Albania - Discovering the unexpected

Welcome to Albania. Or should I say Shqipëri?

What’s that?

Dont get scared, you probably won’t understand the language, but it’s not so far from English, or Spanish…or…

You can expect an interesting mix in this post. That’s right - Albania is in the Balcans:

Hadrian Wall - BikePacking
Krakow by Bicycle
Seville by Bicycle
Malta by Bicycle
Amsterdam by Bicycle
Turkey by Bicycle

Well, by looking at that gallery, you can already tell this has some cool history.

Exploring Tirana

From Tirana Airport to the center, you can take a taxi for ~30 eur, or a bus (Luna buses are ~4eur per person and shuttle from the airport parking).

Tirana Modern Architecture
Example of Modern Architectue in Tirana

But, that’s not all

You can see how the modern is mixed with Albanian traditions across the country (and Tirana’s center)

Bunkers in Tirana

Bunkart at ~9eur per person (and totally worth it)

Recent Albanian Story - AKA: Trust me, BRO

There are signatures of the trust me bro times everywhere

Like in this Yugoslavian car.

Zastava in Albania
Zastava Automobile - A brand born in 1853 and bankrupt in 2008

A car, literally, from a country that does not exists anymore (maybe the one The Simpsons mentioned?).

I found an interesting spot behind the first line of houses. A bunker? Not this time it was a machine gun spot, pointing to the beach.

Warsaw Trying Wake Surf
Protecting - But who?

Quite interesting that i have seen such places in Spain (Almeria) - but those were built by the nationalist party.

Spionage Museum Tirana
Greater Good Comin’

Different recipe, same result?

Or is it just the same recipe?

The grab my drink bro recipe , ill show you how to do the thing (your live is a prisoner thought, hope you enjoy it)

Had the people building this know about the opportunity cost, would have they spent time building it?

This contrast with a story from a friend’s coworker in Switzerland - She joined as an engineer to a company to design diesel injectors and she quited inmediately when she found it that they will be ensembled into tanks.

Does it makes sense what we are about to do?

From school we are taught that whatever is asked, you have to answer - Converging Logic

Yet in real life, we have to be the creators of the questions and if presented with one to ask: is that even a problem? Do i want to provide an action to that?

Thats definitely not the path that the people who built and operated these kind of facilities made.

Wouldnt the world be a better place if we started to challenge what others tell us we have an urge to resolve?

Food in Albania

Fortunately, it’s not only darkness.

Bledi, the Ottos Caffe owner, was very kind and invited us for this fantastic breakfast

Zastava in Albania
TreLece - Restaurant Otto - Tirana

You can also find such delicious cake in Turkey.

This drink is called Salep - like in iran…

Zastava in Albania
Salep - Restaurant Otto - Tirana

Another example of how great ideas are spreaded in distant places of the world.

Bad ones we are just forced to use them.

More Albanian History

The Archaeological Museum of Apolonia

Near Vlorë, you can find a very interesting place.

Apollonia Albania
Apollonia Albania

The entrance costs ~6eur and you can just pay in cash. Yet totally worth it.

What’s in there? Well, some history from the people who lived on this part of the world in the first millenium BC.

Apollonia Albania
Yllirian shield 4Century BC - Contemporary to Greece and Thracians

As I said, this people was in contact with Greece…

Apollonia Albania
A place to find inspiration - Apollonia

My Conclusions about Albania

  1. It impressed me how many people are smoking (it is still permitted in bars)
  2. You better have cash (euro works as well)
  1. There is quite a lot of italian influence (you will see many made in Italy)
  2. Yet taxis are yellow (like it Turkey)
  3. I saw some German (speaking) bikepackers, but would not recommend sharing the road with cars (while you are on a bike).
  1. In 10 days I heard no russian at all - quite interesting if you think that this country had a comunist regime implemented until not so long ago.
  1. You can estimate your costs at ~100 eur/day
  1. Drink bottled water

FAQ