Rainy days..........and unsightly lots!

Like many other capitals, Tirana is also a city of great contrasts.

When it rains here it's an awful mess, especially when you have to navigate narrow alleys!!

 

Noticed these (electrical or phone)lines on the ground for several days, but no one seems concerned about them - pedestrians and cars just walk over them!

 

 

Some seemingly abandoned small lots (but probably waiting for confirmation of someone's ownership), unfortunately become incredibly bad dumping grounds....!

Recycling in Tirana is still a non-practice....and the result in certain areas is horrific!


Meanwhile, the city center was re-built, the main thoroughfares were repaved, the streetlights are finally working, the number of pubs, discos, restaurants, cafes', and travel agencies are growing like mushrooms, and tonight, 96th Independence Day for Albanian is being celebrated with an Italian style "White Night". This means an all night of music around town, in the larges squares and along the grand boulevard where Tirana's 'Twin Towers' are located.

Greetings - Urime

From Tirana I send best wishes for the upcoming holiday weekend to one and all:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY to my American friends and family members, and

GEZUAR FESTEN E FLAMURIT / ALBANIA's INDEPENDENCE DAY to my Albanian relatives and friends wherever they are!

Drita

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Article from BalkanInsight.com : 'Italy PM to visit Albania to seal coal plant deal'.

The past and the future of Albania

Haunting history ......and good prospects for the future.....

Local products

Today I'm enjoying the 2 local products purchased by my friends along the road yesterday while visiting the National Park of Llogora.

The tangerines are very sweet and completely seedless. Some of them are so small, still fully developed as a fruit, the size of which is equal to a walnut that can be popped into the mouth in one scoop! Although I don't know the costs of this purchase, I do know that it's pennies compared to the famous 'clementines' that we buy in the U.S. at a very high price especially during this season.


This afternoon I tried for the first time the wild tea that grows naturally in these mountains, and my entire apartment was refreshed by the aroma emanated from its very simple preparation of placing the flowers in cold water, and then boiling them for about 5 to 7 minutes. With a bit of sugar, the result was very pleasing!

wild look....but great taste!
Today, on the way home after treating myself to a soothing pedicure, I also did some shopping at a small local supermarket, where I bought other local produce, such a crunchy cucumber (labeled "persian" in NY and costing $2.99/lb there) for which I paid only 25 cents, and my usual quantity of 'zucchini' that here was quoted a mere 70 cents. A full (1/2 kg = a bit more than 1 lb.) bag of extra fine, iodized sea salt was only 20 cents!

Another observation about food that comes to my mind while in Europe is that the quality of some processed goods, by the same well known companies also present in the U.S., is much better than in the States. I do believe that the processing of fresher local base products provides a much better taste, as proven when these staples are eaten fresh here.

Now it's time to prepare dinner....so I bid you "Bon Appetit!", or "te bufe'mire!".

A long post...but a short weekend!

This weekend started a bit late on Saturday afternoon because both I and my friends, who offered to take me out of the city for some sightseeing, had other commitments in the morning.

Left Tirana around 1:30pm and a bit later we stopped in the suburbs of the town of Kavaja in a wonderful, warm and sunny day, and we had a relaxing, magnificent fish lunch at one of their favorite eateries. After a colorful cold green salad and a delicious variety of grilled hot vegetables with balsamic vinegar and assorted cheeses, the huge platter of spaghetti with seafood ('frutti di mare') disappeared very quickly.


As second course we had a perfectly cooked, and unboned "orata sotto sale". This is a typical Italian way of baking an entire fish completely covered by coarse salt. When the fish is done, the salt is then discarded with the bones and the skin and the fish has an heavenly taste, just the way it is with nothing else on it! Good Albanian chefs have picked up these recipes while undergoing training and getting cooking experiences in Italy, before opening up their own places back home.

