Scottsdale to Tirana, Albania

Tuesday – Wednesday, April 23 – 24

Our very long trip began in the pre-dawn darkness when our dear friend Diane Smith drove us to the airport for the first of four flights our travel entailed.  We went from Phoenix to Washington, DC to Zurich to Vienna to Tirana comfortably without a hitch – or much sleep. 

Enea, our guide and driver, met us at the airport to drive us to our hotel in the center of Tirana, Albania’s capital city.  The traffic was chaotic, with lanes merging without advance warning and drivers disregarding all protocols in free-for-all traffic circles; we’re glad Tom has handed off the driving duties for the upcoming week!  As we entered the center city, we noticed the interesting colors of many of the buildings, a result of a scheme by a former mayor, now prime minister, to lighten the ambience after the somber gray years of the dictatorship.

Our hotel is in the center of the city, near the main square, parliament, cultural institutions, monuments, and government offices.  After getting settled, we met Enea for a drink in the rooftop bar so that he could go over our week’s itinerary, and give us some tips about money and other practicalities for the week ahead.  

Then, we headed out to the main square and some of the pretty, tree-lined streets before leaving Enea until tomorrow morning.  Skanderbeg Square, the very large, pedestrianized central square, was named for Albania’s national hero, whose equestrian statue stands on one side of the space.  Nearby are three other symbols of the nation’s history, the flag, a clock tower, and the minaret of a 17^th century mosque.  Lined up with them is the nearby Plaza Hotel’s modern skyscraper, a symbol of contemporary Albania.  Many of the government ministry buildings in the area were built in the neoclassical style by Italian architects and craftsmen and a carousel in the square is decorated in Venetian scenes; the postwar Italian influence here is strong.  

A totally different architectural heritage is reflected in Bunk’Art, a Cold War-era underground bomb shelter whose domed roof pops up through the pavement in the city center; it has been turned into a museum.  We’ve read that there are many such structures through Albania, a legacy of the paranoia of the former dictator, Enver Hoxha; this was the first we’ve seen.

We also visited the Orthodox Christian Cathedral of the Resurrection, with its mosaics, huge dome, iconostasis and glowing candles.  On the same block, we encountered newsmen and cameramen waiting and filming as several (apparent) notables arrived at the headquarters of the ruling socialist party. 

We wandered some more, hoping to find a market and bazaar area Enea had shown us where we could eat at a traditional restaurant.  Our search came to naught and we wound up eating outdoors on the tree-shaded patio of an Italian restaurant with some Albanian specialties on the menu.

A sort walk around the corner brought us back to our hotel, long-awaited showers, efforts to string a few words and photos together here, and now – SLEEP!