Meanderings Through Albania
A birthday in the Balkans.
Bit of a lengthy one today… if your email inbox cuts off the post, you can view in your browser here.
As mentioned last month, I spent my birthday in Albania this year, having travelled over for a wedding, and agreed with my partner to stay beyond a long weekend and turn it into a week of travels. My second time in the country, the first having been more of a beachy holiday two years ago on the Albanian Riviera further south, on this trip he was keen to show me around the areas where his roots lie; where he was born, spent his first few years, and where his family are from, so we spent time exploring different regions around the north.
It was interesting returning to a country that I don’t know but feel familiar with, almost by proxy. I am a guest, treated with the upmost hospitality (a crucial value for Albanians), but being along for the ride with a native, am sometimes party to the workings of the inner circle - which often means not paying the ‘tourist prices’ for something or other.
Two years on from my last visit to the country, with a growing economy, there was a sense of some developments; more card machines (though I’d advise taking cash that you can exchange there for the local LEK), and a few less rickety roads (but they are still plentiful). People want you to have a good time, really enjoy everything the country has to offer, and themselves like the good life. But that can mean very different things.
It often feels like a country of two halves; the haves and the haves not. On one suburban street alone you might find a three story detached house, surely built just in the last couple of years, opposite a row of small, shack-like housing, with corrugated iron roofs and a broken fence. No match for the aesthetics of a white picket version over the road, even if the large, perfectly painted house sits in what appears to be wasteland.
There are people still living, happily, one might assume, a simple life in the mountains, sustaining themselves with the lay of the land and produce of the animals they rear, while others relish the city life, sauntering through the streets of Tirana in designer labels, or enjoying cocktails at the beach. The disparity can largely be linked back to the fall of communism in the early ‘90s, and in the years after, who did what to make their money, and how and where they chose to reinvest it. The abundance of bars, restaurants and coffee shops is also a reflection of this, hospitality being a seemingly easy entrance point into the business world.
Albania is rich with influences from various periods of rule dating back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. On the corners of Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square, you’ll find a Catholic church, an Orthodox church, and a mosque, all within mere feet of each other. Architecture elsewhere in the city demonstrates Italian influence, from a period of occupation in the late ‘30s and early ‘40s.
In fact the wedding venue, Hoteli Gjuetise, located just over an hour north of Tirana in Lezhë, was originally built by an Italian count as a hunting residence lodge. These days it offers up a sophisticated oasis in the forest, popular for weddings as well it’s rooms and restaurant. The wedding itself was of course a beautiful affair, the coming together of an Albanian groom and English Bride, in a ceremony led and conducted by their friends and family - a heartfelt twist on the traditional. Cultures merged on the dancefloor with a combination of Whitney Houston and Albanian folk music to lead the valle - dances where everyone seems to know the steps but those who don’t have fun trying to keep up anyway, especially after a few rakis. With an abundance of courses on the menu (I think I counted somewhere between eight and ten!) and wine in full flow, the opportunity for movement is a very necessary part of the occasion.
Albania is not exactly everyone's top pick for a summer holiday destination, but is very much up and coming. If you overcome any pre-(mis)conceptions, ignore the headlines around the need for the UK government's ridiculous and bizarre "Rwanda policy", and start to believe the growing Instagram hype, you might just find the country hiking itself up your list.
Here are a few highlights and insights from my recent trip to whet your appetite.
Fresh Bedding
I think this was the first time I've been away and stayed in multiple hotels over the course of one trip. I'm not the backpacker type, so never did the island-hopping, hostel-stopping sort of adventure, and typically when going away I have one base for the duration. This time, with my partner in charge of the itinerary and keen for us to move around a little more, we stayed in three different hotel rooms across the course of a week.
Though the unpacking and re-packing was a bit of a faff, and the first hotel (where I spent my birthday) was incidentally my favourite (floor-to-ceiling windows across two walls - unbeatable lighting - in a room that felt bigger than our London flat), making a temporary home in three different settings was actually a fun treat. Each hotel was very different to the last - moving from beach resort vibes, to cosy cabin, to city chic - which brought a fresh momentum to each section of the trip.
