BUNKERS, BEACHES AND BOOZE - Tirana, Vlore and Himare, Albania

.....previously, our time in the south of Serbia here.....

Sal looked at the old style Air Serbia propeller plane with dread. Rich assured her her would be OK, and after a bone rattling take off, the little retro plane flew us with no issues all the way to Tirana, Albania. 

Landing at Mother Theresa Airport (I kid you not), we had what must be the easiest transition into a new country ever for us. The small airport was nearly empty and we only waited five minutes to see the chatty immigration staff who were all smiles and welcomed us enthusiastically to Albania! Our luggage was waiting, the airport ATM worked, and the shuttle bus literally stopped in front of us to wizz us into the city center. Before too long we were resting at a cafe/bar on the way to our hostel, listening to the lunch time call to pray and toasting each other with a deliciously smooth raki! What an entrance!

Sal in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, Albania

Our arrival drinks, Tirana, Albania

We'd decided on another hostel to ease our way into a new country, and although it wasn't anywhere as good as Sun Hostel in Belgrade (no-where will ever compare now!), we had a big room to ourselves with AC to combat the intense southern Balkan heat (even in September), and an amazing rooftop area to watch the sunset, and chat with other travellers. We were now for the first time starting to see a trickle of people on the road again, travelling around Europe in the best ways they could with the ever-changing restrictions in place.

Sunset from Tirana hostel roof

Tirana is quite tiny for a capital city, and quite unlike any we have visited before. The population is officially Muslim, but it wasn't immediately apparent. Alcohol was for sale everywhere, and people mostly dressed in a Western/European style. However, there were a few women dressed in Turkish-style Muslim clothes, some men had beards and prayer caps, and there was a lovely subtle call to prayer from the few mosques around the city. Unfortunately, one of the most beautiful mosques in Albania, Et'hem Bey, was under renovation, and not only could we not visit, but we couldn't even see it at all, as it was covered in scaffolding. People were more friendly and approachable than in Serbia, and had a slightly different, darker look to the Serbian Slavs.

The Orthodox and Catholic churches were also well represented, with Mother Theresa nuns and orthodox priests noticeable in the streets, as well as a few churches scattered about town. Religious freedoms were banned in Albania during the communist times when atheism was the imposed ideology of choice by the leaders. Many churches and mosques were destroyed. A massive new church and mosque are both currently being built in Tirana.

Visual signs of the old Communist days were also dotted around Tirana. The massive tiled main square was very much in the socialist style, with uplifting murals and statues. It was named Skanderbeg after the heroic nobleman who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in the 1400s, but his statue was the modern replacement for the likes of Stalin and dictator Enver Hoxha which were previously in position. We especially liked the rare statues of Stalin which were in hiding around the back of the art gallery, and had survived from the post WW2 era. Apparently, much of the physical reminder of the communist times in Tirana had been removed by people traumatised by their experiences during the regime.

Massive space of Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, Albania

A giant, rare Stalin statue, Tirana, Albania

Can't leave out Lenin, Tirana, Albania

Albania had a tough time during WW2, when they were occupied first by Mussolini's fascist army and then Nazi Germany. After liberation by the partisans, the authoritarian leader, Enver Hoxha took power and ruled with a Stalin-style communist government until the 1980s. It was a brutal and paranoid regime with thousands of land owners and opposition politicians and their families standing trial, discredited, exiled, killed or sent to labour camps. Albania was also isolated from the rest of the world- even eventually from the USSR and China, but interestingly experienced increased economic growth during that period, due to a boost in local productivity.

