Albania (1 Viewer)

[billym]

We entered Albania from Greece three days ago
We've stayed in the middle of Gjirokaster two nights, visiting the castle and the cold war bunker, and now moved 500 yds to a campsite for €10 with a decent bar.
The weather is full sun and 20c
We've already been gifted a bottle of wine and loads of vegetables and are rather liking it here.
Very cheap eating out.

We have 3.5 weeks until the insurance runs out and to get into Montenegro.

Does anyone have any ' must visit' places they care to share en route north or does it all go downhill from here??;

 

[tribalbrit]

Must be very quiet over there, as they are all over here.

 

[oldiesontour]

Must be very quiet over there, as they are all over here.

Thought that was only their mafia ...richer pickings here maybe

 

[billym]

Must be very quiet over there, as they are all over here.

A lady in a shop asked us where we were from today
England I said.
London ? She asked
"No. In the north"
" London is full of Indians" was her reply.

 

[Jev88]

Went to the border of Greece and Albania and the behaviour of the men put me off every wanting to go there.
Wife stood in queue in a shop as we were picking up drinks and snacks to carry on to historical sites in a little hire car and three times a male pushed right in front of her as if she wasn't there.
Are women still held in low regard there?

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[billym]

Went to the border of Greece and Albania and the behaviour of the men put me off every wanting to go there.
Wife stood in queue in a shop as we were picking up drinks and snacks to carry on to historical sites in a little hire car and three times a male pushed right in front of her as if she wasn't there.
Are women still held in low regard there?

We haven't encountered that yet but only been here 4 days
I have noticed that when we speak to someone ( lots of people want to talk to us it seems)( in a good way) they talk to both my wife and me, rather than directing everything to me which is something we are always conscious of.

 

[Gingernuts]

I would like to see any man in any country cut in front of my dear departed wife in a queue. She was from Inverness and stood for no nonsense! Quiet as a mouse until somebody annoyed her
I think Alex Ferguson learned the hairdryer treatment from her

 

[billym]

Against my better judgement we decided to go over the " hill" to popular tourist attraction.


We picked an old hitch hiker up who'd travelled over to collect his prescription medicines.

Then going up I smashed some wing mirrors on a digger at some roadworks. We didn't stop but were caught up by two very irate workers. The hitch hikers kept saying " mafia" "police" but we ended up giving them €100. ( I thought that was fair to be honest) .

Then the workers realised the hitch hiker was Albanian and it all kicked off. Not sure why.

Thankfully no damage to our old rusty Hymer mirrors!

The " blue eye" tourist attraction was a bit disappointing so we drove back over a different "hill" and went for beer and talking to a German motorhomer who ended up fixing Mrs billyms very broken electric bike.

Today's lesson. Don't go over " hills" you know you shouldn't in a 4 ton 32 year old banger that will only just do it mile after mile in first gear.

Blue Eye, Albania - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[billym]

You know you are stopping in a poor town when a policeman in uniform in a bar is asking you for money.

The stadium has seen better days, fourth division Albanian professional leagues

 

[David and Sally]

I think you are very brave even thinking about Albania. Way above my comfort levels.

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[vzac]

We went last yr, kept out of the capital. We found them very welcoming, and great sites to stop on. All from p4n. We just tootled around, met a couple with donkeys traveling around Europe.

 

[Tombola]

I have a friend from Albania over here, been here since 92, came to work, hes a diamond really is

 

[VXman]

Snow and Curt - a couple of Americans travelling in Europe are having a great time and loving it there. They seem to have found some gems.

 

[Tombola]

Snow and Curt - a couple of Americans travelling in Europe are having a great time and loving it there. They seem to have found some gems.

was following them a while back, she took quite ill in SOuth America,
they are due over to the UK at some time too, they were asking for recommends to see and visit.
Maybe they should join here

 

[Jewellbags]

We entered Albania from Greece three days ago
We've stayed in the middle of Gjirokaster two nights, visiting the castle and the cold war bunker, and now moved 500 yds to a campsite for €10 with a decent bar.
The weather is full sun and 20c
We've already been gifted a bottle of wine and loads of vegetables and are rather liking it here.
Very cheap eating out.

We have 3.5 weeks until the insurance runs out and to get into Montenegro.

Does anyone have any ' must visit' places they care to share en route north or does it all go downhill from here??;

Is that the 3rd party insurance sold at the border ?

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[billym]

Is that the 3rd party insurance sold at the border ?

