When I was in Montenegro, I started thinking about my tour in Albania. Roughly speaking, what I wanted to do was:
- Shkoder
- Coast
- Tiranë
- Driving up mountains or the valley of the "Lumi i Osumit".
- Berat
- Coast
- Gjirokaster
and at Kakavia crossing the border to Greece.
After camping near Ulcinj over Easter, I went through the hills and crossed the border at Sukobin. The border crossing took a while, but went off without any problems.
The ride to Shkoder was like driving in MNE, relaxed. Skhoder Castle is worth a visit. In addition to the good view, everything is explained in English.
In Shkoder I experienced Albanian drivers for the first time. I can't really describe what I experienced on the streets over the next few days. Somewhere between driving in India and driving at the Cote d'Azure. The strategy seems to be to interpret rules as they suit you. You don't wait at intersections until the road is clear, you just drive in. I can only say that you get used to it and adjust to the unforeseen at every crossing.
Shkoder itself is difficult to describe. Look at the impression
That evening I stood at Rrila on the beach, literally on the beach. Except for a few cars incl. the police, nobody else passed by. I was the only one standing here. No tourism in April and therefore no bar or restaurant was open on or near the beach.
In the months leading up to departure, when I imagined what free standing would be like, I never thought about the weather. In BiH I had snow. At Rrila, a strong wind blew all the time. Sitting outside is simply not possible. Going for a walk warmly dressed was great. I had a lot of time to think and read
Tirana was an experience, meant positively. First the drive to the parking lot at the lake and then exploring the city. Driving through the suburbs was a bit of an adventure and Google Maps alone wouldn't have gotten me there, so keep your eyes open especially at roundabouts.
How would I describe Tirana. Car traffic wherever you go. Significantly more people and business than in any other city before. A hustle and bustle, but without the stress that almost always occurs in Germany. Modern buildings alternate with old ones, without direct demarcation. Shops with luxury brands, KFC and right next to it market-like streets.
I was impressed by Bunk'Art 2 <I would have had to drive across town to get to Bunk'Art 1 and that was too much stress for me> not far from the Orthodox Cathedral and the Ethem Bej Mosque.
The nuclear bunker Bunk'Art 2 aims to show how during the Communist regime opponents were treated. The bunker is huge <1'000 sqm> with concrete walls up to 2.4 meters thick and was build to shelter senior police and ministry staff in the event of a nuclear attack. The museum holds pictures and equipment that illustrate the political persecution of over 100'000 Albanians from 1945 until 1991
The exhibition is less impressive compared to the one in the museum in Sarajevo, but it doesn't make the cruelties of the political regime any better
During lunch, the waiter put me in touch with a retired English teacher from the next table. After a short conversation he confirmed that I had seen everything important and so after a little more than 4 hours I made my way to the sea, because it started to rain in Tirana.
I could have saved myself my detour to Elbasan. A medium-sized Albanian industrial city. After an espresso I went on to the beach in Vile-Boshtove. Espresso and WiFi became my routine on this trip. Espresso in Albania costs between 50 and 80 ALL, i.e. less than one euro. WiFi was good most of the time and the "tualet" were OK.
Rakip, the owner of the Rakip restaurant on the beach, speaks a little German and described his time in Germany as best as he could over a beer. I was allowed to stay next to his restaurant. No restaurant at the beach was ready for the season so there was no place to dine. But the beach is huge and the sun was shining. Is there anything more beautiful than a sunset by the sea. Not alone, because there were 2 other German vanlifers standing next to me in the evening.
The next day, an excavator arrived and my little idyll turned into a construction site. Since there is no direct coastal road crammed with cars like in Spain, France or Italy, I drove the 80 km to Topoje in bright sunshine and 20 degrees along the SH4.
If the beach at Vile-Boshtove is beautiful, then the beach at Topoje is a stunner.
I had the feeling that I had seen and experienced a lot more after the few days in Albania than on my whole trip through Montenegro. Montenegro in retrospect was a sleepy country, probably waiting for the next season. Albania is bursting with life in comparison.
Something that is difficult to describe is the wind. Albania was windy in April. So windy that I sometimes had breakfast in the Dog.O.Mobil.
After a few days on the coast, I wanted to go a bit more into the hills and mountains, also because I would otherwise be at the Greek border relatively quickly. I had chosen Berat, the city of 100 windows, as my destination. Driving there via the SH73 was monotonous and almost boring, so I decided to turn at Roskovec and drive over the hills next to Mt Shpirag. I got as far as Ngjeqar. The road had not been paved before, but in Ngjeqar it became a road for 4x4 vehicles. Then I gave up on a farm as the road was too risky
Only with the farmer's help was I able to turn around on his farm. With a little delay I arrived in Berat. The town is nicely situated, you can take some pictures and have a Türkis coffee, but that's about it.
I tried the SH74 later in the afternoon, but that wasn't a lucky try that day either. In Drobonik, the tarred road ended and the first few hundred meters took a toll on me. I gave up and drove back towards Berat. I spent the night above Berat.
But that was also an interesting experience. I had noticed before that Albanians go for a walk in the evening. It was impressive how many hiked past my pitch that evening.
I then spent the orthodox Easter in Himare on the coast. Nice little campsite with washing machine. Washing was announced.
Livadi beach was the first clean, and I mean really clean, beach
So why did I used the title "opposites create a new picture"? It starts on the street where you see high end luxury cars of all kinds and at the same time you see donkeys and horses still being used in front of carriages. When I approached Shkoder the first thing I saw was a hotel and restaurant in a bizarre modern architecture and a few kilometers later I experienced the mix of modern sky scrapers and dilapidated buildings. If you drive thru the country you see KFC and Mexican restaurants and next to it an old fashioned bar where the men drink a glass of tea in the morning. You see the lack of investment in the country itself however spot investments in theme parks, hotels and filling stations. This is for me Albania, a country on the move
More picture from Albania can be found here