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"

NATO entry protocol for Albania & Croatia

From left to right the Ambassadors of Croatia (K. Grabar-Kitarovic) and Albania (Dr. Aleksander Sallabanda) at the signing ceremony by Pres. Bush.

Assorted news selection

After 3 days on Albanian soil I'm still experiencing jet lag, and my meal and sleep hours are not yet straightened out, but I feel fine and comfortable in my apartment, where I've already received several visits from local friends.

Thanks to my ADSL service I've continuous access, through Internet, to all sorts of news, especially when I am awake during ungodly hours. For my American friends, who might be interested, I'm sharing here a variety of current goings-on in his part of the world, ranging from entertainment to business, and even politics.

- from BalkanInsight.com -- a film production is taking place about Byron in Albania;
- from EBDR (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) -- expansion of Albanian shopping mall centers;
- from the Jerusalem Post -- Albania: a new Israeli destination;
- from Defense News -- US Defense Officials Visit the Balkans;
- from Associated Press -- further steps of Albania & Croatia into NATO;
- from BalkanInsight.com -- Albanian Judges sacked for corruption;
- from Washington Post -- different Albanian views on U.S. election.

Travel to Tirana

Left from JFK airport in NY via Lufthansa, which, with its usual efficient service, left the gate in perfect time, but, unfortunately, had to wait for 1 1/2 hr its turn on the tarmac for take off due to the normally congested traffic of this airport.

I was happy to travel on a huge Airbus (A340-600), which allows a bit more leg room than the usually cramped 767s, and we arrived in Munich way ahead of time. The service on board was excellent, but, during the night, I found the on board temperature rather uncomfortably hot for my taste. This did not allow me to sleep at all, but, thanks to the incredible number and variety of programs available at the individual seat monitors, I was able to pass the time watching 3 beautiful documentaries from Discovery Channel, and a funny movie.

While being whisked from one gate to the next one in the immense Munich airport, a heavy morning fog was setting in, and this delayed arrivals and departures for almost 2 hours all over the place.

While at the gate to connect with the flight to Tirana, I had time to observe much more German work efficiency in a variety of ways. First of all the gate was manned full time, continuously, and the staff patiently answered all queries and even handled special situations.

One of them had to do with a disabled elderly woman, on a wheel chair, who spoke only Turkish, and was traveling alone from Atlanta to Ismir. She was left alone by her handler at the Tirana gate, to wait for her connection to Turkey due to depart only 4 hours later from the same spot. While a couple of travelers unsuccessfully tried to talk to her, assuming she spoke Albanian, I managed to communicate with her with gestures and numbers until the desk staff intervened with a translator. They even offered to take her somewhere else for some refreshments, which she kindly refused.

At a point in time there were more than 30 planes in the area waiting for permission to land, and some had to be rerouted instead to Nuremberg. Finally the small craft scheduled for Tirana was able to land and we were speedily whisked to it. I realized how huge this airport is when it took more than 15 minutes of traveling by bus to reach the far away spot where the plane we needed to board had just landed. Quickly the 100 available seats were all filled and in 1 and 1/2 hour we landed in sunny and hot Rinas airport of Tirana.

Met my driver in no time, and after a brief stop at a huge supermarket (Euro-Max) that is on the way into the city, where he suggested I may want to shop for my immediate necessities, we reached my apartment within 1/2 hour. I shopped there many times previously, but, now I almost did not recognize the place. It's located inside an immense shopping mall and it has now doubled in size!

At the apartment, I was happy to find that all utilities functioned properly, and within a few hours here I am also online!

Preparations

Great weather everywhere these days.....it's pretty nippy here in New York where the fall is in full swing, and the city is gearing up to celebrate Halloween.


Meanwhile, I'm finishing up packing for my trip to Tirana, where, I know, midday can still be pretty hot, and some light clothing can be useful.
Albania, here I come!

Potpourri

Although we’re in the midst of a global financial crisis, there is no lack of a variety of all sorts of other worldwide news – some somber and some frivolous, as usual.

