Another Slightly Lazy Albanian Day...
Coffee… decent walk… then we combed the city for a public printer. Every printing shop did t-shirts and mugs. After awhile, I decided to try a gaming center. They seem to be popular and would have computers so I was hoping they would have printers. Voila! We came upon a place called net@gerti. What a nice staff! Helped me to get a document signed so we could move on to another location tomorrow!
Then, we planted ourselves on a bench that had a direct view to the square…. We wanted to use the drone but it was fairly bushy and with a height limitation, we decided against it.
Surprise! No drone action so I took photos of buildings… you never expected that, did you?
This was kind of cool… we happened to be here during the design of the “Wooden Cloud”. Yesterday I posted a picture of the Cloud sculpture. Unbeknownst to me, a few blocks away, a wooden version was being designed. The artist, Martin Steinert, was busy at work.. with the help and support of university students. Shortly before our arrival in this city, the artist invited the community to participate. Each wooden slab has a “hope or dream” that someone has written. Before we leave, I will try to get up close and get a shot of some of the dreams… what a great idea! Love it!
We could have jumped on this merry-go-round but “someone” didn’t want to. I thought it would be kind of fun. While walking around admiring the ride, several unexpected guests jumped on. A lady and her son, a couple of teenage boys, a single man… It was never very busy but I’ve seen it running every day. Yesterday (Sunday) was the busiest!
Just gonna say… Albanians drive like crazy people. If the crosswalk lights up for pedestrians to pass, cars race to the line and slam on their breaks as if we are in their way. They create their own lanes… lined for two but they turn it into three or four. Parking is no different. Not enough room to parallel park? No worries… just fit in as best you can! Or… there’s always double parking. I did notice police earlier in the day ticketing the double parkers but no one is paying attention in the evening.
We ventured past a photography art show being set up. We only got to see a couple pieces of work but it appeared the theme was photographs of the immediate vicinity. Shots from various angle of the marketplace, people sampling foods in the marketplace… different times a day, which affect the lighting… Some of the shots were simple, some impressive.
When we arrived in Albania, there was no mask mandate except in the airport. Over the ensuing days, a mandate has been lightly put into place. Walking down the city street, it seems acceptable to remove mask to smoke, talk on the phone, eat… it’s okay to be worn on the chin or below the nose. We also discovered that if you pass out in front of a restaurant, no one will bother you… as this man did.
As with every outstanding meal, we started with a nice bottle of wine. Tonight it was a 2012 Ricossa Barolo. Without hesitation, the waiter began decanting the wine to allow it to breathe. Next… time to order dinner!
This restaurant, recommended by our host, is the perfect combination to satisfy both tastes. My strict diet doesn’t allow for nightshades or gluten, my husband’s brain doesn’t allow seafood. So he ordered a Caprese salad (I ate quite a bit of the mozzarella and lettuce, and he ate the rest. He also got to enjoy the bread, which he said was delicious. I ordered the avocado salad (R). WOW! It was chopped avocado, walnuts, chunks of bleu cheese and lox on top… with a drizzle of balsamic. What a flavor blast! Every bite was gobbled… every bite!
Couldn’t resist… had to venture up to take a look at the fresh fish. What a selection! The restaurant allows you to select your fish and preparation. So glad our host sent us here, so sorry we didn’t try it sooner!
Figured I better give a shout out to the restaurant… my mouth is watering at the meal. Rozafa…
Address: Ruga Luigj gurakuqi 2, Tirana Albania. There is nice outdoor seating but, for us, it was slightly too chilly.
Look at this! Barry had his favorite pizza… and I had an incredible salmon dish. The flavoring was crazy good and cooked to perfection. How lucky we found a restaurant that was pleasing to both of us!!! Are you tired of seeing my food experiences yet? ha!
Well… tomorrow we will be venturing out to a new area. Should be fun. Of course I’ll take pictures but will post late because it will be a very long day! Until then… stay safe!