We then proceeded toward the southern port of Vlora (3rd largest city in Albania), which we reached at 6:30pm, when is already dark at this time of the year. The just renovated hotel that my friends usually patronize is located right near the water, at the end of a long city boulevard, flanked by palm trees and many newly built high rises with stores, restaurants, cafes, and businesses. The hotel owner greeted us personally, speaking to me in perfect English, and ordered the clerk to give me a room with a front view.

Then we took a night ride along the coast, and finally around 9pm, back at the hotel, the owner treated all of us to dinner for free!! Another huge meal, this time with meat as a second course. Tired, but quite relaxed (after all I didn't do the driving!) I didn't feel like watching tv (notwithstanding the large choice of Albanian, English, German, Italian channels) and let myself go to sleep in the very spacious and comfortable double bed!

In the morning when I opened the curtains, I realized that the hotel was facing the most famous historical house in Albania. I recognized it since I had taken a picture of it a couple of years earlier. Here on November 28th, 1912, the Albanian flag was raised for the first time in honor of the creation of the Albanian state.

From the balcony of my room, I enjoyed the view of the Karaburum peninsula, where during WWII lots of secret operations were conducted in its many underground caves, and I watched two early ferry boats unload their cargo that included dozens of trucks and trailers that then rolled into a large yard for customs inspection.


Albania is lucky to face 2 different seas along its entire length. In the north the Adriatic and from Vlora downward the Ionian.

After a buffet breakfast on the terraced, top floor of the hotel, we left Vlora and continued our trip southward toward the mountains and the area named Llogara, which is a national park.


As we rode upward, we stopped for cappuccino at an Italian business, perched, on the side of the mountain, right over the water. It's a small, modern hotel, restaurant, and cafe' that overlooks its own tiny beach.

The weather was threatening rain, but we luckily only experienced a sprinkle or two, when we reached the top that afforded a beautiful view of the pristine, well known beaches of Dhermi way below...





In the middle of this park, we made another stop at an attractive tourist village used during the summer for its coolness, and even during the winter for its pretty scenery in the snow. Here we were surprised to find a large group of deers grazing on the ground of this resort that consists of a modern hotel and a number of separate cabins, with all sorts of facilities, including indoor swimming pool and fitness center.

The deers here, obviously exposed to people for quite a while, are fed by guests and approach visitors with boldness, seeking food.


Inside the main building a fire was roaring in the middle of a large dining area, which, however, was empty since this is an off season time. We only took a drink here and then started our descend to return home.


After saying goodbye to the deers, we proceeded down the mountains, and shopped along the road for wonderful, sweet tangerines (called 'mandarins'), and the special tea with a very strong aroma that grows naturally around this area, also known for its production of honey.

Midway back to Tirana, the weather changed for the better and the sun started to shine again over the bay of Vlora, where we stopped for lunch at a new, and very elegant restaurant.

Here we were joined by another couple of friends, who drove in from Tirana, and are also partial to fish. They ordered an array of dishes that included 'bruschetta', fish 'carpaccio' with pomegranate seeds, assorted cheeses and vegetables, fish soup and a huge 'sarago' with roasted potatoes, plus dessert and freshly cut fruits.

As the day was coming to an end, we rode back to Tirana, tired, but wishing that the time off our daily chores could have lasted a bit longer.....

Old surprise?

How can a surprise be old? The surprise I received today is about old stuff, actually about old family pictures just recently discovered!

I have been a user of Albania's National Archives since 1993 and I've had the pleasure of viewing more than once the huge amount of files and documents about my family, which were secretly preserved, with many others, throughout several decades, by the ex communist regime.

Everything that was confiscated during those dark years, when personal properties were expropriated and people were imprisoned or sent to concentration camps, was never destroyed, but actually cataloged. Archival materials were accumulated and still exist in several locations reporting to different branches of government, however. Currently lots of work is undergoing, for a variety of reasons, to re-organize these voluminous collections that not only provide an historical background of Albania, but become an important tool for current day needs by both the state and its citizens, especially involving the still thorny and debated property issues.

