Tirana and Sarandë, Albania

We drove to Albania today. The border guard was very friendly and handsome. Justin gave him a card and asked him to visit 😜.

On the way down we passed Sveti Stefan. It is an old castle/fort that has been converted into a private hotel. We were going to stop by but there were so many tourists that we did not want to bother. But, we got a picture of it !

We spent the night in the capital of Tirana. Not a whole lot to see. We walked around to the central square, then for sushi. Not great and a lot of fried things. But was worth a try. Interesting how they do different foods in different countries. It was supposed to be Japanese owned but we didn’t see any Asian-ish people at all.

The city was interesting. We were risking our lives every time we tried to cross the streets. Even though there were traffic lights, there was also a police to make sure everyone obeyed the lights. And, about every 3 steps there was a cafe. About every 10 steps was a pharmacy. I understand the cafes but the pharmacy? Why? We asked our hotel guy and he doesn’t really understand it. He thinks they might be money laundering operations.

One thing the kids noticed was the air quality in many of these countries. It is bad. Justyne has been covering her nose with her shirt when we walk around. It does bother me too. And, the cigarette smoking everywhere. Great learning moment here. This is why we need some of the regulations we have in the U.S. for cleaner air. Every developing country goes through this. Our kids have just never really been in a developing country, at least not for this long. On the way home we stopped at a supermarket and saw a trolly like no other. Isn’t it cute!!???

Out hotel was called Freddy’s Hotel. It was down a very narrow one way street but was close to the city center and had clean rooms. The breakfast was great and the staff was very nice.

On our way to Sarandë we saw a gas station about every .2 miles. Is this another money laundering business? Not sure.

The drive to Sarandë was long but pretty. We went along the coast and also passed some valleys and farm ground.

We arrived in Sarandë mid afternoon and had to play another game of looking for the apartment. This one was definitely not as good as some others. Oh well. It’s hard when your strictly relying on the web. We needed something with a washer.

We had a great meal in town and this time rather than bread they served toast! Interesting.

We walked along the promenade after dinner to work some of it off and it was beautiful. We saw an MSC ship (the cruise line we will be taking in January) at the port here.

Tomorrow, we will be visiting some sites outside of Sarandë. Justin really wants to go to Corfu, which is just a 30 min boat ride away. We have to keep track and be strict about the days in the Schengen zone. We cannot overstay our visa.

We noticed a lot more Italians in Montenegro and Albania. Not a lot of English speaking people here.

We are in search of the elusive sandy beaches. Will let you know how it goes!!