Big Day!
When you’re a world away from your home, “far” becomes relative… being in Albania, I had the constant reminder that one of my favorite humans on earth was a mere country away. The other day, I joked that we could both travel to the Shkodra Lake… a lake half in Albania and half in Montenegro. We could stand at the border and wave to each other since we are so close relatively speaking. Well… Milica got a wild hair and decided to see if it was possible to freely cross the border. Luck would have it… the border at Shkoder is very small and she and her friend Alek breezed right through!
Adnan thought he’d seen the last of us, but no… after talking to Milica, we got ahold of our driver friend on whatsapp. He cleared his schedule and with his usual enthusiasm, escorted us to this special area on the Albanian/Montenegro border. On the way driving, we had a car pull up behind us honking furiously… quickly pulling over, we noticed the tire was a bit low. Blessed travelers that we are, a tire shop was just around the corner. Back on the road within minutes, we arrived an hour early to Shkoder. This allowed us time to wander through the city centre. Charming! Oh so charming! I could definitely hang out here for a bit… this is the location visitors stay before heading up to Theth (the Albanian Alps)
Driving to the restaurant was an adventure in itself! Narrow, cobbled streets… rock walls lined the road. It was incredible! Every bit of this trip has been like a journey into the past. So much history… the country has lived through eras of different rule.. the Turks, Ottoman, Communism… and each left their touch.
Good choice, Milica! Beautiful restaurant, excellent service… fantastic food. Couldn’t be a better location!
YES! Together again! What a happy reunion! So thankful to share Milica’s favorite restaurant… on the water… beneath a castle. Wow! Sweet reunion!
We had quite a feast… Adnon had eel, Milica, Alek and I had salmon (amazing!) and Barry had … spaghetti! A bit of wine… sunny day… peaceful river… ducks mating… fisherman throwing his line… It was something special. Of course, at times like this… the moment passes too quickly… but we had one more stop before we parted!
After leaving the restaurant, we ventured up the hillside. Followed closely by Mili and Alek, we headed up to the best vantage point around.
Joyful… that’s all I can say! It’s amazing to be given the opportunity to visit. The world will never be so big as to keep friends apart! This little lady exudes love and energy. Out of work due to Covid, this one is making the best of it. Reconnecting with friends, adventuring in her own country… turning lemons into lemonade.
We walked up, up, up the cobbled pathway. You really feel like you are time traveling through history! Adnan had so much information on the wars, who ruled the area at different times and the legend of this castle. The work that went into this treasure!
My affinity for arches has been satisfied for another day…
Reaching the top of the Rozafa Castle (named after the sacrificed wife of one of the builders… legend), we searched out the perfect location to launch the drone. Batteries full, open area and hopefully no restrictions! Let’s give it a whirl… everyone got a turn. The following are photos of this amazing town from above!
No explanation necessary… the beauty speaks for itself! All I will say is that this castle, located 400 feet above sea level, stands between two rivers. The Buna and Drin rivers wind throughout this vast valley.
Quite literally… this took my breath away.
On the land just below the castle sits a Mosque. The Mehmet Pasha Mosque was a great frame of reference for navigating the drone.
Practice makes perfect but perfect may be some time away… considering we have run into all types of restrictions, I was pleasantly surprised to find we were able to fly around the canyon. What an unbelievable subject to photograph! Once I build a bit of confidence, my short videos will be much better. Right now I have trouble keeping track of the drone and I desperately need a lesson on the toggles. It’s very hit and miss that I get the thing moving in the correct direction. But it’s fun! And just another way for me to save photographs… my passion. Just an amateur but a happy amateur!!!
Well… all good things must come to an end… if only temporarily. Off to the airport we go for the next leg of our fall adventure! As we drove through Tirana, the traffic was thick. This allowed our drive to explain a little known, oft unnoticed fact about the laundry. During Communism times, the citizens of Albania were not allowed to own a car and clothes had to be black, gray, blue… no colorful clothes were allowed. Now as one drives through town, you see those who became comfortable with the control and have maintained the dark colors out of simplicity… then we have the younger generation, who go all out for colorful clothing! So, in some windows, there are brightly colored clothes drying… such a stark difference!
Hello Belgrade!!! We’ve arrived! A quick 45 minute flight from Tirana to Belgrade, our host arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport. What a relief… no stress about location an English speaker to get us to our accommodations.
Not in a million years, would I have imagined accommodations with such a beautiful view! Our flat (I’ll post pics tomorrow) is quite small but a creative use of space makes it seem comfortably large. It doesn’t hurt that we have a very large balcony to make the apartment feel extended. It has been a joy to post pictures today because I am sitting in the dark with the lighted dome looking straight at me. Looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
