Beer Capital

I hate to admit it, but I’m on the way home. At least in terms of directional planning. 21 hours and 2000 kilometers that need to be bridged in seven days. I hate long driving days and prefer to maintain the vacation feeling over staying in a certain area for as long as possible. Three hours daily at the wheel are acceptable and so I’ve planned my route home with stops accordingly.

Ironically (considering how I just described my return trip), I feel like I’m slowing down, feeling less driven. There was a lot more uncertainty, indecision and insecurity in my itinerary during the first ten days. Lots of ”what am I even doing?”. It feels like I’ve fallen back into the travel groove. Hit the sweet spot between feeling unmotivated and stressing. The Taoist wu wei. Effortless action.

My groove leads me to Korçë, the city I associate primarily with Albania’s most popular beer. Where I notice something else. The more I find my center, the less I take pictures with my iPhone and the more I find the right angles with my Sony. The photographic mojo returning.

Without looking at the travel guide or searching the internet for tips, I park near the city center and drift aimlessly through the streets, getting a natural feeling for its architecture, people and stray dogs. I finish with a meat-heavy Albanian dinner and – of course – local beer, before driving another hour to camp near Lake Ohrid.Weiterlesen