The time of year was approaching where we would normally be heading back to South East Asia to have some R and R on Ko Fruitopia after our year of travelling. Obviously, this wasn't to happen, as all of South East Asia was still closed (apart from a couple of unattainable options for the likes of us). A pretty good option was to continue our beach time in Albania by travelling further down the coast to the far south and Ksamil.
Packing up at the end of summer, Monastery Beach, Albania
The furgon (small bus) down the coast was hugely interesting. A winding road followed the coast, with tiny bays sparkling in the sun, ancient hilltop villages, castles jutting into the sea and what looked like a Communist-era abandoned military base, complete with James Bond-style submarine cave! Unfortunately, Sal was as sick as a dog, and was only watching the inside of a plastic bag, hoping it didn't have any holes in it.
We are inherent beach snobs, having lived in Australia, and spent so much time on Thai islands, not to mention visiting beautiful beaches in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia regularly. Sal, in particular, was very dismissive of European beaches (although some of that could have been our only other European beach experience on Sunny Beach, Bulgaria!).
Ksamil, however, was an absolute eye opener. Never before had we experienced such gorgeous clear blue water- it really had to be seen to be believed. Several stunning small bays were strung out along the Ksamil coast for a few kilometres, all sparkling water and clean sandy beaches. Several islands were close to the shore, and massive Corfu loomed in the background. It was strange to be so close to both Greece and Italy. We occasionally saw huge ferries further out, presumably going between Greece and Italy (the regular ferry from Sarande to Corfu had been cancelled).
Arriving at Ksamil, Albania
Lovely clear water, Ksamil, Albania
Islands off Ksamil, Albania
Looking out at the Ionian Sea, Ksamil, Albania
The rocky backdrop inland of olive groves and goats wandering around added a true Mediterranean feel. The fact that it was early October, and the weather was absolutely splendid 25-30 degrees only made it more perfect.
The village proved itself to be friendly and relaxed from the moment we got off the bus. We sat and drank a coffee in the central cafe in the gorgeous warm sun. We were approached by a man we had met in Tirana and his friend, and chatted about local issues for some time. We said goodbye, and wandered along the lane on the way to our accommodation, stopping briefly when an old man making home-made raki in a still in his back yard insisted we join him for a shot, which we were happy to do. What a delicious taste!
Friendly neighbours making raki, Ksamil, Albania
Our room didn't come with a sea view this time, but was perfectly placed in the village to be quiet, yet only a few minutes walk from the centre and the beach (and again we had two bedrooms!). Most of the Ksamil backstreets were pleasant "villas", built big enough to occupy the family, and had a few rooms or apartments for tourists to rent. When they all fill up in summer, it must be a very different place to the one we visited! There wasn't much open food-wise in the village, apart from a few cafes and posh restaurants for the remaining rich tourists. There was, however, a substantial supermarket in the centre where we bought basic food and cooked it in our apartment.
Our accommodation, Ksamil, Albania
Part of our little apartment, Ksamil, Albania
People's backyard's in Albania amazed us, and Ksamil was no different. The variety of homegrown fruit and veggies was astounding. Common plants in back street gardens included pomegranates (nearly every home had at least one tree), ditto for grapes, persimmons, citrus, olives and tons of basil. Other popular choices were fig trees and quinces.
Pomegranates growing, Ksamil, Albania
Unidentified flowering tree, Ksamil, Albania
Most days in Ksamil were spent on the gorgeous beaches - we didn't know how long the fine weather would last and wanted to make the most of it! We tried various spots- all had the lovely water and sand, but some were a little more lively than others. There weren't many tourists around but it was the most we had seen in one place so far in Albania.
Gorgeous views, Ksamil, Albania
Near empty beach, Ksamil, Albania
Our favourite beach, Ksamil, Albania
A surprising and welcome aspect to Albania beaches was that the locals themselves have a beach culture. In most countries we visit, the beach is for the tourists, with the locals thinking it's madness to spend time lying in the sun, preferring to stay in the shade. Albanians, however, enjoyed their beaches- catching rays and swimming is part of their culture, and we liked that very much! Being Muslim, we were fully expecting some kind of burkini scene going on, but there was nothing like that at all.