Two sights in Tirana fitted in with our learnings about Hoxha and the strange and secretive communist era. The first was a gigantic underground bunker on the outskirts of the city, built in the 1970s, abandoned for years, then recently opened as a exhibition space called Bunk'Art. Hoxha's original idea for the shelter came from a visit to North Korea, and fitted in well with his extreme paranoia about being attacked. The place was in the middle of a forest, built into a mountainside, and visiting when we did, we were completely alone, which added to the eeriness. Many rooms were set up with displays of working communication offices, ventilation/generator rooms, sleeping quarters, and there was even a enormous assembly hall, intended for parliamentary meetings in case of a nuclear or chemical crisis. There were thick concrete doors to seal off the long corridors and the temperature was 16 degrees inside (quite a relief for us!). There are hundreds of thousands of small concrete defensive structures remaining all over Albania from the communist times. We also enjoyed the journey to the bunker on a little bus with helpful passengers, including a woman carrying a noisy, live chicken in a plastic bag with it's little head poking out the top. Unfortunately though, we had boarded the wrong bus, and had a very long detour in 35 degree heat up a hill to arrive at the bunker. We did stop at a cafe and had an enjoyable chat with the down-to-earth young owner (with perfect English) for hours about all sorts of topics, and leant much about the current state of affairs in Albania. It just goes to show it's often the journey, not the destination that takes on greater meaning.

A doorway to Bunk'Art, Tirana, Albania

Re-enforced doorways in Bunk'Art, Tirana, Albania

A side note that we found amusing at the bunker. In a city and region where life carries on as normal during the so-called "pandemic", and people are relaxed to say the least about social distancing and the wearing of masks, the health security at Bunk'Art was more than slightly over the top. After a temperature check (!), we were asked more than once to make sure we wore a mask and social distanced while on the premises. This is the only time we have heard those phrases used in three months in Serbia and Albania, and for it be requested in a venue out in the middle of nowhere, where we were literally the only people there besides the woman in the ticket booth was somewhat bizarre!

The other absolutely fascinating sight in Tirana was The House of Leaves, the secret service building during the communist regime. Many rooms had displays of retro spy equipment, such as recording apparatus, examples of secret cameras and bugging devices and photography darkrooms. Other rooms had videos playing secret footage of people that were under surveillance at the time, or actual propaganda films that were shown in cinemas. There were harrowing displays of people that had suffered and/or died by the hand of the secret police branch of the government, who were obsessed with finding traitors, and who's definition of "the enemy" could include just about anyone. Detainees were kept in prisons or sent to work in hard labour camps. The museum was a completely intriguing look into the covert world of espionage, and the consequential persecution.

Keeping an eye on us, House of Leaves, Tirana, Albania

Many propaganda posters, House of Leaves, Tirana, Albania

Old propaganda movie poster, House of Leaves, Tirana, Albania

The Pyramid of Tirana was a massive weird glass triangle sticking out of a park in central Tirana. It was originally opened as a museum for the recently deceased Enver Hoxha, but after the end of communism, it was adopted for various other uses including, weirdly, a NATO base. Nowadays, it is broken and uncared for, covered in razor wire and graffiti. Apparently there was opposition to it's demolition, so for now it's life limps on.

The strange Tirana Pyramid, with tiny Sal

Many of the residential apartment blocks in Tirana were originally built in a typical socialist style of function over flair, but in 2000 the local mayor decided things needed brightening up, and embarked on a painting spree that saw parts of the city's blocks transformed into colourful rainbows. 

Lovely addition of colour, Tirana apartment block

We may have been over ambitious booking in for a week's stay in Tirana, not realizing the small scale of the place, and after seeing all we wanted to, we were keen to get on and hit the coast.

Old bridge, Tirana, Albania

Tirana gentleman

Confusing parking areas, Tirana, Albania

The first point of call was Vlore, a biggish town on the Adriatic Sea south of Tirana, where we would start our explorations down the Albanian coast. We had a fantastic room near the beach, and the family who lived downstairs were helpful and friendly. It was in a quiet area of sandy laneways and half built extensions on houses- people hoping to cash in on the tourist trade. Unfortunately for them, it was deadly quiet when we visited. Not much traffic passed by on our street- there were a couple of horse and cart men selling goods, a man moving his goats down the road every morning, and a local bus running every hour to and from the town. Gifts of homegrown fruit from our hosts were appreciated, especially two giant pomegranates, although by the time Sal had prepared them to eat, the kitchen and herself looked like something from a murder scene!

