Back in Albania

Here I am back in Tirana, where I arrived, safe and sound, less than 24 hours ago. The trip, via Lufthansa, was excellent as usual, and the Airbus used for the transatlantic flight was packed, as it was JFK airport when I left New York.



During this trip I met some interesting people. Next to me sat an ex CBS reporter, now a mother of 3 kids, who did some reportage from Albania in the late 1990's. She had planned to go through a stack of papework while traveling, but, after a few glasses of red wine she slept all the way to Germany.

During this first leg of the trip, I had a long chat with an Italian maritime inspector from Naples, who was returning home with his wife and 3 grown up children after spending 24 days on a cruise along northern Europe, then across the Atlantic to the Caribbean area, and finally to the US. He spent quite a bit of time telling me why he did not like, and would not return to NY in the future.

In Munich I had a longer than usual waiting time for the Tirana connection because the flight from NY was much shorter than the normal 8 hours thanks to strong tail winds and a more northern route taken by the pilot.

The efficiency of this airport always amazes me, and I took the time to enjoy the comings and goings while sipping a delicious capppuccino at a bar that was doing a booming business serving large breakfasts to lots of travelers. The display of food was incredibly big, varied, and enticing, but the dinner and breakfast served on board within the space of 6 hours did me in.

I refused also the sandwich and sweets offered on the smaller aircraft that Lufthansa operates between Munich and Tirana, while I had a nice conversation with an instructor from North Carolina, who was on a field trip in the company of two of his students . The 2 teenager girls were eager to discover Albania, which they had to research before leaving, as part of their currriculum. Next year they both will graduate in Hotel Management, and their instructor has given a one week course on tourism several times previously in Albania. He told me, in fact, that this was his 10th trip to the country, and was thrilled to have with him now 2 of his students.

One of the girls had never travelled by plane before and looked tired and tense. She had not slept at all during the night and would not even look out of the window, but her companion kept snapping pictures, and being very exited about the whole trip and its expected unknown. She and the instructor kept teasing the other, and talked about their plans in the next 2 weeks, to be spent mostly in the northern city of Shkodra, with a couple days in Tirana at the end.

The trio was going to be picked up by the Director of the University in Shkodra, and being driven there upon arrival. The girls expected to be housed within the University dormitories, while the instructor was booked at a hotel. Their overseas flight was also by Lufthansa, but direct from Charlotte, NC to Germany.

Another American gentleman from Texas, still young, but needing a walker and a portable oxygen machine, was also returning to Tirana, where he indicated having been several times in the past 15 years. I believe he was originally connected with a missionary unit (one of the many still operating in the country today) and he is now running some courses on how to fight corruption.

As usual, I was met at Tirana's aiport. In less than half hour I was in town, where the air was visibly clear after some earlier rain. My friends insisted in taking me to lunch, nothwithstanding my refusal attempts, and then delivered me to my apartment.

It was so nice to find the apartment cleaned by my usual housekeeper, and have the electrical and water connection all setup upon arrival.

My friends also stacked my fridge with all sorts of food and staples, with the big basket overflowing of fruit, and even some flowers on my dining table.

They strongly suggested that I stay awake as much as possible to diminish the effect of jetlag, and I did so by unpacking and getting settled, while enjoying the beautiful strong breeze that was coming through my opened balconies. The nights are quite cool in Tirana.

My Internet connection was re-established this morning after I renewed my contract with the local provider.The temperature today is 23C degrees (~ 78F).