Today in New York we’re celebrating Columbus Day with the usual festive, long parade along Fifth Avenue, while closely watching how Wall Street and the other world markets are reacting to the bail out plans decided during this past weekend. While some euphoria seems to explode about a positive turn around on one side, on the other, political tensions are weighing in heavily due to the uncertain outcome of the upcoming presidential elections on Nov. 4th.

Some newspapers seems to recycle again some old and trite subjects, such as the story of Albania’s “sworn virgins” that keeps resurfacing from time to time; just recently it reappeared on the Associated Press, and from there it spread to CBS News, the Washington Post, the NY Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Salt Lake Tribune, the Chicago Sun, MSNBC, National Geographic (video), etc.

Other papers are treating more serious matters, such as the still fragile relationship of Kosovo with some of its neighbors (although Macedonia and Montenegro just added themselves to the number of states recognizing its independence), or the corruption that still reigns in Albania. The Economist of this week, in one page, touches upon both subjects:
-- Kosovo: Getting on with big brother
-- Albania: The Final Mistery

A propos of variety of news, some cover a range of very contrasting subjects, to say the least. While some Italian “ ultra` (right extremists)” rioted, this past weekend, outside a soccer stadium in Bulgaria, singing fascist hymn in the name of “Il Duce”, in Tirana the widow and children of the ex communists dictator, Enver Hoxha, were being interviewed on the anniversary of his 100th birthday.

Online, I also read that in Tirana there are new urban plans that will probably disrupt the already chaotic life there, such as the re-development of the huge Skanderbeg square, while other avenues are re-paved. Among the so called ‘hopeful’ news I cannot help noticing that the giant Real Estate conglomerate of Century 21 has also recently established itself officially in Tirana. This is in addition to the several other similar English agencies that have been already advertising, for quite a while, loads of properties all over Albania. However, beware! it’s not all gold what’s being described.

Among all these news there is also the one about my next trip to Tirana, which will take place next week. Amidst the preparations I’m making sure that my ‘absentee ballot’ vote is properly filed here before departure. I shall resurface again by the middle of next week, if all goes well…. So, keep tuned in!

Wake Albanian style

This week I attended, for the second time in my life, a wake in the Bronx, where Albanians are one of the largest ethnic groups residing in this borough of New York City.

I thought I knew what to expect since I had participated in a similar occurrence in 1996, in the same area. In both instances the departed were distant relatives of mine on the paternal side, whom I met less than a dozen years ago, when I began to collect a large amount of data for my family tree.

Since then, I learned a lot about traditional customs of Albanian life, because I was not exposed to it since I was five years old. Due to WWII I grew up in totally different environments, and I did not discover existing paternal relationships until recent years. Thus, whenever I get involved in large gatherings of Albanians here in the U.S., I never cease to be surprised by new, and very interesting experiences, when I become exposed to, and more familiar with, historical details, especially about my ancestors. Albanians are endowed with extraordinary memory, and are masters in oral history, which they faithfully transmit from one generation to another within their family units!

This week, therefore, when I went to the funeral parlor, I knew I had to express my condolences to the relatives that line up at the entrance, in single file, men first, followed by women (with black head scarves), all positioned according to the level of relationship with the deceased. They sit on chairs, also lined up behind them, and stand up as visitors approach, and are quietly announced by a couple of young family members that stand guard at the door.

I also knew that there would be relatives not from this area. It is customary that for any important family happening, relatives of all sorts travel even long distances to attend whatever function has been planned, whether it's a wedding, a birth, or a funeral. That's why, also in this case, I was able to see again relatives I met overseas, and others that reside in other U.S. cities.

A new experience this time, however, was seeing two people that, in separate sessions,lasting about 15 minutes each, chanted, in rhyme format, and all from memory, dozens of names of living and dead relatives. The woman, who was hired, was prepped for this service by some family members just minutes before the performance, while the man was a relative knowledgeable about the past deaths in the family.

