Tirana, Albania

Tirana, Albania

For today’s trip I headed for my final Balkan country and capital city - Tirana in Albania. I was pleasantly surprised at the comfortable coach provided for this 4.5 hour journey - plenty of seats, good air conditioning and regular stops. I noticed on the way out we were travelling on George W Bush street (yesterday it was Bill Klinton - with a K - boulevard in Pristina. Again the scenery was lovely, if not quite as dramatic as other trips I have been on.

I made my way to Tirana city centre - and another Skanderbeg Square, complete with statue on horseback of the great hero. This city seems much more lively and interesting than either Podgorica (Montenegro) or Pristina (Kosovo). It appears to have shaken off its former communist dreariness, and reinvented itself as a young, colourful, modern capital city, with a lively café culture and an exciting buzz. It looks like they have a good arts scene, and plenty of interesting museums, many dedicated to the darker side of its communist past. I only had time to visit one, and chose Bunk Art 2 - a top secret ex nuclear bunker built in the 1980s to shelter elite police and ministry staff in the event of a nuclear attack. It shows how Communist-era police persecuted the regime’s opponents. Some of the displays were quite distressing, and certain rooms were marked as unsuitable for children, but an interesting and thought provoking experience. Frightening however that so much of this happened in the relatively recent past.

I had my evening meal in another recommended restaurant. The (unsmiling) waitress told me they had no menu, but that I would be served a traditional Albanian dinner. I am not sure what it all was, but it included a number of dishes comprising of a variety of elements - local cheeses, home made bread, pomegranate, stuffed pastries and slow cooked lamb on the bone - all very tasty but too much to finish.

I took a taxi to the Veraci hotel next to the airport as I had an early start the next morning. Alarm set for 3.45am - wish me luck!Read more