Foto: The central Skanderbeg Square (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Albania - Cars drive five rows deep on a three-lane road, yet everyone seems to be considerate. We carefully maneuver “Brutus” through the busy roundabouts. The street of our hotel isn’t recognized by the GPS. When we drive along a nearby boulevard, we know we must be close. We turn into a narrow side street, lined with parked cars on both sides. Two boys indicate we’re nearly there. Right, left, and then we have to ask again. As we squeeze through the street, an oncoming car appears. It’s a tight squeeze. People from all directions come to help with directions. We pass with only centimeters to spare—but still haven’t reached the hotel. We ask a few more times and always seem to be close. At a hair salon, two boys offer to hop in and guide us, but we only have two seats. Finally, when we ask at another hotel, we find we’re practically at the entrance. We have to pass through a narrow gate that leads to a small inner courtyard. It barely fits. On the terrace, we first order a beer. In the afternoon, we walk into Tirana. The hotel is within walking distance of Skanderbeg Square. On the square stand the opera house and city hall, both typical massive communist buildings. In the center is a statue of Skanderbeg on horseback. In the southeastern corner stands the Et’hem Bey Mosque. In a side street, we have drinks on a terrace. In the evening, we return to this neighborhood for dinner. We eat Italian food on an outdoor terrace, accompanied by live music.
The Amphitheatre of Butrint
Albania - The weather clears up at Butrint. The sun is shining and it’s quite hot—no sign of rain here. The ancient city of Butrint was founded around 500 BC on a small peninsula. Over time, it was expanded by the Romans, the Byzantines, and eventually the ...
The Castle of Kruje
Albania - The historic town of Kruja is located 32 km northwest of Tirana. From Barbullush to Kruja, it is a one and a half hour drive. Kruja is a medieval town and was first mentioned as a Christian religious center in the year 879. Later, Kruja became the main ...
The Castle of Shkoder
Albania - We then drive back to Shkoder. The GPS directs us onto a cart path through the city toward the castle. We hesitate whether to take this route with our Land Rover, but decide against it. From the other side, the road is better. The final stretch is quite ...
The Old Ottoman City of Berat
Albania - In the center, most passengers leave the bus. A young man gestures that we should get out too. Outside, he points the way to the citadel. We quickly follow his directions and climb up to the citadel, located 214 meters higher. It’s quite a climb. The ...
The Old Quarter of Gjirokaster
Albania - From Fier, we head toward Gjirokaster. Part of the route is on an old, rough road, but much of it is on a new highway. Around 1:30 PM, we enter Gjirokaster. A very steep and narrow road takes us up to the castle via GPS. In low gear, we slowly drive uphill. ...