Contrary to what I have seen at other funeral parlors recently, where people usually roam around, chat and visit in a pretty loud voice, this wake was quite structured, and extremely low key, except for the momentarily loud sobbing that the women could not refrain from, during the chanting. Throughout the entire time, the younger women made the rounds, offering glasses of water and paper handkerchiefs.

This is what happened at this wake, in an American funeral parlor. The wake I participated in 1996 instead, took place in a hired hall, 2 months after the actual funeral in Montenegro, obviously to accommodate the very large number of relatives living in the U.S. There I let a family member lead me through the line up of relatives, and I discovered later on that I was the subject of special treatment when it came to sitting down. Men and women were clustered at separate tables, and I, out of deference, was offered a seat between the 2 groups! Then, I was totally surrounded by the younger generations, who, while taking turns to serve everyone with food, raki, and cigarettes, were eager to get to know me, and I.... learned from them how to connect the lines in the enlarged family tree!! It was an extraordinary and unforgettable experience.

Shala Valley

An excellent article about this remote area of Albania in the Los Angeles Times of yesterday.

Details about the project bearing this title can be found at the site of Millsaps College, of Jackson, Mississippi. It includes beautiful photography.

Social gatherings

On Friday I attended the 12th dinner of NAAC (National Albanian American Council) that takes place annually in New York City and honors personalities who support the Albanian cause in Washington, DC.

This year honorees were Congressman E. Engel, Ranking Member on the House International Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Ambassador F. Wisner, a career diplomat that has served the U.S. Government in a number of positions around the world. The former has represented in Washington, for years, the large Albanian community of the Bronx area of N.Y., while the latter was instrumental in bringing about, to a successful conclusion, the negotiations that lead to this year's declared independence by Kosova. The theme of this year's dinner was two fold: to extend best wishes to the people of Kosova for achieving independence, and to congratulate the people of Albania for receiving and accepting the official invitation to become part of NATO.

Special guest again, like last year, was Albania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, L. Basha, in town to attend the opening of the 63rd General Assembly at the United Nations.

Another, less official and more private, social gathering was happening in Italy today, but, regretfully, I could not attend it. It's also an annual affair, but organized by people in the same village that are born within the same year, who, regardless of background, education, or position, get together for a big dinner and festivities that last all day, just to celebrate their age.

This custom started a long time ago as an observance of becoming adults, when the boys were called into service, and ended up including also women in later years. This type of gathering became a tradition, when, as mature individuals, they decided to enjoy a day together reminiscing about childhood in the same school, and sharing joyful memories of that time.

I was happy to attend a couple of years ago, when I was visiting the little village where I grew up during WWII, and included also some pictures of the event in my blog of December 2006 (Italian time). I was invited again this year, but, due to other commitments, I could not participate. However, this morning, to my great surprise, I received an unexpected, but joyous, long phone call from this year's attendees, who took turns in wishing me well while regretting that I could not be with them. I joined them in spirit while their raised their wine glasses!!
(BTW, the wine produced in that village is well known and even mentioned in Italian literature since the 1300's)

News clips about Albania

There is never a lack of daily news about Albania these days, and it ranges in variety: from increased tourism to port development, from amplified commercial facilities to newly established diplomatic training....and including a Guinness world record.
It's anyone's reading choice, but what's important is to note that there is steady, albeit slow, progress and evolution in the country.

Seasonal changes

This is the long Labor Day weekend in the U.S., which is usually considered the summer's official end, and many are the changes taking place at this time.

Vacations for most come to an end, and students return to school; the hot temperatures begin to subside a bit, and the hurricane season is in full swing; summer sales are displayed everywhere, and the shops are gearing up to show the fall collections.

While "Gustav" is blowing its way into the Gulf of Mexico at 150 miles per hour, and the south-west coast of the U.S. is being evacuated by millions of people, the New York scene is the calmest ever. The residential streets are not trafficked, the movement of people everywhere is at its slowest pace, and even the large and tall apartment buildings seem empty.

