
The building, known as the "House of Leaves" (so called because of the clambering plant covering its facade), is now the Museum of Secret Surveillance. It is the newest museum in Albania and certainly the most intriguing one. The museum tries to narrate one of the darkest periods of the country's history to young people and foreigners.
Located in the center of Tirana, in front of the Orthodox Church: "The Resurrection of Christ," this building temporarily housed the Gestapo during the occupation of Albania in WWII and was the Central Directorate of the Secret Service from 1944 to 1991.
It was interesting to see all the surveillance equipment they had back in the day, as well as where they would hide them. There was even a tunnel entrance, so officers could enter and leave without being noticed.
After the museum, we visited the Orthodox Church. The tower is contemporary in design, especially with the modern "Green" building as the backdrop. Since it was Sunday, mass was taking place.
On the way to Berat, we got to participate in a wedding parade. In Tirana, when someone gets married, they hang out the windows of their car and drive through traffic, blocking all lanes. Rather than getting upset, other cars (not in the wedding) join in the parade, honking and hollering out their windows. It was a sight to see!
Wedding video:
Today we will visit the city of Berat, about an hour and a half south of Tirana. Ben was not picking us up until 10:00 am, so we had time to visit the House of Leaves Museum.
Wedding video:
Berat is one of the unique cities of Albania with typical Ottoman architecture. The city is characterized by the coexistence of different religious and cultural communities over the centuries.
We visited and toured the Berat Fortress/Castle "Kala," built in the XIII century and listed as a UNESCO heritage site.
The one difference between this castle and the other castles we have visited in Albania is that this castle is alive. By "alive," I mean that people live here, have homes. There are shops, restaurants, and hotels. All of this, along with the ruins of over 35 places of worship, some of which are still in operation.
We had lunch at a fantastic restaurant with a view of the castle.
After spending time at the castle, we went to an Ethnographic Museum, where we saw how people in Berat lived in times past.
In Albania, there is a Muslim sect called the Bektashis. They follow the faith of Islam, but they have relaxed rules and some differences. Two notable differences are that they partake in alcoholic beverages and that women and men pray side by side.
We visited a Bektashis mosque. As you can see, it is simpler in design than some of the other mosques we have visited on this trip.
Before departing Berat, we walked along the pedestrian walkway below the castle.
Berat's nickname "the city of the thousand windows" was given to it due to the "skyline" formed by its houses and their windows that seem to be "climbing" the city's hills. When you visit the city for the first time, you instantly notice its seemingly "never-ending windows."
While the houses seem to climb the hillside one on top of the other, the windows are not the first thing I notice. Another interesting site is the church built into the cliff side just below the castle.
After visiting Berat, we headed back to Tirana. We headed east for two reasons: to avoid the seashore traffic, as it was a Sunday, and to see the area known as the Tuscany of Albania. This area has smooth rolling hills, much of which is covered with fruit and vegetables.
Before entering Tirana, we came to an area with hundreds of massive oil rigs, all of which looked abandoned. Ben swore they were operational, pumping oil, but to Margarite and me, none looked like they had been used since the communist era.
After a long day, it was time for some ice cream.
This morning, we scheduled a walking tour. However, not with Ben. Today is Ben's birthday, so he gets the day off.
The walking tour was a bust. The guide was from America and knew less about Albania than Margarite and me.
More importantly, we think our guide, Evillene, was a witch. Yes, a real witch. You see, it was raining, from a slight mist to extreme downpours on and off. Evillene was not going to get wet (she might melt). Our walking tour turned into a standing lecture under the overhang of the opera house. What a bust.
The biggest observation I made during the tour was the amount of construction going on, with high-rise offices and apartments being built. When asked about this, Evillene provided an answer I'm fairly sure is accurate: it's a way for the underworld to launder their money, and if Albania gets into the EU at some point, these properties will significantly appreciate in value.
We got tired of standing and decided to bail on the non-walking tour and take a three-mile walk to Bunk'art 1. Occasionally, there is nothing better than a city walk in the rain. You get an entirely different view of the city.
We stopped at a great fish restaurant called Rei-Mer. What a great lunch!
Bunk'art 1 was built during the communist era as a bunker for the political elite in case of a nuclear attack. The bunker is four stories deep. To enter, you pass through two eight-inch-thick concrete doors, enter a decontamination room, and then pass through two additional steel doors.
The bunker was completely self-sufficient, with living quarters for the elite that resemble a five-star hotel at the time. There are living quarters for the staff, which reminded me of a college dorm from years gone by. They even had a Peloton bike to stay fit while stuck in the bunker.