Anyway, the surprise that was presented to me today relates to the recent unearthing of hundreds of negatives and related prints about my early days in Tirana and about my immediate family then. This morning I was overwhelmed by the number of them, although I know that my uncle had the hobby of photography and in those days he was well equipped to perform the related development at home.


The majority of the negatives, of the old fashion type on glass, are well preserved, and so are most prints in black and white.

My mother and I
[prints on top - glass negatives below]

Today I was offered the possibility of having the pictures of my choice scanned and mounted on a CD, which should be ready in a couple of days. The surprise made my day, and provided me with quite a few ideas of how I'm going to use this newly discovered treasure of mine!

Local shopping & yummy goods!

While in Tirana I do my groceries shopping in several places; some at the large supermarkets that have nothing to envy from the American ones, when I have the opportunity of riding in a car, and other locally, within a short walking distance from my apartment building.

Since my last trip here in the spring I found both places have improved in a variety of ways, from expansion of the area covered, to a more appealing display of items, to the quality of foods being sold. The only ones that remain the same are the street sellers that line up along some roads the vegetables and fruits produced daily by the local farmers. The men, usually middle aged, stand and prop up a variety of produce on temporary stands, while the women, usually older and dressed in long black clothing with white kerchiefs on their head, squat at the edge of the sidewalk, and display their fewer offerings by spreading them out on plastic sheets and/or newspapers directly on the pavement.

While the large markets that now are popping out all over the city within huge shopping malls offer an assortment of products from all over the world, the local store carry mostly local goods, but they certainly don't lack anything one may need on a daily basis, and, are obviously much cheaper.

One of the local vegetables that I love when I come to Tirana are the giant string beans that I've never seen in New York. They come in 2 varieties: yellow or green, about 20cm (or more) long (~ 3/4 foot), and almost one inch wide, thick and tender, and they can be cooked in less than 15 minutes. With a bit of tomato sauce they are really very tasty!


Today I decided to patronize a small, local, pretty store that sells only sweets and that I'd noticed before. It offers an array of candies, cookies, pastries, and cakes, and I was impressed by the use of plastic gloves on the part of the sales person, when she served me. What a variety... and only the problem of choice! I bought a small supply of a few items, and I wasn't disappointed in any! The Albanian almond cookies 'amareti" (in Italian "amaretti") are a delight. They are soft, light, and a bit chewy: but real yummy! This store has definitely gained a new customer in town.


BTW, did I ever mention that any seller here, whether a small shop owner, or a large market server, is always extremely courteous and goes out of his/her way to take care of a prospective customer, whomever he or she might be? No need for great advertising in these small enclaves: their greetings are also very enticing and a smart way to attract clientèle. Too bad that the typical European custom that pays individual attention to a shopper is a practice that can no longer be afforded in large cosmopolitan American cities.

November Days

The first 2 days of this month are traditional holidays in most Catholic countries worldwide. November 1, is the official All Saints Day, which honors all saints who attained Beatific Vision, followed by All Soul's Day on November 2, honoring the "Day of the Dead", dedicated to the departed.

Although the celebrations may vary from country to country depending on their customs, generally speaking. at this time, Catholics go all the way out to clean, and give a face-lift to the burial grounds belonging to their families, and all living family members make a special visit to their local cemeteries, even if they have to travel long distances.

While in Albania at this time, I was able to visit Tirana's cemetery, where two of my family members are buried. This visit occurred, however, only today due to other commitments that I had on Sunday, and, being a week day, it turned out to be a much more intimate and quiet experience. This graveyard is the property of the State since it was created in the early 1960's when the communist government decided to transfer here the remains from older grounds that were used instead to build state housing for the expanding population of this capital.

