Albania > Driving through Tirana

When we wake up in the morning, it is already sunny. We have a relaxed breakfast by the lakeside. Afterwards, we drive back to Shkoder. The navigation system wants to lead us through a rutted track in the city to the castle. We decide not to take that route. Approaching from the other side works better. The last stretch is quite steep. We drive up in low gear to the entrance. The origins of the fort date back to around the beginning of the first millennium, but the current form of Rozafa Fort was established in the fifteenth century.

Albania - The imposing castle of Shkoder

In 1912, the fort played an important role in the conflict between Montenegro on one side and the Turks on the other. We enter at the same time as a large group of Albanian youths—probably a school class. They seem more interested in taking selfies than in the fort itself. From the old tower of the fort, there is a beautiful view over Shkoder. When I return to the exit, the man I paid calls me back. I receive three more tickets and one euro from him. I don’t understand the explanation—perhaps because I asked for tickets? We drive back down the mountain and head for Tirana. Along the way, I am struck by the Albanian street scenes: expensive cars alternating with donkeys and carts, cyclists on the highway, and traffic passing on both sides. In the capital, the chaos is even greater. Cars drive five abreast on a three-lane road, yet everyone seems to take each other into account. Carefully, we creep through the busy roundabouts with Brutus. The street of the hotel does not appear on the navigation system. Driving along the nearby boulevard, we must be close. We turn left into a narrow street.

Albania - The statue of Skanderbeg in front of the Ethem Bey Mosque on the central square of Tirana

Cars are parked on both sides. Two boys indicate that we are almost there. We ask again, right, left, and again. As we squeeze through the street, a car comes toward us. There’s barely enough room to pass. People come from all directions to give directions. With only centimeters of space, we pass the car. But we are still not at the hotel. We ask several more times, each time seeming to get closer. At a hairdresser, two boys offer to ride along to show us the way, but we only have two seats. Finally, when we ask at a hotel, we find that we are practically at the door. We have to go through a narrow gate leading to a small courtyard. Even this barely fits. On the terrace, we first have a beer. In the afternoon, we stroll into Tirana. The hotel is within walking distance of the central Skanderbeg Square. On the square stand the opera building and the city hall, both typically colossal communist-era structures. In the middle of the square is a statue of Skanderbeg on horseback. In the southeast corner is the Et’hem Bey Mosque. In one of the side streets, we sit at a terrace and have a drink. In the evening, we return to this district for dinner. We eat Italian food on an outdoor terrace, accompanied by live music. Wonderful. As I go to bed, I realize that this is the first day on the trip that I haven’t crossed a border.