Albania in 5 Legs

My trip to Albania was wonderful. There's not much infrastructure for tourists, but after I figured out how to get around the country and how to find a place to sleep, I could not have asked for a better holiday.

Leg 1: Prizren, Kosovo to Sarandë, Albania

Getting to Sarandë was easy enough. On Friday, June 27 I left on the 7pm bus from Prizren and arrived in Durrës, Albania at 6am Saturday morning (25 € roundtrip, 11 hours). The bus dumped all the passengers along a strip of beach flanked by Kosovar restaurants. I stopped in one for a cappuccino and to give myself a moment to gather my bearings.

After my caffeine fix, I walked back to where the bus had dropped me off and snagged a public bus that took me to a little roundabout where an army of taxis and minibuses were waiting for passengers. I found the minibus for Sarandë, put my luggage in the back, and soon I was on my way south (12,50 €, 5 hours).

Just after noon, I disembarked in Sarandë: tired, hot, and sticky. My immediate need was a room. I wandered around a bit...sweaty, thirsty, clueless. Then I saw a travel agency, which I thought could help me out with accommodation. There happened to be a hotel attached to the agency which had quite decent rooms for 10 € per night (Çakalli).

Sarandë at dusk

For four days and nights I lazed around the seaside. Early in the morning, I'd find a place to eat breakfast. When the heat and humidity became unbearable, I'd retire to my room and crank the air conditioning. Around 3pm I'd go for a swim in the bay and hang out a bit on the beach. Then I'd return to my room, shower, and contemplate dinner.

Empty beach

My only deviation was a trip out to Butrint, an archaeological site south of Sarandë and north of the Greek border. I wandered around the ruins very thankful that I had brought along some water (there is a small gift shop/museum on the grounds, but no water is sold). After walking around, I went to a restaurant near the entrance, the Hotel, Bar, Restaurant Livia, for lunch. I ordered sarmas (stuffed grape leaves) and a beet salad, both of which were absolutely wonderful. If I had been independently mobile, I probably would have spent the night here. The food was that good. After I finished eating, I flagged down a taxi and went back into Sarandë for a swim.

Other food highlights from Sarandë: Piceri Limani had the best coffee. Restaurant Orenti did a great eggplant/pepper dish (and the mussels weren't too bad, either). Krahui Shqiponjes served up a tender pork chop with yogurt sauce. I did not go hungry.

My hotel garden had all these small wandering jew plants

Leg 2: Sarandë to Vlorë

After 4 nights in Sarandë, it was time to move on. I was aiming to head to the seaside town of Dhremi, but due to the bus routes and scheduling, I ended up on a bus that took the inland route instead of driving along the coast, so I ended up in Vlorë instead.

I found a place to stay easily enough, the Grand Vila Bojko. Thirty euros per night seemed a bit steep, but the room had an air conditioner and a western European-standard bathroom (minus the shower curtain, of course) and I was so hot and in need of cooling off, I took it. Later I found out that rooms here usually rent out for 15-20 € per night, so even though the room was pretty good, I wouldn't stay here again. Plus, there wasn't any hot water in the mornings.

Vlorë beach

Vlorë, to tell the truth, didn't do much for me. Although the beaches were full of people, the water looked oily and dirty and I didn't go swimming. My eating experiences were disappointing: On the advice of a local, I took a taxi 10 km out of town to an Italian joint in hopes of a good ravioli. I ended up with a plate of spaghetti pomodoro made from tinned tomatoes (and why? fresh tomatoes are in season and are delicious); a small bony fish; and a glass of red wine that could have easily passed for over-sweetened grape juice. After two nights in Vlorë I decided it was time to move on back to Durrës.

The beaches in Vlorë are close to the port

Leg 3: Vlorë to Durrës

Bus travel in Albania in July can be a sweaty mess. Many of the buses predate air conditioning. My tactic is to try to sit in one of the four seats that have windows that open as road air is better than none at all. The trip to Durrës was only three hours, so it was bearable.

Durrës is a popular destination for Kosovars; whereas, in Vlorë, the foreign cars have either Italian or American license plates (I spied 2 cars from Alaska). In Durrës, it seems that some areas have more Kosovar vehicles than Albanian.

Instead of spending my time in Durrës hanging out at the beach with a bunch of folk from Kosovo, I thought I'd try my luck staying in the old town. I ended up at the Hotel Lido, which is an actual hotel with a chambermaid who supplies the rooms daily with fresh towels and makes the bed. The cost: 35 € per night including breakfast. Not as cheap as Sarandë's 10 €, but the hotel was close to the port and close to the castle and it ended up being a quiet and decent place to stay.

Trash isn't just a problem in Kosovo

Following the advice of the hotel staff, I had a late lunch/early dinner at a place called 4 Stinet (4 Seasons). It didn't look like much from the outside, but I was hungry. I entered the restaurant from the street side, walked through an empty room, and took a seat outside at a table on the water.