This was a very fascinating building. A lot of thought went into its construction. There was no explanation of who was invited in when the nukes were on their way and who would stand guard outside. I guess they would draw straws.
We threw a surprise birthday party for Ben and invited his wife and two children. It was a blast.
Watch this video. This is the best example of why we love to travel and meet people. At the time of the party, we had known Ben for seven days.
Birthday video:
Before entering Tirana, we came to an area with hundreds of massive oil rigs, all of which looked abandoned. Ben swore they were operational, pumping oil, but to Margarite and me, none looked like they had been used since the communist era.
Bunk'art 1 was built during the communist era as a bunker for the political elite in case of a nuclear attack. The bunker is four stories deep. To enter, you pass through two eight-inch-thick concrete doors, enter a decontamination room, and then pass through two additional steel doors.
Birthday video:
Today, we leave the city of Tirana and the country of Albania and head back to North Macedonia and the city of Ohrid, which is on Lake Ohrid. Lake Ohrid is the oldest lake in the world. It is two to three million years old, give or take a million years.
Before arriving in Ohrid, we had to make a few stops. The first stop was the city of Elbasani, the fourth-largest city in Albania. Guess why we stopped? Yes, to see the castle. In this case, it is not up on a hill but in the center of town, with a two-kilometer wall surrounding the area that makes up the castle grounds.
Like in Berat, this castle is alive, with shops, restaurants, hotels, and homes. However, it is not as fully restored as Berat Castle. The oldest mosque in all of Albania resides inside the castle.
The next stop is crazy. It is a heroin manufacturer/export business. Yes, you read that right. We all know Afghanistan is one of the largest producers of the poppy plant. It is a straight shot from Afghanistan to Albania, via Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Macedonia by land, or Iran, Turkey by sea.
The company is called 'Fish City'. It is built on an old military base that has over 14 kilometers of tunnels. They claim they are a fish processing company. What better way to hide heroin than in fish? Though I do give them credit for using the term 'hiding in plain sight'. They allow anyone to walk the grounds and have decorated the old military warehouses with pictures of famous people and their quotes. Guarding the entrances to the tunnels, they have sculptures of the heads of famous military heroes.
We walked the grounds and the biggest giveaway that this is not a fish processing business was the lack of fish odor. That is not possible if this was truly a fish processing plant. Once the heroin is processed, it is shipped by truck to Western Europe and by boat to North America. What a remarkable operation.
The next stop was the city of Lin, which sits on the Albanian side of Lake Ohrid. We had a fish lunch in Lin, of course, the fish was fresh from the lake.
One more errand before Ohrid: Ben's wife Rose asked him to pick up some onions. 'Some' might be the wrong word. 'Lots' might be a better word.
We finally reached Ohrid, Macedonia in the late afternoon. We are staying at an AirBnb on the water's edge. It has been raining on and off all day. The sky cleared around six, so we walked to dinner and checked out the town. As we walked, we noticed several jewelry stores selling Ohrid Pearls. We asked about this and got a bit of the history. For nearly 100 years, only two families have known how to produce the Ohrid pearls: the Talevs and the Filevs. Unlike regular pearls, Ohrid pearls are made from shells that are ground and made into balls of various sizes by adding at least eight coats of a secret emulsion, giving them their characteristic shine. Each layer has to be dried before the next coat is applied, which can take between 45 minutes and an hour for each layer. The emulsion's ingredients include scales stripped from plasica fish – sometimes called Ohrid trout or bleak – but the rest of the process remains a mystery. On the way back to our apartment, we saw some of the churches which were lit up.
On Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, we stayed at a beautiful Airbnb on Lake Ohrid. Unfortunately, we only had one full day to enjoy it.
Margarite went for an early morning swim before we went on a city tour. However, the tour was a disappointment. Over the past 20 years of traveling, it seems that male tour guides are generally more knowledgeable and engaging than female guides. Daniela, our guide, was boring and seemed to be going through the motions without any enthusiasm.
We met at the Upper Gate, which is the only remaining original gate of the stone wall that once surrounded the old town of Ohrid. At one point, the wall was several kilometers long. Trump would probably love the cities we have visited, as they all have huge, beautiful walls.
Daniela told us that Ohrid used to have over 300 churches, and many of them still exist. We visited a small church near the Upper Gate that had well-preserved original frescos. The U.S. government, using tax dollars, paid for the restoration of these frescos.
After the church, we saw the amphitheater, which was discovered in the 1980s during renovations on a homeowner's property. Eight homeowners had to be relocated, and the amphitheater was restored. It can hold 3,000 people and is now used for live performances.
From the amphitheater, we walked up to the fortress and then down to a church along the water. We then strolled along a boardwalk built between the cliff and the lake. Our last stop was at Saint Sofia Church, one of the larger churches in Ohrid.