I enjoy peace and quiet in my apartment all year around, but during this time I have the feeling that the world has come to a complete stop: there is total silence everywhere! This helps greatly my work at home that has kept me busy throughout these past few months.



In another week, the outdoor pool that is made available during the summer at the sports facility I belong to, will be closing. The aqua aerobic classes I try to participate in regularly will move indoor again, in the Olympic size complex -- the only one of this size in this city.

Although my work now is strictly on a volunteer basis, even when I was fully employed I always took my vacation after Labor Day. That's why now I feel that I could really use a chunk of time off that must, however, take place somewhere else, to be able to get the benefits of R(est) and R(elaxation).

For now, though, goodbye sunscreen, and sun glasses....it's actually time to plan the usual fall travel to Albania, with more meetings and projects on the agenda!

New Albanian ventures

Another interesting project looks like is being undertaken in Albania, along its southern coast, and more specifically in the 'riviera' area of Saranda and Butrint.

Underwater archaeological findings have brought to light the wreck of a cargo ship dating back to the 3rd century BC. Had heard briefly about this in the news recently, but now, thanks to the blog of an Assistant Professor of Trinity University (Texas), who is actively participating in this activity, we are privileged to have more on site details.

I also always enjoy very much reading about the first impressions of foreigners that are now traveling to, and through Albania for a variety of reasons. Some of their observations, although based on brief visits, are 'right on target', such as the one abstracted from the last posting of the above subject professor:

"It is always a challenge to figure out how to work in a foreign country. The convolutions of recent history in Albania and the resultant diverse, often conflicting, never clearly expressed layers of officialdom and bureaucracy make this a difficult place in which to figure out how to get things done."

Italian documentary about Albania's coast

It was a pleasant surprise today to watch a documentary produced by Italian television “Linea Blu” about Albania’s 474 km long coast, spanning from the Adriatic to the Ionian seas. This successful program by RAI TV has explored on a weekly basis, for the past 15 years, the coastal areas of Italy, above and below the water level. This time, apparently, it decided to step a bit further to the east, and to visit also the country with which Italy has had, and continues to have traditional relationships since centuries ago. Albania is, in fact, the closest nation, not bordering with Italy, but directly across from its heel, with only 60 miles separating the bay of Vlora from the port of Brindisi.

Although this program was originally aired in Italy on June 21st, the timing seems quite appropriate in view also of the very recent European gathering “Paris Summit for the Mediterranean” that took place about a week ago in France. Albania was also represented at this assembly of 43 nations that, on July 13th, issued an interesting “declaration” with ambitious plans ahead (available in PDF format when clicking on the above title).

Obviously the Italian television crew and reporter had access to some areas not normally visited by the occasional tourist thanks to the Italian armed units and Coast Guards still stationed in Albania, such as on the island of Saseno in the bay of Vlora, which is still considered today a military zone. This area has always been a strategic point of control of the Otranto Canal, and here many ships sank over the years, and now are being explored by scuba divers. It is also very close and overlooking the entire Karaburun peninsula, which, with its numerous large caves and underwater passages, has been the stage of many sorties and the base of covert operations during WWII in Albania, so beautifully described by Peter Lucas in his book about the OSS.

Interesting were the interviews with local fishermen, local authorities like the mayor of Saranda, the Italian Ambassador, and even the clip taken from an earlier reportage about Mussolini’s daughter. On March 14, 1941 she was traveling as a ‘volunteer nurse’ and was rescued when the Italian ship that she was traveling on was sunk in the Otranto Canal. The current underwater research about this ship pointed out that this was originally a luxury vessel transformed into a military Red Cross transport, when it was torpedoed by the British. Amazingly, most of its furnishings are clearly identifiable and still well preserved.

This is the first time that “Linea Blu” has been filming along the Albanian coast and underwater, and it covered a lot of ground in the one hour long program, but it did not spend much time talking about the local cuisine, which is what they usually do in Italy toward the end of the program. The display of local dishes was a good, but a brief one, especially when the conversation began to delve into less known delicacies such as “burek”…...

