Sweet things

Yesterday was Teachers' Day, and today is International Women's Day: two festivities really observed here in Tirana.  As I was walking this morning I could see several people carrying flowers and packages.....

 Since yesterday I also received flowers at home and even a cake, but the sweetest thing I am greatly enjoying is the 'Albanian size mandarins" that I always savor while here and I find in my large fruit basket upon arriving at my apartment, as described previously. They are the tiniest and seedless I have ever seen and had in my lifetime, and, most importantly, they are the sweetest!! 

 They are half the size of a kiwi, smaller than an egg, while the lemons, comparatively speaking, are huge! The latter are part of daily use in Albania; their consumption spans over every dish that is served at home or at restaurants (in soups, over meats, etc,) and I am sure they provide a perfectly natural way of getting vitamin C that, coupled with lots of sunshine and its supply of vitamin D, make for a great combination in the so called Mediterranean diet.