After a few long moments, a waiter came with a table cloth and a menu. It didn't take long for me to decide: Sallate Rocket and a pizza with eggplant (I can't remember the name of it exactly...something Italian). After living without salad for the past 10 months, I was thrilled to have a fat bowl of rocket, halved cherry tomatoes, corn, and shaved parmesan. Simple but awesome. I would have been happy with the salad alone, but I'm really glad I ordered the pizza, too: thin crust, light tomato sauce, grilled eggplant, and gouda cheese. Oh! It was like a song and was by far the best pizza I've had in the Balkans.

Sleepy dog

My second day in Durrës started without electricity (Albania has power issues, too). I ate an uninspired breakfast at the hotel and then headed out to a cafe for coffee. I am spoiled by Kosovar coffee. My coffee of choice-the macchiato (espresso with a bit of milk). However, Albanian macchiatos tend to be just a shot of espresso with a touch of milk foam. I tried going with cappuccinos, but they were inconsistent (some came with milk, some came with chocolate, some were espresso with heaps of foam). When I'm travelling, though, I have to take what I can get.

After coffee I walked around, took in the sights, and went back to the hotel for a nap. When I woke up, I decided to rent a car. The only car rental places in Albania are in Tirana, so I hopped in a cab and went to Avis. At nearly 50 € per day for a sub-compact rental, cars in Albania don't come cheaply. But I wanted the freedom of wheels so I signed a contract for four days.

I drove back to Durrës in my teeny, tiny, plastic car. When I arrived back to the hotel, I was hungry. A few doors down there was a small shop advertising fresh ravioli. Interested, I popped in to find a small restaurant with three tables. I ordered the ravioli of the day and was blown away. I don't even know how to describe what I ate. It was just ravioli, but it was phenomenal ravioli made with ground almonds, ricotta, and nutmeg topped with a red sauce made from fresh tomatoes. It was everything I had hoped the Italian restaurant in Vlorë would have been.

After stuffing myself, I walked to the old Roman amphitheater to see if I could get in to see a violin concert. I was turned away because I didn't have an invitation (it was a hoity-toity event), but as I was walking away one of the guards called after me and said that I could go in. It was magical. Evening had fallen, the stars were out, and the violinist was on fire. I went back to the hotel feeling very happy.

Leg 4: Durrës to Shkoder to Tirana

Ah...the open road of Albania. Albanian drivers are nuts. Driving a car is like playing a video game: You need to know when to dodge; when to shoot; and when to hold firm and barrel through your opponents. Sound scary? Driving defensively is a concept that is not part of the Albanian driving lexicon. I'll leave it at that.

There are abandoned bunkers all over Albania (they look like mushrooms)

Despite several (seemingly) near head-on collisions that would have had me regaining consciouslness in a hospital in Germany, I drove up to Shkoder, a town in northern Albania on a lake and with a lovely castle.

View from the Rozafa Castle in Shkoder

The Rozafa Kalaja sits atop a hill overlooking town. I walked up there at dusk and there were several couples floating around hand-in-hand. It's that kind of place. There's a museum and a cafe. It also looked like a stage was partially set up, but nothing was going on the evening I was up there. Shkoder itself was frustrating. After spending the night outside of town, I had to drive in to find an ATM. The streets were wide and packed with cars, bikes, and pedestrians. Several near-collisions with cars, bikes, and people nearly drove me crazy, but I did find the bank I needed, grabbed some cash, and got myself the heck out of that craziness.

A feasting cow

With no other destination in mind and a tire that kept going flat, I decided to return to Tirana, give Avis back their plastic car, and spend a few days exploring the capital city. It was nice to be in a real city. I've heard that many Albanians prefer Pristina to Tirana, but I can't for the life of me imagine why. Granted, Pristina has the energy of an up-and-coming worldly city, but it's so raw and disorganized and in transition. Tirana has theaters, museums, bookstores, cinemas, wide boulevards, open spaces, and bright colors.

I took in three movies (what better way is there to beat the midday heat?). I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie, The Kite Runner, and The Bucket List. The first two I watched at a small theater which had only 25 seats. It was like watching films in a private screening room. I also indulged in Chinese food, a French patisseries, and German sausages. I went to Tirana and I liked what I ate! Of course, my pleasure in travelling doesn't merely center on how well I am able to please my tastebuds and fill my stomache...wait, who am I kidding? Tirana did not disappoint.

The main square in Tirana

Leg 5: Tirana to Prizren

After nearly two weeks in Albania, it was time for me to head back to Kosovo. Although there are busses that travel from Tirana to Prizren directly, I had already booked my return from Durrës. After sleeping in, taking a leisurely walk, and enjoying my last few hours in Tirana, I cabbed it from Tirana back to Durrës and found my bus.

The bus left at 8pm. I was hoping to sleep on the return trip especially considering I had masterfully commandeered the entire back seat, which enabled me to lay down comfortably. Alas, it was not to be. I managed maybe 90 minutes of serious shut eye. The rest of the trip was spent listening to the engine and feeling the never-ending twisting and turning of the road. By the time I stepped off the bus in Prizren, it was dawn and I was wired. My next journey was about to get underway: travel back to Reno.