Dates:
04/18/24 to 05/09/24
In mid April, we left the US to start a 6 month journey around the countries of the Balkan Peninsula. We flew overnight and landed in Barcelona, Spain. We spent a day resting, and immediately returned to the airport the following morning to catch a flight to Tirana, Albania. We spent the next 3 weeks traveling around the country.
There are many things to love about Albania, the food, the cost of living, the people, the destinations, etc. The public transportation around the country does leave a little to be desired, but they are definitely trying to improve it based upon the increasing number of tourists. Today, the local Albanians appear to be thriving and seem to love their country and enjoy sharing it with others. However, this has not always been the case… For nearly 40 years they lived under the thumb of a communist dictator. They were not allowed to leave the country, were forbidden to own anything of value (cars, personal property of any sort), and could not even express their own opinions. Communism fell in the early 90s. Albania today is a beautiful country full of very easy going people who are enjoying their freedoms and more “Western” style of living.
All in all, we really enjoyed our time in Albania. The country is a wonderful place to visit and we would love to return to a few of our favorite cities.
