Rain, or sunshine.....

In a corner of a little park across the street from my apartment building some elderly people gather every day to play some games.

They seem to be there all the time for a couple of hours in the morning, and then they reapppear again for another two hours in the early afternoon. Their outings seem to be on a pretty steady schedule, even now that the daylight time is shorter. They show up even if it rains on and off since these type of days are quite predictable here. The rain comes for a while, followed by sunshine, and then the rain reappears, and so on....

The ladies employed by city hall to clean the lawns in the parks and along the boulevards (recognizable by their green overcoats), are also present regardless of weather conditions. They pop in and out of a couple of shacks, where they gather during a downpour, otherwise, armed with large plastic bags and rakes they walk along and gather the fallen leaves during the fall or the fresh grass cut by a group of men during the other seasons.

Today the weather has turned for the worst. A real and heavy storm is creating havoc in traffic, as I can see through my glass wall, and an unusual fog is obliterating the view of the Dajti mountain that towers over Tirana.


Undeterred, the street vendor that shows up every day on the narrow bridge of the Lana canal is present with his ware, and stands tall under his umbrella, and above the rushing and swelling waters below. Their level is visibly rising.....

I have the luxury of being able to work from home, but now it's time for a warm soup lunch!