All three were very affordable, yet at the mid-to-higher range of what's on offer. So there's bargains to be had in Albania if you like your fresh hotel bedding to come in different settings! But the sentiment of hotel-hopping being a real treat stands wherever you might be going on holiday, and it's something I'll consider for future trips too.
Primary Colours
Though synonymous with red and black, the colours of it's double-headed eagle flag, it’s green and blue that stand out in my mind when I think of Albania. The country's vast mountains instantly present themselves at the airport exit (giving Wales a run for it's money to be fair) and wherever you are at any given time, you can't help but feel surrounded by them. The land is rich with greenery, particularly the north, but having visited further south, I can attest that the lusciousness stretches.
The green sits between the sky, and so often, water, with a vast coastline and ample rivers and lakes. Meandering around Lake Shkodër is comparable to being at Lake Como, but with less resort hotels and more raw beauty. Whether in a car, on a beach sun-lounger, or perched on a balcony, overlooking the hills, it’s hard not to be in awe at the consistency of natural elements. A return to the Lumi i Shalës is a must, if only to settle the score with my partner on the exact colour of the jade/turquoise water.
Communicating Across the Shelves
On a wander around Shkodër one afternoon, I happily stumbled upon a local bookshop which I wasn’t sure would sell English language titles but thought I'd have a browse anyway. I gave the obligatory nod to the shopkeeper on the way in, and slid between the tightly lined shelves, spotting covers I recognised but with words I couldn't read.
Eventually I found a British author whose name I recognised as having written about Albania, and picked up one of her books. Upon realising what I was after, the owner let out an excited, "ah!" and proceeded to point out several shelves containing books written in English, specifically pulling out a few by the same author, Edith Durham.
While the selection in English wasn't huge, being in a bookshop brought a sense of familiarity, of belonging. I settled on one to purchase, smiling with gratitude for the man having led me to the section I needed. We may not share a language, but could communicate over our interest in flicking through pages of words.
As I paid, he asked, "where from?". "Wales," I replied, to which he gave a pleasant nod - though I'm never sure if people actually know where I'm talking about. Nevertheless, it got me a free pen thrown in with my copy of The Burden of the Balkans, which I'm yet to start but will read with intrigue and fond memories.
New Connections
Earlier on at the same bookshop, as I walked past and peered in with my partner - who does not share the same love of hectic shelves, hence I returned alone - we had a brief exchange with a woman, who spoke English, as she browsed the postcards on display outside. She was visiting from Belgium, her first time in the country, and enjoying a day in the local town.
A few hours later as we arrived at a back-street family-run lunch spot, it turned out she'd sourced the same recommendation and was sat at a table outside. We took the next table over and spent much of the lunch in conversation with her.
Travelling alone, she had a full itinerary planned moving up and down the country, and a real curiosity for it. She didn't know much about the history, but was keen to learn, and took great interest as my partner shared insights to the culture and communities. Our lunchtime companion had done a lot of solo travel, and shared tales, good and bad, as to what that's like as a woman, and how she's learnt to have her guard in place without losing a sense of adventure.
We parted with mutual encouragement, a book recommendation from me (Free, by Lea Ypi) and a language app from her (I felt the shame that she was already learning more Albanian phrases that I have in my repertoire!). We also exchanged numbers, in case she needed an Albanian speaker or any advice from someone who knows the country while travelling around.
Such a pleasant afternoon exchange, and I was glad to have been a part of her trip as having had her part of mine.
Adventures in A&E
An unfortunate part of the trip was a bout of food poisoning, the effects of which lasted several days and inevitably impacted my enjoyment of sightseeing as I battled with nausea while trying to take it all in.
The day I woke up feeling unwell, after a few hours of trying various remedies to help the situation, I seemed to be getting worse rather than better, and my partner insisted on a trip to the hospital. No part of me wanted to go, but I lacked the energy to argue. Nervous they would laugh or turn me away for the ridiculousness of having come to A&E after a dodgy meal, the experience couldn't have been more different.