In the afternoon, Margarite and I took a long walk along the lakeside and relaxed on the dock of our Airbnb. Overall, the city tour was not very impressive considering the rich history and stunning geography of the area.
This evening, we walked through the streets of Ohrid to see the lit-up churches.
The highlight of the day was seeing lots of Yugos.
Tomorrow, we'll be heading southwest back to Albania. Our guide, Bris, will pick us up at 8:30 AM. We have a lot of ground to cover and will be traveling along the Albanian-Greek border before heading west.
Our first stop is the city of Korçë, the eighth most populous city in Albania with a population of 75,994 in an area of 806 km2 (311 sq mi). It is located on a plateau about 850 m (2,789 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by the Morava Mountains.
We walked through the old bazaar, where merchants were selling traditional Albanian products, and then visited the centerpiece of the city, the Orthodox Church. While the style of the church is traditional, it was actually built in the late 1990s as the original church had been destroyed by the communists.
Korçë is close to the Greek border, so Greek Orthodoxy has a strong influence on the religion in the city.
Similarly to Sofia, Bulgaria, some children in Korçë drive their mechanical cars and trucks to school. The theater in the city is also well-known in the area.
Bris was our guide for the day, with help from Ben in planning our itinerary. Our next stop was an eco-farm called Farma Sotira located inside the Germenj-Shelegurin national park, which is in a remote location. While Ben had hyped up this place, the lunch was not special and the extra hour drive was not worth it, especially since it was raining.
After lunch, we visited the village of Permet, located on the Vjosa River, which is the largest intact river (no dams) in all of Europe. The Albanians are grateful to actor Leonardo DiCaprio for helping to protect this area from dams. On the riverbank, there is a large rock known as the City Stone. From the top, we had a great view of the village and river.
We covered a lot of ground and geography today and arrived at our final destination, Gjirokastër, located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at an elevation of 300 meters above sea level. The old town of Gjirokastër is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is described as "a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estate." The city is overlooked by the Gjirokastër Fortress, which is where the Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival is held every five years. Gjirokastër is also the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha and author Ismail Kadare.
We arrived in Gjirokastër after dark and walked through the old bazaar to find a place to eat.
The next day, we visited an old traditional Ottoman home built in the 1700s. It had been occupied by the same family (nine generations) until it was confiscated by the state during communist times and turned into a museum. After communism fell, the family reclaimed the home and moved back in, and they still live there today.
We then continued on the road to Sarandë, a resort town on the Albanian Riviera in southern Albania. Located between the Ionian Sea and hills of olive groves, the town is situated on a horseshoe-shaped bay with beaches and a promenade. In the center of the town are the remains of a 5th-century synagogue, which later became an early Christian basilica, with intricate floor mosaics still visible. The 16th-century Lëkurësi Castle is located on a hilltop above the town.
Due to time constraints, we did not visit the synagogue/basilica. Instead, we went directly to the Castle to see the view of the Albanian Riviera. This area is popular with tourists for its beautiful beaches, which are said to be better than the French Riviera and less developed than the Greek coast, all at a fraction of the cost.
We had lunch in the Albanian resort village of Ksamil, located in the southwest corner of Albania near the Greek border. The sea there was a beautiful clear turquoise, and we enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch made with fresh ingredients from the sea.
It was approaching three in the afternoon and Bris had a lot of driving ahead of him. The drive took us along the entire Albanian coast from Ksamil to Durres, about four hours of driving. We stopped to admire the beautiful coast, so we didn't arrive in Durres until nine. Along the way, we saw many bunkers built during communist times, as well as graffiti-covered military buildings.
On Saturday, October 1st, 2022, the sky cleared, which gave us the opportunity to walk around Durres. We visited a few Roman ruins, starting with the amphitheater and then the Roman baths. Although there wasn't much left of the baths, we enjoyed exploring the promenade, which runs along the sea. Along the way, we found the remnants of a Turkish wall, which showed the history of the different empires that occupied the area.
The promenade was very nice, with the sea on one side and resorts on the other. However, the water was not nearly as clear and beautiful as it was further south. We suspect this is due to the activity at the seaport next to the beach. There was a lot of new construction going on, and we were told that the money is coming from the underworld.
Before lunch, we made a major discovery: doughnuts were invented in Durres, Albania! I had to try one, and I got the Philadelphia, a glazed doughnut filled with Philadelphia cream cheese icing. The owner of the doughnut shop was very proud of her products.
Now it's time for us to depart Albania and end our tour of the Balkans.
All Pictures
Cheers,
DUG