Much is still to be done for tourism in Albania, but see how inviting can be its southern 'riviera', for instance. As I've indicated elsewhere in this blog, foreigners are flocking into the country by air, by car, by boat, and their number continues to increase because there is much, still unknown there, to be explored and enjoyed.

Albanian tourism

Although Albania is coming up in the world of tourism, it is a great surprise to find out, thanks to this blog, that it's still lacking an important facility such as marinas for pleasure crafts.

In May 2007, I pointed out here my amazement when I read that large cruise lines were beginning to stop along the southern shore, known as the Albanian riviera. Apparently, small vessels and private yachts,however, cannot be accommodated anywhere along the Albanian coast to date, contrary to Montenegro. When I toured that coast last April I thought for a while in fact of being back in Sardinia's "Costa Smeralda", especially in the beautiful bay of Kotor. An enormous number of beautiful yachts were completely lining the piers, from where the entrance to the old walled city was just a few feet away.

Albania has nice beaches and accommodations all along its coast from north to south, which are now getting crowded. I am told, in fact, that the inland Kosovars are becoming good customers, since they are now shunning Montenegro that has not yet officially recognized their independence.

Columbia University campus

The other day I went back to Columbia University for a brief visit to renew my id card, and decided to take some pictures of my old stumping grounds. Here, during my tenure of 22 years, I have successfully accomplished a variety of large and challenging projects, and solved a myriad of complex and problematic situations, which provided stimulating and engrossing experiences.

The original main campus, confined between two large city avenues (Amsterdan & Broadway), spans several blocks on its south-north axis.

Amsterdam avenue looking southward

Main campus entrance on Broadway


The Rotunda

Alma Mater
This campus can be an oasis of peace, especially during the summer months. I can remember, however, the hard times of the late 60's during the students demonstrations, as well as the joyful celebrations during every May, when thousand of people converge on campus to participate in the commencement exercises for the students' graduation.

a quiet corner....

....and 'The Penseur'
Notwithstanding the hot day, a few students were around, probably to attend summer courses, and I enjoyed a leisure walk, which brought back quite a few memories.

the Columbia Lion, an emblem also in its sports

a site gate along Broadway
The campus now is a mixture of classical and modern buildings, and scattered here and there are quite a few modern sculptures.




the interdenominational chapel

quiet, cool, and beautiful, but difficult to capture on film!

from Amsterdam avenue, the back view of the Chapel

Albania's new partners

Although at a slow pace, it's nice to see Albania acquiring new partners and ventures in various fields: from today's critical need of more energy sources, some of which remain untapped, is the announcement of oil expansion in southwest Albania, to the development of international tourist facilities that will take advantage of the beautiful nature that the country is also endowed in its south.

A share purchase by a German media giant into the Albanian TV channel Vision+ is also in the news today.

Let's hope that the government can now keep up its end of the bargain with proper and effective support on behalf, and for the account, of its citizenry.

Old NYT article about Albanians

For some unknown reason lately there has been another wave of articles regarding the so called "Albanian Sworn Virgins". The subject seems to resurface every year, and is covered by newspapers around the world, such as the Sidney Morning Herald, and The New York Times. Digging up old stuff is probably a good choice to spice up indolent summer time.

Today, thanks to some friends instead, another small article was brought to my attention from the archives of The New York Times . Dating back to May 1911, it provides an interesting portrait of Albanians by foreigners.


[click on it to enlarge the print]

International Immigrants parade

During the summer months New York's Manhattan Island stages an enormous number of parades and street fares along its avenue and streets. Sometimes I wonder about the logistics employed by this city to be able to offer all these events and still maintain order and traffic flowing, but, I guess, we are veterans at this sort of plans by now.

For years, since we also have the UN headquarters in midtown, the city has handled, swiftly and efficiently, also all sorts of visits by heads of state from all over the world. As an inhabitant of this island for the past half a century, and, as an East sider that lives within a mile from the UN, I can attest to that and more.