The medical staff were as kind as they were efficient, and after what was probably only a 30 minute wait (even if it did feel like a lifetime) I was in a room being injected with something or other to “calm” me and getting hooked up to an IV drip with a concoction of three substances to help with the pain, nausea and dehydration. After the drip bag emptied, and having had a bit more of a lie down, I wasn't exactly cured but over the next few hours did feel some life come back into me - though still exhausted and now with an insatiable thirst. I was sent home with a few prescription goodies and a sense of gratitude that I had actually dragged myself into the car and let myself be seen to.
Having never had food poisoning I'm not really sure on the protocol, but I don't think I'd have had the same medical response in the UK - definitely not as swift a service through A&E. But more than that, this unfortunate experience was a reminder that sometimes the people who care for us do actually know better than us, and it's okay to hand over ourselves over to be taken care of. Something I am notoriously bad at, but will perhaps be more mindful of in future - and would encourage you to be too.
Good to look at the silver linings of these things.
Culinary Highlights
Due to the spot of food poisoning, I wasn't able to enjoy food in the way I would usually on a holiday which was a bit of a shame, but did manage to get a few stand out meals in around that - including the lunch platter my partner and I shared as we chatted to our new Belgian acquaintance.
My birthday was full of delicious fare, including lunch literally on the sea, where I enjoyed a crisp glass of white wine (a rarity for me as a staunch red drinker) accompanied by a caesar salad, grilled veggies, crispy flatbread, and fries. Oh and extra bread, because we forgot they'd serve a basket for free. Can there be too many sides? I think not.
To be honest, knowing we had dinner booked it was probably over indulgent. But I blame my partner. He was the steering bad influence that day (not least with 11am G&Ts).
Later in the eve we went to Mrizi i Zanave which had been booked for months as a birthday treat. The sustainable, farm to table, changing-with-the-seasons approach means there's no menu to peruse, but rather staff verbally reel off what's on offer each day, and patrons pick and choose what sounds good. We let the waitress pick for us, so it was all a surprise as to how many courses and what we'd be tasting, but it didn't disappoint.
From cornbread to byrek, mini platters of cheese and cured meet, to veggies battered, grilled and pickled, and succulent lamb, it was a feast for all the senses. In addition to a carafe of a deep red, we drank a sort of rose cordial, served on arrival but acting as a good palate cleanser too. At the end of the meal I was surprised with a birthday cheesecake laden with petals and candles. A light and tasty end to the day.
A few days later, I'd really lost my appetite, but found a saving grace in the form of mountain tea - an Albanian speciality that got me through hours of shivers, the warming taste of something giving my fearful but rumbling tummy the satiation it needed.
By the last supper I was grateful to feel the inclination to nibble something, no doubt helped by the glorious setting of the restaurant at Ajman Park, Shijak, surrounded by beautiful gardens and dazzling fountains galore. A superfood salad did the trick, providing a concoction of fruits and veggies I’d not have thought to put together but have been meaning to replicate since. Bright mango met with chopped dried apricots, pomegranate seeds and red peppers, avocado, cranberries and tomatoes, on a bed of iceberg, to create such an interesting flavour combination that actually felt like it was piecing me back together. A generous drizzle of balsamic glaze added an extra kick. Accompanied by the squishiest bread you might ever hope to tear and share, as starters go this was one to remember. By the time my simple main of pesto linguine arrived, I could only manage a few mouthfuls, but, you know, c'est la vie.
Unlike when I'm usually on holiday, by the end of this trip I was kind of ready to leave, though I'm sure that was largely due to the few days of sickness endured. Despite that though, I felt like I'd had a fairly long break, with each day really different from the last, adding variety and new experiences. It's funny how in some ways that offers more of a sense of switching off than a week spent by pool with a pile of books - relaxing, for sure, but it becomes a new routine you ease into, rather than moving through the unexpected.
A trip to Albania can be full of the unexpected, in fun and beautiful ways. Hit me up for more recommendations if you’re thinking of taking a trip, but in the meantime enjoy discovering something new, wherever your summer travels may take you.
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PS … thank you to Claire Venus for the encouragement to commit to essay writing this year via Sparkle on Substack!
