Day 143: Shkodër - Berat

Aug 24 - So what is with the amazingly cool flag Albania has? It really does cut a dramatic image, a black double-headed eagle on a blood red background. Politically, it is meant to symbolize great bloodshed and sacrifice, something most Balkan nations could sympathize with. But the eagle symbol is thought to have been originated with the old Roman and Byzantine standards, that were carried through to medieval times by ruling families. During the 19th and 20th Centuries, various small changes were made to the eagle, including more coloration, and during the Communist years other symbols were added. The current, simplified version was adapted in 1992.

There is no bus station in the center of Shkodër, just spots where buses for certain destinations stop and fill up. It is easy enough to find one bound for Tiranë, and even though it is empty when we get on, within 30 minutes it is full and we are off. Like most else in town, the bus is old and the interior worn down. Traffic is heavy nearly all the way to Tiranë, we crawl most of the way. Pass a few over-the-top white marble mansions, all apparently venues for weddings. One, in fact, has the name MY WEDDING HOUSE in gold lettering above the columnated door. Just about everything one could ask for in ostentatious decor is available for a backdrop.

Today’s route: (A) Shkodër, (B) Tiranë, and (C) Berat.

Tiranë does have a huge, open air bus station, well west of the city center. We walk around and easily spot a bus bound for Berat amongst the many destinations posted. Sit and wait in the heat for it to fill up. When it does, because of the way vehicles have to leave the station, we turn the opposite way on the main road, drive north for 10 minutes (due to heavy traffic), then return and pass by the station again. Thankfully, once back, the way forward is not as crowded.

Tiranë is a huge, noisy city, which we will get to know later. On the way across the south part of town, I see an old woman, dressed in black, selling plants on the sidewalk and sitting slumped back in a wheelbarrow.

Some new apartment blocks near Durres.

The road goes directly out to the coast to the city of Durres and turns south. Here we can see numerous resorts and beaches. It is obviously a very popular coastal area, one that I read was overdeveloped and polluted. I have also heard that this part of the coastline, being a nearly tropical climate in the summer, is being used to grow tropical fruit, such as papayas, for export. Unleaded gasoline is running about 205 lek/liter, or the equivalent of $6.60/gallon. The bus is hot most of the way, and gets crowded near the end. Fortunately storm clouds gather and block out the sun.

We disembark at the Berat bus station, which is miles away form the center of town and our B&B. A taxi costs $4, taking us up a very steep, narrow cobblestone street.

The old part of Berat is quite distinctive, with white walls and dark wood windows, a style borrowed from the Ottomans. The tile rooves I see around town are clearly very old.

Looking at the approaching storm, I get us out of the room and down the hill to a restaurant just in time for the storm.

It has been awhile since we ate something clearly traditional. The above is called fergesë and is a mash of peppers, cheese, tomatoes, and other bits and pieces. Another traditional Albanian ‘dish’ is to take a piece of bread, coat it with olive oil, and sprinkle salt. The story is that this was done in the bad old days when there was nothing else to eat. It reminds me of the story I heard in Crete about spreading crushed tomatoes on bread.

There is a considerable amount of lightning, echoing off the surrounding mountains, and the torrential rain causes an ankle-deep river to form in the steep street.

After the rain stops, we wander around town a bit before it gets dark.

The Sultan Mosque.

The ceiling of the library building, behind the Sultan Mosque.

The main gate entering the grounds of the Pasha’s Palace. The interior grounds used to have many structures, but much of it was destroyed for other buildings after 1945. Just now they are excavating inside to try and recover some of the foundations.

St. Demetrius Cathedral.

This monstrosity, now the Hotel Colombo, was built in the Communist era as a university, but never got going and closed. The building was then sold to a developer, after 1991, and converted into a 5-star hotel. Rooms are about $85, according to Booking.com.

Our B&B is a great place, just some rooms in an old house that overlooks downtown. Dated furniture and free breakfast, which we don’t often get.

Albania