It is the land of homemade wine and brandy.
Extremely strong coffee, or bust! Espresso, anyone?
Salty cheeses, always.
Milk from an unrefrigerated shelf, or still warm from the cow, with rarely anything in between.
Wet bathroom floors.
Dogs barking at night; dogs barking during the day!
Exceptional produce and juices. Phenomenal food.
But foreign drivers beware, you will never drive fast enough, pass enough people, or do enough wild things on the road!
A place where everyone under 40 speaks English fluently, while everyone over 40 speaks none. There is a reason for this! More on that later.
It is an incredibly, astonishingly, safe country to travel in.
That REALLY likes cucumbers and tomatoes.
The mountains, coastline and cities rival any others.
The hospitality could hardly be matched anywhere else in the world.
One would be lucky to find nicer people anywhere else in the world.
My journey started in Shkodër, Albania in early August. The initial plan was to stay in the same apartment for the entire month. I thought it would be nice to just rest, work on personal projects, and enjoy simple living in a new country, an affordable one at that!
I arrived on a Saturday, and by Sunday afternoon, I had completely changed my plan. Overnight, I realized that instead, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity in front of me and explore!
After some thought my new plan was solidified: one week in Shkodër, one week traveling south by car, one week hiking in the Albanian Alps, and a final few days spent in the capital city of Tirana.
The week in Shkodër became the perfect opportunity to plan my adventures and introduce myself to Albania. What started as a bit of shock at the conditions of those living around me, ended in a realization that there may not be a lot of wealth and prosperity in Albania but the people were so full of warmth, joy, and ease. I was excited to see more!
I picked up my rental car and headed south to the town of Berat which is famous for its Mideavil castle perched upon the hill overlooking the city as well as the steep-walled Osum Canyon nearby.
Instead of Airbnbs, my usual go-to, I decided to experience the guest house culture in Albania. Arriving at Guesthouse and Hospitality, confirmed what I had expected, guest houses would surely be the perfect way to experience Albanian food, hospitality, life, and people.
Upon my arrival, I was given tea, and a giant plate of fresh fruit and was encouraged to sit down with the son, who spoke English, to discuss my plan during the two-day stay.
Per his recommendation, that evening, around sunset, I walked up to the nearby castle and wandered around in awe. Of course, in America, we don’t have historical ruins even close to this old to explore!
Berat Castle or the Citadel of Berat as it exists today dates back to the 13th century. In fact, the original site dates back much, much further but was burned down by the Romans in 200 BC. One of its big draws is that it still has permanent residents and many restaurants, hotels, guest houses, and shops inside its walls.
I visited one of the ethnic restaurants and enjoyed a traditional vienez for dinner. These resemble hot pockets and are made of walnuts, and cheese wrapped in beef, battered and lightly fried. It was simple, filling, and delicious, and marked my first official Albanian meal.
When I returned to the guest house, I was met with a glass of wine, a handful of almonds, and an invitation to sit on the veranda with the owners. Using Google Translate, we got to know each other, but not without a lot of laughter, because, let’s face it, that is an awkward way to communicate! But their openness and generosity was not lost on me.
Later on, when I retired to my room for the evening I had made plans to enjoy their home cooking the following evening for dinner.
The next day I drove two hours into Osum Canyon and spent the day enjoying the steep walls and aqua water!
At dinner, I was served more food than I ever could have imagined! The feast was a giant meal of traditional Albanian foods that was clearly intended for two. I slowly dug in while sipping on their homemade red wine, all while watching the sun slowly fade from the sky. It was the perfect kick-off to my road trip.
Lessons from: Albania!
- It is very hot in Albania in August with enough humidity to make it a very sweaty place (32° to 40° C/90° to 104°F). I quickly learned that the evenings are the best time to get out and explore!
- Albania is very affordable to travel in. You can find very nice hotels that include a giant breakfast for less than 50 euros/$56. Guest houses, which also include huge, amazing breakfasts, range a lot in price based on location. I paid the least in Berat at 26 euros/$29, and the highest in Vlorë on the coast at 55 euros/$61. Restaurants also vary widely based on whether you are in a touristy area or not. I paid as little as 3 euros/$3.50 for a simple meal to around 15 euros/$17 for a traditional meal which was always way more food than I could ever eat.
- No, the euro is not the national currency in Albania, the lek is. However, I found prices for lodging and at restaurants were often listed in euros, and paying with the euro is accepted everywhere. But if you do, you will most often get lek as change, or a combo of the two! This works because 10 lek is currently equivalent to 1 euro, so it makes it easy.
- Leave your credit card at home when traveling to Albania. It will make your life easier if you just expect never to be able to use it! 😆 It is a cash-based country, though admittedly I was able to use my card for a few purchases: my rental car, at a few grocery store chains, and at a few guesthouses, but cash is king and you must travel with it.
Something interesting: A post-Communist country
From 1946 to 1991, Albania was a communist country. It was widely considered to be one of the most brutal and isolating regimes in history, with visa and travel restrictions making it one of the hardest countries to travel to or from. In this way, it became an island in Europe, completely isolated, until relatively recently.
Because of this, in many ways, modern-day Albania is relatively new and still working to get the kinks out of its system as it adapts to being part of the global order. I have found its communist history still looms large as people are quick to blame it for a lot of what Westerners would consider a bit baffling about the day-to-day functions.
Yet, there is an energy in Albania that I find intoxicating. Perhaps it is an energy that comes after decades of repression and suppression. It truly is a unique place, and I have no doubt its communist history plays a large part in why it feels like no other place in Europe.
A look behind the curtain.
If you read my last post, you know that my experience in Montenegro was complicated, and a lot of that had to do with the friendliness of the locals. Admittedly, I did not realize how much of it had to do with the friendliness of the locals until I sank my teeth into Albania. The difference is shocking. And the difference changes everything.
I did not have expectations when I arrived in Albania, but what I found was some of the nicest people I have ever experienced in my life, and it has been consistent across the entire country. Yes, Montenegro feels familiar as it more resembles Western Europe, but I have learned that it is not familiarity that makes one feel comfortable in a country, but the feeling of being welcomed, respected, and appreciated.
From the four men, none of whom spoke English, who helped me navigate the taxi system, to the young grocery store clerk who ran after me when I almost left Q-tips on the counter, to everyone whose face lights up when they realize they are meeting an American, to the complete sense of safety I feel walking around alone, even at night, I am astonished that though a country can have almost nothing of what I recognize as familiar, I can still feel incredibly at home just by being genuinely received.
She Simply Wanders 
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