Pomegranate and coffee breaky, Vlore, Albania

The centre of town was more lively with the ubiquitous cafes every few steps, and plenty of food choices and shops. The Plazhi i Ri on the other side of the town centre was more pleasant than the beach closest to where we were staying, and we relished playing in the beautifully clear sea and taking in some rejuvenating sun rays. The river beaches in Serbia were a great alternative to the sea, but there's nothing like the real thing!

Selfie concentration, Vlore, Albania

On a walk around the town centre, we visited a couple of Ottoman-era mosques on the way uphill to a strange complex inhabited by the Bektashi Order. This mystical stream of Islam, found mostly in Anatolia and the Balkans, sort of fuses the Sufi and Shia concepts. Although we were keen to learn more about this faith, there wasn't a soul about to educate us, but we still enjoyed the amazing view at the top.

Ottoman-era Muradie Mosque, Vlore, Albania

View from temple, Vlore, Albania

Craving a smaller town vibe, we took another furgon, this time to Himare, a little place further down the "Albanian Riviera" coastline on the Ionian Sea. 

Near empty furgon, Vlore to Himare, Alania

The scenery during the bus trip was unexpectedly gorgeous. We very quickly left the coast and climbed into the hills, covered in olive groves, citrus trees and grape vines. As we went higher into the fresh mountain air, pine forests and springs appeared, and stalls at the side of the road sold honey and mountain tea. 

Deciding to just turn up and find a room turned out to be an exhausting experience, walking up and down hills in the heat to find something suitable, but it was worth it when we bagged ourselves a lovely apartment with a sea view balcony, two bedrooms (!), and a wee kitchen.

View of Ionian Sea from Himare apartment, Albania

Himare was everything we needed. Small enough for us to have a cute local cafe/bar for strong morning coffees and strong late afternoon rakis, and a two minute walk from our apartment to the beach. Big enough to have a few small supermarkets and cheap places to eat, and enough transport options to see us on our way. The beaches were glorious, several small bays stretching south, and barely any bodies on them, only a few straggling holiday makers. The sand was coarse, which we loved as it didn't get into every crevice, and the water was both sandy and pebbly, giving a beautiful clear, blue colour. It was also very salty, and we spent a lot of the time floating around looking up at the blue sky.

Himare beach, Albania

Gorgeous clear water, Himare, Albania

Fruit plate from our hosts (the squash are real!!)

A long hot slog up to Old Himare was well worth the effort. Some local old boys welcomed us, and over a coffee, we learnt that this area has close ties with Greece (being so near geographically), and that the inhabitants of Old Himare only spoke Greek. Reading up afterwards, we leant that the people here and in some other nearby coastal villages call themselves "Horiani", which means they are locals who speak Greek. It is an old fashioned version of the language that is no longer found in Greece. 

Cottage amongst the olive trees, Himare, Albania

Wandering the old town, Himare, Albania

Prickly pear growing, Himare, Albania

Church still in use, Himare, Albania

Unusual church interior, Himare, Albania

View from the top, Himare, Albania

We loved exploring the nearly deserted and extremely atmospheric ruins on a hill overlooking the coastline. The stone buildings rambled up and down the slopes, with bougainvillea and fig trees growing wildly in amongst the rubble. The Byzantine-era castle contained a small town including a few houses that appeared to still be inhabited, and a couple of churches that looked like they were occasionally used for services, but on the whole it was abandoned and falling down. 

Rich and the blue door, Himare, Albania

Murals inside church, Himare, Albania

The obligatory old window photo!

Inside old building, Himare, Albania

Icons in a church, Himare, Albania

Church tower and grapes, Himare, Albania

Charming stone back lane, Old Himare, Albania

Daily temperatures were changing from boiling hot to just normally hot, but in the evenings we could feel a change of season coming on. Still not knowing what the future would hold, we decided the best thing to do for now would be to stay in Albania for the full 90 days we were allowed. This gave us more time for explorations of the coast further to the south.

Best flag ever!

.....read on for our wonderful time in Ksamil and Sarande, Albania.....