Hospitality

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Geo: 40.7025, 19.947

Albanian hospitality has been unreal so far, starting with Bledi yesterday - you just can't imagine somebody in Canada going that far out of their way to help out random strangers. Truthfully, if somebody did that back home, you'd probably think they were a stalker! After our meal, Bledi walked us back across the river to Gorica, where everybody's hostels were located - one of the girls wanted to change before heading out for an ice cream and the xhiro, the Albanian evening stroll.

It was at this point that we bid adieu to Bledi - it's a funny thing, because he was so hospitable that we weren't sure if he actually wanted to join us, but perhaps felt obligated. We were more than happy to have him come along, but worried that we may have been keeping him from some other obligation. As he left, he also offered to come back to show us around tomorrow, which we genuinely appreciated, but graciously declined.

Even my arrival last night at the Lorenc Guesthouse, a wonderful little family-run place that has been in the family over seventy years, and houses three generations, was a brilliant example of Albanian hospitality. Immediately after setting foot in the house, a little Albanian granny asks me "Coffee?" Having hoofed it up to Gorica in 35 C heat, I declined, even though an Albanian coffee would've been delicious, as it's the same as a thick, rich Turkish coffee. But because of the bad history with the Ottoman Empire, I don't think most Albanians want to call it Turkish coffee ...

Parched, I whipped out my bottle of piss-warm water, ready to take a sip, until I was interrupted by the granny - "No!" she said, almost scolding me, as she touched the bottle. Moments later, she returned with a large bottle of half-frozen water, and a little dish of homemade preserved cherries - syrupy sweet and delicious, like maraschino cherries but without the artificial taste, and about a hundred times better.

Bledi had told me an interesting thing last night about Albanians - though they are incredibly warm and accommodating with tourists, they really aren't that way with each other. Apparently, there's usually a bit of a competition amongst Albanians, especially when it comes to material possessions - if one sees another with more things, there ends up being some tension with that person. It's really quite fascinating, how foreigners who have so much more than the typical Albanian, are so well-received, yet a compatriot isn't.

Berat is perhaps the third-most popular tourist destination in Albania, behind the capital Tirana, and the Albanian coastline, which is evident by the number of backpackers in town - though not a ton compared to more heavily-touristed nations, there was a larger contingent than I had
expected. Surprisingly, Bledi told me that Canadians are some of the most common tourists you'll find in Albania - this was backed up by having met a fellow Calgarian last night, and having a couple of Canadian girls check into the guesthouse today.

The Lorenc Guesthouse has the most amazing terrace, a perfect spot to enjoy Berat - beyond a visit up to Kala, where the castle is located, there really isn't that much to do here, other than enjoy the xhiro, and bask in the traditional beauty of the city. Berat was preserved as a museum city, shockingly by the Communists - never seeming to be ones who cared for the rich, beautiful history of a nation, for some reason they decided Berat was worth keeping as is, something all people in Albania should be grateful for, whether they be visitors or residents.

Heading out for the evening xhiro, I caught Lorenc as he was also leaving, so we strolled together through Berat's centre. The topic of Albania's complicated history came up, something that can be a touchy subject for locals of any of the Balkan nations, and you could tell that the Ottoman occupation of Albania stirred a great deal of passion in Lorenc.

The concept of time is relative to the individual - coming from a relatively-new nation, you can't comprehend some of the deep-seated feelings of those from a nation as ancient as Albania. Though Ottoman rule here lasted nearly 500 years, it ended nearly 100 years ago, long before Lorenc was even born. For me, that's more than a lifetime ago, but I also have the fortune of coming from a nation that has had a great deal of political stability during its history.

Lorenc is a passionate man, as I suspect most Albanians also are - perhaps it's what makes this country so intriguing, the fact that people are so passionate about everything they do, and everything they believe in. In Lorenc, you see a jaded man who is struggling with the pace of change in Albania, of the ever-so-slow rise to democracy - though Communism fell in the early 90s, it seems that not all that much has really changed here.

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Photos

Hot, But Almost There ...
... it's only a 15-minute walk from the other side of the river up to Kala, but even at 10:30 AM it was ROASTING, mostly because the sun was reflecting off the shiny cobblestones beneath you, cooking you from both top and bottom.

Beer and Art ...
... I doubt the sculptor intended for his work to be displayed with umbrellas advertising beer, in the background.

Breakfast at the Lorenc Guesthouse ...
... started with some homemade preserves and some delish Turkish ... uh ... I mean, Albanian coffee.

Cooked to Order ...
... omelet, nice!

Takeaway Lunch ...
... picked up a cheese burek and a type of ham and cheese bun, which I brought back to eat at the guesthouse's terrace.

Marvelous Melon ...
... sweet and juicy, it had a very fragrant, almost floral hint to it. The great Albanian hospitality continued - as soon as I sat down with my food, a glass of ice cold water was set in front of me and before I knew it, Lorenc had grabbed the melon I brought back and hacked it up into pieces for me.

Dinner at the Guesthouse ...
... wanting a home-cooked Albanian meal, I stayed in tonight. The fish was smooth as silk, perfectly-cooked and juicy, and served with a simple salad of cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes. An interesting addition were little fried discs of what I think was okra.