All this exploring in Albania was wonderful, but our finances were on our minds, as we had spent more being in the Balkans than we would had we been in South East Asia as we had planned. We decided to stay in nearby Sarande for a month to try to keep costs down slightly.
After using the old-fashioned approach of wandering around town and asking locals for accommodation options, we lucked out on finding a penthouse apartment on the sea front, smack bang in the middle of the promenade. It boasted a huge, light-filled living space, fully equipped kitchen and a balcony twice as big as any room we've had in the Balkans! We even had a washing machine! Staying put for longer time is always cheaper than travelling about (a major reason for our slow travel philosophy in life), and the price for this apartment was less per night than we had paid anywhere else in the country. As well as cutting costs for the month, Rich took the opportunity to resume his important exercise regime he had missed out on so far this year, due to no long stays in Penang or Ko Fruitopia. The lounge room was plenty big enough to spread out a mat and full water bottles served well as weights. He was very happy!
Morning view from Sarande apartment, Albania
Our sunny living space, Sarande, Albania
Not having had a proper kitchen to cook in for so long, we immediately went shopping for all the yummy, fresh produce we were craving. We had a funny experience when we visited the tiny local market first. It was just the place we usually love, full of little old ladies selling fresh produce from their back yards- vegies, honey, figs and raki. We delved in, and picked out a selection to keep us going for a few days. When the sweet looking lady showed us the price breakdown, we were surprised, to say the least, that everything was at least three times the price we would have paid elsewhere. We had a good natured laugh about how expensive it was, and her prices rapidly fell, but in the end we decided to give up, and patronize one of dozens of small fruit shops in the town. These had prices clearly shown, and we took advantage of tasty in season treats- figs, pomegranates, apples and grapes, as well as all the usual healthy salad options. The local supermarkets were stocked full of great local products, such as a multitude of dried beans, cheeses (salty goat feta was our favourite), coffees, yogurts and jams packed with fruity yumminess. Added to this were the numerous seafood shops where we bought prawns and fresh sardines and the amazing bakeries with lovely fluffy bread. The climate was so compatible with the Mediterranean cuisine. Food was very affordable, especially cooking for ourselves, and combined with our bargain apartment, we felt a bit more secure financially.
Our selection of goodies, Sarande, Albania
Sarande is sometimes called a city, which is a bit of an exaggeration, really. It was a biggish town, full of apartment buildings and hotels climbing up the hill, a serene little harbour and port, a few posh eateries along the sea front, and dozens of cafe/bars and small local shops in the heart of town. Church bells and the mosque's call to prayer rang out alternatively and unobtrusively during the day. Most days we hung out on our balcony in the sun, drank strong coffee and raki at a couple of our favourite cafe/bars, cooked, exercised, listened to music and caught up on news on the internet. There weren't many sights in the town itself, but we enjoyed some lovely days out by foot or bus during our stay here.
Sarande harbour, Albania
Some interesting eating options, Sarande, Albania
One of our favourite cafes, Sarande, Albania
The fishing port at the far end of town had a surprising amount of action, with the guys bringing in 100 kg tunas, amongst other things. Rich was in heaven just being around all the fishermen fixing nets, sorting fish and repairing their boats. Down the other end of town along the coast were small resorts and more apartments, mostly deserted at this time of year, and empty beaches. It wasn't very appealing to us.
Bollard at fishing port, Sarande, Albania
Midday at the fishing port, Sarande, Albania
Decorative wall, Sarande, Albania
Fisherman near mango Beach, Sarande, Albania
The St George Monastery and nearby small Monastery Beach cove were quiet and beautiful, although we endured a nasty, surprise attack by swarms of mosquitos whilst climbing up and down the monastery hill. The monastery itself was closed, but the sweeping views were a lovely perspective of the surrounding islands and bays.
