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Published: October 10th 2008
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Skanderbeg Square
The equestrian statue at Skanderbeg Square It's fair to say that Albania suffers from an image problem. Communist for so long and isolated because of its refusal to become part of Yugoslavia in 1948, plus the breaking up of relations with Russia and China, it suffered more than anyone when the old regime collapsed in 1991. The country's economy collapsed, the capital Tirana was swamped with migrants now free to travel there, and infrastructure was found totally wanting.
Five years ago we would probably have shyed away from this poverty-stricken nation, but things have changed. Money has been invested from abroad and the capital city has been transformed.
We arrived at 5am on Monday morning and were taken to our apartment by the sleepy owner who was late meeting us because of his very human mistake of overusing the snooze button on his alarm clock. When we awoke we again split up as Si wanted to spend Carmel's last day alone with her.
The weather had finally been kind and when I stepped out into the midday sun I had to dust off the cobwebs from the suncream and sunglasses. This was the southernmost point of the whole trip and the temperature was about
Former home of Enver Hoxha
The former house of communist party leader Enver Hoxha 21 degrees. Our apartment was perfectly placed behind the International Hotel on Skanderbeg Square, the focal point of the city. I had been warned about the traffic, but it had to be seen to be believed. The noise of blaring horns was incessant and there were no lane markings - people were driving all over the road and pavements were an afterthought. Around the vast square are plenty of significant buildings including the history museum with a giant mural depicting the Albanian people. On the eastern edge was the attractive Et'ham Bey mosque. Religion was banned here from the mid-1960s until 1991 but the building escaped demolition unlike many other religious icons in the country. Outside was the distressing sight of several amputee beggars sitting on the pavement asking for money.
I stepped over rubble masquerading as walkway to see the statue of the Unknown Partisan. Standing around were labourers, wearing worn clothing and some brandishing tools, looking for work. Apart from the precarious state of the roads and paths, one thing I noticed as I strolled south of the Lana river was how colourful the city was.
In 2000, mayor Edi Rama rolled up his sleeves and
Clock tower
The clock tower next to the Et'Ham Bey Mosque on Skanderbeg Square decided to do somethign about the cluttered, ugly concrete mess that was post-communist Tirana. A painter himself, Rama launched competitions to decorate the grey tower blocks. He ordered the removal of illegally-built dwellings and their replacement with greenery and parkland. Streetlights were put up for the first time. It is now a completely different place. Unfortunately the weight of traffic and the constant habit of drivers leaning on their horns make a relaxing stroll in Tirana impossible. And that is before you try crossing the road. Any road. It is like a small personal victory every time you escape with your limbs still attached to your body. Crossings are few, and those that are there are about as well-observed as a Brazilian man in a south London apartment block intending to catch a tube.
In the afternoon I strolled around the Blloku district south of the river. It is hard to visualise now but this area was off limits to the public before 1991 as it was where members of the communist party in charge of Albania resided. I saw the former home of leader Enver Hoxha, a neat but fairly modest house on a corner which was still
Bunkers
Bunkers on the outskirts of Tirana heavily guarded. Now though, Blloku is home to the city's trendiest bars and shops. It was noticeable that here, you only see men in bars, women were only present if they were with their partners.
After sneaking into the nearby national stadium for a quick look and a photo, I decided to head out of town up a steep hill to see the former palace of King Zog. This particular monarch, aside from sounding like he would have teamed up with Zig and Zag for a Christmas single had he still been breathing, had to leave the country when Mussolini's Italy, previously an ally, turned on Albania and invaded. He got to the UK, where he used stolen treasury money to stay at the Ritz.
Unfortunately, after a knackering 20 minute hike, the palace was off limits and guarded by an unsmiling soldier with a huge gun. I tried to visit the Martyrs Cemetery opposite, which contains the graves of partisans killed during the Second World War as well as a large statue of Mother Albania, but this was closed too. I trudged back down, consoling myself with the health benefits of such an exhausting mission.
The
National History Museum
The mural depicting 'The Albanians' on the square next day, with Si and Carmel headed for the airport, I had lunch in the Sky Tower, which as the name hints is a very tall building. It does in fact very slowly rotate, so you get fantastic panoramic views of the whole city and the surrounding mountains. With little on my agenda I took advantage of the good weather to roam the strets, visiting souvenir shops in my hope of obtaining a Mother Theresa tea-towel for my workmates or some such relic. I was surprised at the number of English speakers, having assumed this would be one of the toughest countries to get by in.
Albania has no international rail network, so our attempts to get out of the country were to be something of an adventure. With Carmel back in the UK, Si and I rose early to catch a train to Shkodra in the north, from where we believed we could catch a bus across the Montenegrin border to the town of Ulcinj. We got to the station to find the destinations and prices had been written on boards in pen. Having bought an absurdly cheap ticket (less than a pound for a three and a
National Stadium
A quick look inside the national football stadium half hour trek) we soon found out why this is so as the train had broken windows and flies everywhere.
The journey was slow but an eye-opener. We saw shanty towns, concrete bunkers which had been built during the communist years to protect the isolated nation from attack, and run down towns on a scale we had not yet encountered. It seems that while Tirana showcases an Albania on the road to recovery, there is still a great deal of work still to be done.
A man called Florian, who spoke decent English, got talking to us on the train and offered us a place to stay in Shkodra as well as his hospitality. Despite his having two sisters in their early 20s, we declined as we wanted to get to Montenegro before nightfall. He came for a drink with us in the town where he painted a picture of how hard life is for many Albanians. At 28 years old he has never had a job and told us that the 30 per cent (his figure) in the country who are employed have friends in high places. He asked us how he could get into England, whether
Statue of the Unknown Partisan
Set against some apartment blocks. we knew any girls who he could marry to get a visa, because his life in Albania has no future. His entire family live off his father's pension. It made us realise how much we sometimes take our freedom for granted.
We also established there was no bus to Ulcinj out of season, but Florian had a friend who would drive us there for 20 euros. We agreed, but somewhere our lines had got crossed as he could actually take us no further than the border. Faced with a hitchhike, luckily we were offered another taxi to Ulcinj for another 20 euros. We agred, and waved goodbye to this fascinating country.
People we have met since have been curious about Albania above any other country we have travelled to. It's still an adventure and some things aren't pleasant (going to the toilet in a public convenience, for example) but I would advise anyone who is thinking of going there to do so, and not just to Tirana. Until then you won't know how lucky you are.
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