Diplomat Hotel Tirana

Kruja was a short day trip out of Tirana. <br><br>There is a well preserved fortress that has now been converted into a museum on Albania history of Skanderberg - a prominent Albania figure in 14th century who lead ...

... staying in a converted house on the edge of the town, very comfortable, lots of trees, an almost complete verandah around the house and friendly cats and dogs, it made a great retreat in what is an very un-western, un-developed and barren town.<br>The town Square enclosed a large statue to a previous warrior/leader (500 years ago, rising up against the turks) a mosque, the decorative 'Palace of Culture' and general government ...

... drivers seem to love the modern Greek highways, clipping along at break-neck speed only slightly moderated by the need to flick cigarette ashes out the window in a gesture of contempt for the rules, if not the actual passengers who indirectly pay their salary. Prohibitions against smoking on the bus apparently do not apply to the driver. Approaching the border we climb high into the hills finally reaching the Albanian border some time after ...

... of larger imports but the Albanians have taken it to excess (much like the car honking). I eventually stumbled into a little café and ordered myself a bottle of Tirana lager for 1.50ALL (98p). I can certainly see why they're not big fans of this particular drink, it's not exactly a world class brew- at 4% strong it's about the strength of Carling and about half as drinkable (and that's an achievement in itself). To add insult to injury ...

... the fall of communism this area was reserved solely for government officials. What was once a totally forbidden area has now become the number one spot for Tirana's youth where you will find the best cafes, shops and restaurants. You can also visit the former villa of Enver Hoxha, but with it being just a three story pastel coloured house there is not much to see. After all the sight seeing was done I was in this shop buying stuff for my dinner. When I carried all the food to the till ...

... long all-inclusive. He is currently researching for a motorcycle tour across Albania. From Vlore north to Tirane, the terrain has been much easier on us although not nearly as beautiful. Them's are the trade-offs, I suppose. We are looking to catch a train for 100 km or so to get us within striking distance of the Montenegran border tomorrow. We'll see how well that idea pans out. Trains don't seem to run on any kind of schedule around here. Bye for now, A+R

... visit. However, our experiences completely contradicted what we had previously heard. Soon after crossing the border from Montenegro we were befriended by an Albanian couple who taught English and loved England and its people. After taking a minivan to the capital Tirane with them they offered us in for a coffee. Their hospitality was amazing; this coffee was actually a banquet with fresh ham, cheese, peppers, fruit, and the offer of a free room in their sisters ...

... Greece, where we had to be the next day since we had reservations (and I eventually would leave from to go back home 2 days later). After collecting bits and peaces of info, while getting some 'Leke' (there local currency) from an ATM machine, we saw a sign for a tourist office. Best move we made. The gentleman in the tourist office was another prime example of how kind Albanians truly are. He made a few phone calls, found us the bus ...

... to ours in the distance, with a valley in between. The valley to our left sank so low that looking down at its villages was something like looking out of an airplane. The engine in our van made a bit of an unusual hum at this altitude, the air being as thin as it was. We drove by a lonely petrol station at the top of the mountain and we pitty the fellow who has to commute to that. Seeing all the mountains in the distance was an instant ...

Um dos Highlights da minha viagem, pelo menos em termos non comercial... Que e q se pode dizer acerca da albania...hmm..bem, pa comecar, sao uns xulos, para se entrar e preciso pagar 10 euros(!!) e pa sair outros 10!depois deste comite de boas vindas, tive q dar mais 10 euros ao xulo do taxista pa me levar a 1a cidade...bem, qd la xeguei...como ja tive em paises arabes, n estranhei mt...Albania e a passagem entre a Europa e o medio oriente...tipo turkia(imagino...nunca la fui)Mas ha q ...