View from high up at St George Monastery, Sarande, Albania
Window detail, St George Monastery, Sarande, Albania
Lovely bay, Monastery beach, Sarande
Lekuresi Castle, overlooking the town of Sarande had the best panoramic view- what a strategic place this must have been to view what was going on down below in all directions. It was originally built in the 1500s, although there didn't seem to be much left from that time. The restaurant that had been incorporated into the remains was actually very tasteful and boasted amazing views. As well as the beautiful gleaming sea aspect, the opposite direction showed off the mountains and many speckled small villages and farmland.
Looking out at mountains from ruins, Lekuresi Castle, Sarande
Gorgeous look out, Lekuresi Castle, Sarande
A trip to the end of the southern bus route took us to some ruins including the Triangular Castle and the Ali Pasha Castle on an island off the coast. The day included a walk through some marshlands to see remnants of old look outs, bunkers and yet another huge unexplained underground tunnel complex in the side of a hill. We touched on this in the first Albania blog post, but there are literally hundreds of thousands of these old defence structures dotted around Albania- some huge complexes, some small look outs. The Socialist leader, Hoxha, was somewhat paranoid about an enemy invasion.
Looking out the other side, Sarande
Calm lagoon, Sarande
A church on the hill, Sarande
Part of Venetian castle ruins, Sarande
Man searching for bait in the marsh, Sarande
Roadside lookout, Albania
Decorated bunker on the beach, Albania
Scenically placed look out bunker, Sarande
One of the best day trips saw us heading inland, and catching a little bus to Delvine, a surprisingly large and bustling town about 40 minutes drive from Sarande. There was a small old part of town with a central square and the usual cafes (they really are literally everywhere in Albania!). We loved the walk up to the crumbling ruined castle on a hill over looking the town and the surrounding countryside of mostly big hills covered with olive groves and citrus orchards. Not a beach in sight!
Little critter we saw on our walk
Old buildings in Delvine, Albania
Wandering the castle ruins, Delvine, Albania
What a poser!
Atmospheric ruins on Delvine hill, Albania
Scenic Delvine, Albania
An unexpected feature of Sarande, and maybe Albania in general, was the huge amount of ex-pat Americans living there. They are granted a free one year stay when they arrive, and apparently with the current world situation, hoards of them are moving to Albania- one of the few places in the world to which they are welcome with no restrictions. For the many of them who work on-line, it is a really great situation to be in- especially at the moment. We caught up with a few at the American Bar, and although we had radically different lifestyles, they were a jovial bunch, and we enjoyed speaking with some native English speakers.
It was during our stay in Ksamil and Sarande that we really realized how lovely the Albanians are- generous, patient, laid back, friendly, all in an understated way. Their attitude to life and it's details was wonderfully accepting and relaxed. One local man we spoke to thought their national psyche was a result of being under such a strict dictatorship for so many years.
Patiently working away on the boat, fishing port, Sarande, Albania
The early November days were still gloriously warm, in the mid-20s, but nights were turning chilly, and we realized the long Riviera summer was gradually coming to an end. We had another choice about where to head to next. We found it's hard to enjoy and live in the moment, sometimes, when the future is so uncertain. Probably most people in the world are feeling some kind of version of this. Before we left Sarande, we took advantage of the many second hand clothes shops in town, and added a few more cold weather items to our wardrobe, just in case. The woman in one shop was generous in both her prices, and her insistence on not only giving us a shot of her yummy home made raki, but filling a bottle to take away with us! Maybe we did pay too much for the clothes! We had some appealing destination choices, and headed off to explore a bit more of southern Albania.
PS. Sarande had some distinctive, arty signs that looked very retro, although we can't say for sure when they were produced. Sal became enthralled, Rich was patient.
Funky Sarande signs, Albania
By the way.....we have said this before, but if anyone is receiving this blog post via email, and are not interested or annoyed by the updates, please let us know. We don't want to force ourselves onto anyone!!!
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.
