Sunday escape

After a few days of rain, today started in bright and warm sunshine and it was perfect for getting out of town.

My friends, who work very hard all week, on Saturday, or Sunday usually take time off and get away from Tirana, even if just for a few hours. They took me along to the beach area of the port city of Durres, where they have summer lodgings.

Here distances are short and in 1/2 hour we reached the city of Durres, where they do have an apartment overlooking the beach, but, to my surprise, they didn't stop there. They drove further south, to the coastal area known as Golem, where they own another apartment, hidden in the midst of a maritime pine forest.

This area, once completely uninhabited, has been built up during the past 15 years, and is now well known for a variety of restaurants, hotels, and all sorts of accomodations. One building after another line up the highway toward the south, which has been doubled in size to accomodate Tirana outgoing traffic during weekends. Entire villages have sprung up here and there in the midst of pine forests that follows the coast line.

As I got out of their car, I was hit by the fresh smell of the trees and a whiff of sea breeze.

Unloaded from the car all sorts of goodies, we quickly set up a home precooked lunch, which we enjoyed in the open veranda in the tranquillity of this setting.


Toward evening the rain returned and we headed back to Tirana. Taking advantage of my friends' car, I purchased household necessities at the huge new CityPark shopping mall, in the outskirts of the capital. Notwithstanding the late hour, business was in full swing there.