Doro 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 ...

... und von ein** B**gstadt aus den Ottomanen ein kleines Reich abgetrotzt. In 25 Schlachten mit den Ottomanen ging ** als Sieg** h**vor und sein Reich wurde **st 26 Jahre nach seinem Tod von den Ottomanen besiegt (in 1479). Die Alban** sehen sich als Rett** des Abendlandes, waren die Ottomanen doch zu ihr** sta**ksten Zeit in Schlachten mit Skand**b**g beschaeftigt statt die Truppen gen Wien zu schicken. <br><br>Albanien macht keinen sehr islamischen Eindruck, die ...

... the evening by our friend Kylie from Budva, and had a mellow night on the balcony again, minus the storm. Although we weren't in Tirana for long, we got a really good feeling from the city and from the Country in general. <br><br>Albania definitely has the elements to be a great tourist destination, it just needs the infrastructure. So have we have really enjoyed our time here, and I think time will show that it is a cool country worth knowing where to locate! <br><br>

... of Tirana, the other passengers having all vanished to their homes and hotels within minutes of arriving. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to check whereabouts the buses to Macedonia left from, so that I'd know my way there when I had to pick one up that evening. Lonely Planet, the fountain of knowledge, said they left "from the patch of mud in front of the train station" so I walked up Bul Zogu (round the corner from where I ...

... 1 hour earlier" than others. The road to Albania was leading right next to the Ohrid lake for most of the time, the views were wonderful. From the boarder to the nearest town in Albania there was a distance of 6km. For a little while we were walking towards the town with a certain Belgian guy, that was truly excited about the fact that he passed the "third world" curtain and actually only because of this fact he found himself in Albania. He turned ...

... Bristol, the oldest traveler id encountered thus far. Lisa was doing a little trip around Europe while Gregg was attempting to cycle to Australia. They seemed like nice people and we all arranged to hook up for a few social beers later in the evening. While cooking the tuna and pasta id brought with me from Trieste I ran into an Irish guy from Wexford, Patrick. No matter where in the world you go, no matter how remote, you are almost guaranteed to run into somebody Irish. He had been ...

... saying their brand of communism wasn't pure enough. He then became chummy with Moscow, but Hoxha, a hardcore Stalinist, broke with the Soviets in 1961, after refusing Khrushchev's demands for a submarine base in coastal Vlora and refuting many of the new Russia's communist ideals. The country reoriented itself with the People's Republic of China, undergoing its own brutal cultural revolution in 1966 an 1967. However, after Mao's death in 1976, Hoxha declared Chinese communism too ...

... their country! I felt guilty that we weren't staying for longer! The only reason we were so rushed was because Alex had plane tickets out of Corfu, Greece, where we had hotel reservations booked for the following 2 nights. So we somehow had to get down there, though we still had no idea how that would happen. From getting our entry stamps at the border, we got into the car that the officers had arranged with 2 older gentlemen who really spoke no english, had ...

... tin can of the next one for 20 minutes until it filled, then sweltered our way back to house. Well over 40 I reckon. We walked a good 20 minutes back to the house from where the bus dropped us off- v.tired in the heat. Stopped off to buy bigger-than-basketball sized watermelons, which seem to be in a complete glut here, then relaxed for about an hour at the house. I have no concept of time- no watch, so just while away the days- is great! The next door neighbour, who was Tonin's niece ...

... little better. The buildings are an odd mix. Most are very run down, or (at best) have a brightly painted facade attempting to cover the state of the place and then there are the recent developments. An initiative by the current mayor, these are all very modern designs and brightly painted, and looking very out of place. Oddly, most of the young people walking around seem very well dressed, as out of place as the new buildings. Until you get to Blloku, that is. Once the Communist Party ...