Blogs from West, Albania, Europe - page 5

So here I was, in capital of not very well known country - Albania. First of all I had to find a place with WiFi to let my host know I arrived and I'm ready to meet him. I have requested four nights and my request was accepted by a Chinese guy living in Tirana. Before I headed to the area where he lives I agreed with Nicholas that we'll meet later that day for a coffee. Then I walked to Blloku neighbourhood and found little cafeteria where I could use their WiFi and to have a coffee too (very much needed after only few hours of sleep). So I let my host know where he can find me and was waiting for his response. I was picked by Jing within an hour. We walked to ... read more

Back in the summer of 2013, I did a small amazing train trip in part of the Balkans. It was a first, and I knew I would come back to tour the remaining capitals I hadn't visited. So first stop, I'm in Albania....I know, who goes on holidays in Albania, if you don't really have a connection to the country...not that I don't have one somehow! Instead of going direct, I flew through Istanbul in order to try the huge Turkish Airlines lounge, saving the cost of a hotel night at the same time. Lounge is huge, but not that impressive with their offerings...except for the pool table, and yes, the golf simulator. It's a first for me to play on a golf simulator....all this at midnight, drinking some nice Merlot, and ended up even playing ... read more

Today I got a ride with the Norwegians to Berat. It was a really rainy day to begin with, and we left quite late, which always annoys me. But after talking to someone else later on, I found out how lucky I was to get a ride, as there is no bus station in Tirana and it can be really hard to find buses out. Albania has the worst roads ever, so the driving was quite slow. We got to Berat much later than I expected, but luckily the rain ended and days are really long in the summer, so I was still able to walk around a lot and go to the old town/castle and LOVED it. Every moment was picture perfect. Plus, I loved my hotel. I could have stayed forever. Of course, the ... read more

I was lucky getting to Tirana, as the buses from Kotor to Tirana require several changes, but the hostel in Kotor (another dorm) had a shuttle service if enough people signed up. Luckily, they did. I talked mostly to a Danish couple and a little with a Norwegian couple. This proved key, as they were renting a car in Albania and going in the same direction as I was. Luckily, they offered to drive me, so that was convenient. I stayed at their hotel, since I had no place to go when I arrived. It was already nice to have my own room after the hostel in Kotor. I spent that first day walking around Tirana, the capital. Not such an exciting place, but still good to see it. The next day I went to Durres, ... read more

Geo: 41.3317, 19.8172 GÜN 68 GÜNLERDEN PAZARTESİ Sabah güzelce kahvaltımızı yapıp yola çıktık. Yaklaşık 15-20 trafik kontrolünü, sıfır fena puanla aşmasını başardık. Sadece, yakıt alarak Tiran 'a vardık.. Küçük bir ek bilgi vereyim ... Eğer eşiniz veya arabadaki herhangi bir kişi, yoldan ve yüksekliklerden etkileniyorsa, İskodra-Tirana yolunu pek tavsiye etmeyiz .. Oldukça netameli bir yol olduğunu saygıyla arzediyorum.. MIO (GPS) çalışmıyor.Arnavutluk kapsamı alanı içinde değil, bu nedenle Dünyanın en yaygın GPS sistemi olan el kol işareti ile otel arıyoruz .. Arnavut Polis kardeşimiz, burnunun ucundaki oteli tanımayınca veya bilemeyince bize meydan turu düştü. Ne varsa şöför kardeşlerimde var .. Otelimiz olması gereken adreste değil. Yolların adı devamlı değişiyor... read more