Today I decided to travel to the West side to watch subject parade that was taking place along the Avenue of the Americas (a very appropriate name for this type of gathering, colloquially called by us Sixth Avenue, due to its position next to the renown Fifth Avenue). While the latter offers luxury stores and its (uptown)famous "museums mile", 6th Avenue has always been the avenue of the large corporate high risers that a few years ago built tall, huge, modern, box type buildings in midtown.

An unusual complex, however, also spans along this avenue. It's the old Rockefeller Center with one of the tallest NY buildings (70 stories), which houses also the world famous Radio City Music Hall, with its own interesting art deco (inside and out).



Today I was actually interested in seeing the participating Albanian contingent at the parade, as advertised online. As I suspected, it was the first group to march, following the opening with the horseback riding police unit and the displays of the flags.



While the lonely flag bearer was making progress amidst the pedestrians and tourists that,meantime, were trotting around, familiar Albanian sounds started to come forward....

and then... the surprise! Hundreds of Albanians, mostly young, some perched up on a variety of vehicles, all bunched up, yelling and screaming, resembled a riot more than a parade!

While the display of the red flags and T-shirts was overwhelming, and an uncontrollable enthusiasm was obvious, it was very disappointing for me not to see more folkloric outfits and a more organized group of marchers.


As the parade continued, there was a striking difference between this first contingent, and the participating units from other countries. They were all accompanied by their own music, mounted on vehicles (some of them quite old and painted in their flags' colors), but most of them were actually small groups (some less than a dozen people). But, they were wonderful to watch in their very colorful outfits, graciously dancing, and smiling all along!


Even Bangladesh was represented by a handful of their own, followed by a very simple, unadorned, old truck, that carried, though, small colorful sign with the name of their country, of which they are obviously proud!

All participants, young and old, were obviously enjoying themselves in the gorgeous weather we were blessed with today. Some of the drivers of the cars and buses that provided the music were actually following the rhythm by tapping on the steering wheel or even playing an instrument with one hand while driving with the other!

Not all nations were present today since some of them have a parade of their own on their countries' anniversaries (ie: Italy for Columbus Day in October, Ireland for St. Patrick's Day in March, etc.), but this International organization provided a good, similar occasion for the smaller groups.

The size of the Albanian contingent today has shown that this ethnic community can probably provide enough participants for a complete event of their own (which should be held on Albania's Independence Day: November 28th!), but, they would have to learn self discipline and organizational skills to be successful and appreciated in this endeavor!!

Some of the local color along the side lines was provided by loads of tourists, some strange characters, and even by small birds that nonchalantly were feeding themselves in the midst of all the traffic and the noise!



There is room for everybody and everything in NY!

Celebrations

This past weekend there were a few celebrations in my circle of friends, since it coincided with three birthdays (mine included), one wedding anniversary, and the annual feast of Father's Day. Weather wise it was a very pleasant day, and a very relaxing one for all of us.

I spent it at the home of very dear Albanian friends (at least 2 fathers included), and, naturally, I was treated with all sorts of goodies, most of which were hand prepared, Albanian specialties, which I usually don't have at home. The sweets, however, offered by the youngest member of the family, were from a well known local French patisserie. Everything was yummy!

A good digestion was provided by a well chilled Italian Prosecco, and some pictures were taken, but not by me, too busy enjoying interesting conversational exchanges about all sorts of subjects!!



PS - I am not at the age now that I need particular personal gifts, but it's not easy for me to articulate such a feeling with some people I've known for a long time that are programmed, by tradition, to give presents at every special occasion. Afraid of hurting them emotionally (by all means, I don't want to do so!), I always felt uncomfortable to be on the receiving end, and prefer instead to give. Now I have reached a stage where I have, and feel satisfied with, all I need for the life I lead. A couple of my very close friends, however, have found an unusual way to satisfy both their pleasure and mine by contributing to the cause, they know, I care very much about. Cheers!!