Lin has been inhabited for 8 500 years

History is visceral here, in stark contrast to Canada. Our last stop in Albania was the town of Lin - a pretty fishing village on the shores of Lake Ohrid. The town is estimated to have been inhabited for 8 500 years, making it the oldest known pre-historical settlement in Europe. The Lake itself pulses with age - it is estimated to be maybe 3 million years old. We soaked in our smallness at this stop.

One warm memory we'll take from Albania is the generousness of the people. At every road side food market, the sellers pushed some food into the hands of our boys - apples, figs, incredible olives.

In Lin, we visited ancient Roman mosaics, what is reputed as Albania's most photogenic bunker, swam multiple times a day, took a possibly too-adventurous bike ride, bought home made pickles and wine, and slowed down a bit.Read more