Hotel Rogner Europapark 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 ...

... the way.. Then she picked me up after her work and braught me into her amazing flat. It was just unbelieveable! We had a lot of great chats and laughs and after preparing a big bowl of fruit salad we went out with some friends of them.<br><br>So, my plan to be in Greece did not work out, but it turned out better. Unexpectet changes are what makes this journey so special, and i really enjoyed the fortune to have met this people in Tirane!!!!<br><br>

... One Euro." I passed him the one Euro coin I had in my pocket for this purpose and considered pointing out, childishly, that I didn't have to pay to get into Serbia. I didn't think he'd find it funny, although I don't really think he'd find anything funny apart from Norman Wisdom DVDs and beheading Serbs. I went back to the bus and sat back down before a little girl approached me, stared at me for a while and finally muttered "Hello" to ...

Saranda is a city south of Albania and in front of Corfu Island. The city has a story af many centuries dating back to 4-th and 3-rd century BC. The ruins of the old city can be seen at Butrint, which is 15 minutes from Saranda by car. Saranda has monuments and castles which are worth seeing. The Castle of Lekursi is at the top of the hill adjacent the city. From there the panoramic ...

... I, a wide boulevard and one of the main streets in the centre of Tirana, in search of my hostel. I was staying in one of Tirana's only hostels, the 'Tirana backpacker hostel' on Rr Elbasanit. I had printed a map of its location so I was confident it would not be long before I was getting out of these now sticky clothes and into a nice shower. Walking down the street I was garnering quite a lot of attention. It might have been the big backpack strapped to my shoulders or maybe I just ...

... of their way to help us translate - Starova family taking me in after Hotel Tomi was full. Who knew the guy sipping coffee at the same restaurant would come to my rescue? And to refuse any payment for it after two days. - The Berati internet café guy who allowed me to download his slew of MP3 songs, from Albanian, Greek, Turkish, and Spanish ...

... behind. Traffic veers to the side of the road and pedestrians dash for cover as we race through the streets. The police cars speed through red lights and take sharp corners like rally drivers, then stop abruptly outside the exchange office. Passers-by stop and look at the commotion, forming a small crowd. The security guard from the building that houses the exchange office, is an older gentleman who was no doubt settling in for a quiet night with his feet up ...

We left early Sunday morning for the bumpy ride back to Tirana- I went in the girls' minibus (as opposed to the English one) which was fun, but Jamie, Lucy and me managed to sleep most of the way! 2 and a half hours in the other minibus got a puncture (I think), so we were all kicked off in the middle of nowhere while our driver went back to help them. No warning though, and no indication of when they'd be back, so we ...

... see a bus with Tirana as it's destination and felt mildly annoyed that I might well have been able to catch that, but I'll never know. As it was, I was unceremoniously deposited in the middle of nowhere, on a roundabout on the very edge of some obscure town. Initally slightly worried by this, it was reassuring to see half a dozen others waiting in the same spot. Reasurring, that is, until a furgon arrived already overflowing, and everyone piled in. I don't think I've ever been ...

... snow down 3 km of dark country roads...not a car in sight. Then...the lights ahead...and...WOW! So much like the scene from some WWII Hollywood Movie! Think...German gestapos...think Prisoner of War camps...think of the color of dark green... Upon approach we were greeted with barricades & barbed-wire; of camoflaged defensive positions, sandbagged bunkers & patrol towers. The STOP sign, red lights, and guard gate were just a few of the red-colored warnings ...