Upon my return to Albania in 1993 I learned that, while the communist dictatorship made the decision, the actual transfer of the remains was left to be accomplished by the family member or relatives, who dug up the bones of their dear ones and transported them on their bicycles to the new site. These were the days when no religious practices or private cars were allowed, and everyone was expected to volunteer work for the state. The remains were collected by hand and reburied directly into the ground or in plastic bags, if available.

When I paid my first visit in 1993 there were only very small markers to identify the lots, and no marble was available to setup tombstones. Since then the new cemetery has quadrupled in size, most of tombs have been setup with all sorts of sculptures, stones of different colors, and even railings and fences. The road that leads into the cemetery is now lined up with businesses that provide all sorts of services to the visitors, including enormous assortments of fake or fresh flowers, and even bottles of water.






During my visit today, I was thinking that I would need a whole week to visit all my family burial grounds, on both paternal and maternal sides, since they are located in 5 different countries, on 2 continents (New York, Italy, Montenegro, Albania, and Turkey).

Solicited by some relatives, about a year ago I took care of the transfer of my family plot in Montenegro from the original place, which has since been abandoned by the local church that it belonged to, to another small graveyard, up in the mountains closer to the place where my paternal grandfather lived. The original stone with the engraved names of one of my uncles and two aunts was in perfect condition, and it was mounted on top of a more modern marble structure, pictured below.


Today's visit to the cemetery in Tirana happened in full sunshine, with gorgeous blue skies, and hot weather for this time of the year (80 degrees F), while, heavy rains and floods are plaguing Italy where the the 90th anniversary of WWI is being celebrated.

Daily life in Tirana

My stay in Tirana is, as usual, quite comfortable. The local friends come visiting as soon as they know of my arrival, while I get rid of the jet lag, stock up on local staples, cook up a storm, and smooth out my daily routine in Albania.

As my close friends know, I'm here to continue the voluntary work I've set out to do during my retirement, and this trip is no different. Meetings need to be set up and attended to, related documentation has to be taken care of, and follow ups on ongoing affairs must be kept up. Taking advantage of the time at my disposal here is of the utmost importance. I think I'm doing a pretty good job keeping at bay and balancing out everything I have to do, but regret the slow pace, and inefficient handling of matters that goes on here.

After decades of very specific, and detailed system work in the U.S., modesty aside, I'm a good planner, and I try to maintain the same working habits here, but that's not easy. Europeans way of life and work customs are very different. In order to accomplish something in the old continent, one must switch to the more easy going ways and yield to their systems. Albania is very similar to Italy in many ways, and I've become a bit of an expert at this after working in both countries for several years.

Yesterday, Sunday, is a typical example. In the morning I had planned to visit the local cemetery since it was the annual remembrance day of the Dead, and in the afternoon I had 2 working appointments. At 9am, instead, one of the people that I was going to see in the afternoon asked to switch the appointment to 10am, and I agreed. During that meeting I received an unexpected phone call from another party that wanted to see me around noon, and, again, I agreed. So my original plans went out the window, but, eventually, I was able to accomplish a few things.

Daily life here is much better that it used to be just a few years ago, and now in Tirana proper electricity and water are available at all times, with a few exceptions. So far, in my 10 days here, I never lost electricity, and my computer happily keeps humming along from morning 'till night, but water supply disappears by noon time almost every day, for a couple of hours. I do believe that this is due to the poorly planned capacity for the entire building that probably did not take into consideration modern needs, such as washing machines, present in most apartments, and used daily by Albanian housewives. One has just to look outside the windows to see everywhere freshly washed clothes hanging to dry in the sun every day of the week.

The weather so far has been unusually warm during the day, sometimes even hot (like today's 80 degrees), with no rain, while the evenings are cool and refreshing; thus, I find myself having to change clothes almost 3 times daily.

Haven't taken many pictures so far, but intend to do so soon, so keep tuned in!

Tourism and politics......

seem to be an interesting duo, as per today's New York Times article : "Despite Crisis, Wealthy Russians Are Buying Up Coastal Montenegro"