Yes. We paid €65 at the border for 30 days
When I hit the roadworks van the other day, the guys really had no interest in it, they just wanted cash. Fair enough

 

[haganap]

Loving this, keep it going.

 

[billym]

The weather is fantastic. Hot and sunny. The roads are good, the town we are now in is very touristy . A bit like Matlock Bath without the fish and chips shops.

Views of Berat.

It really is hot and the covers over the pitches are very welcome

There is an awful lot of Range Rovers in Albania it would appear. My lad says he knows some lads near Leeds who can get me one for a good price

 

[WESTY66]

The weather is fantastic. Hot and sunny. The roads are good, the town we are now in is very touristy . A bit like Matlock Bath without the fish and chips shops.

Views of Berat.

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It really is hot and the covers over the pitches are very welcome
View attachment 880850

There is an awful lot of Range Rovers in Albania it would appear. My lad says he knows some lads near Leeds who can get me one for a good price

I bet they’re rhd too, a friend who’s been told me there’s a lot of rhd high end U.K. cars over there!
I’d love to got through there at some point in the future

 

[billym]

I bet they’re rhd too, a friend who’s been told me there’s a lot of rhd high end U.K. cars over there!
I’d love to got through there at some point in the future

We've seen four or five UK plate ones but to be fair haven't noticed any RHD Albanian plated ones

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[billym]

We weren't expecting this weather when we changed our plans to drive back through the Balkans at this time of year

 

[billym]

We went to the football today.
Top Albanian league, the third biggest ground in Albania with about 250 people there.
Fk Tomori Berat v Besa Kavaje.

We think Mrs billym was the only female in the ground

There was a bit of crowd trouble, one locked up for throwing a bottle and one ejected for throwing his shoes at the manager.

He's in this poor photo sitting on a stone, red coat, no shoes outside.

 

[billym]

The guy who got locked up took ten cops out of the ground and away with him in the van.
I wonder how he is?

 

[haganap]

wow, amazing. can't believe that standard of football,
Albania just looks so poor.

 

[Jane And Rog]

Take a look at our blog from last year. We loved Albania, and there’s plenty more to explore.

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[billym]

I've just found out the football was the league below the top league so I got that wrong

I found out because this guy in the white shirt went to watch a game the other day in the 'premier' but said it was just as dire and got warned off taking pictures of the ' Ultras'. He had to pay €2 to get in, we got in for free.

He's cycling from the Netherlands to China but seems remarkably normal. He's just met the girl in the orange tent a couple of hours ago, she's from Switzerland and has flown out for a couple of weeks to cycle round Albania on her own.

The guy with the mustard coloured tea shirt with the motorhome is jealous as since he crashed his bike seriously in Sofia whilst on a solo bike jaunt, his girlfriend won't let him off the lead

The lady of the campsite walks round seeing to the chickens and many chicks whilst knitting with three knitting needles.

But to bring us all back to normality a French motorhome has just arrived and parked under the covers with the rest of us ( it's hot). So whilst we are all chatting he completely ignores us all, not even a gallic shrug, nothing. You've got to love the French!

 

[Crazylegs]

We saw a number of fancy cars in Tirana ( the Capital) battling for road space with donkeys and carts. We later saw Mercedes and Land Rover garages, all new buildings, not dissimilar to a UK motor park.
It really is a country of contrasts with huge gated houses not far away from folk living on waste ground.
To the OP you might like to take the chain ferry (as previously featured on Top Gear) to Butrint national park, on route SH81. There are some fantastic Roman ruins there well worth a visit.

 

[billym]

Oil change on the campsite. A fully equipped workshop with pit for all repairs, bodywork and welding. It's definitely one worth noting.

park4night - (3001) Camping Fridolin

Great parking space just before the city. The operator speaks very good German and is incredibly helpful. He also offers a car workshop that has a solution for all problems. There are restaurants. Loved staying here for 3 nights.In midsummer there is a small pool

park4night.com

An Albanian cockerel in a tree dreaming of la belle France

 

[pappajohn]

I bet they’re rhd too, a friend who’s been told me there’s a lot of rhd high end U.K. cars over there!
I’d love to got through there at some point in the future

Bet I know how they got there as well.
Wouldn't trust Albanians as far as I could throw one. A nation of thieves.

 

[vzac]

Oil change on the campsite. A fully equipped workshop with pit for all repairs, bodywork and welding. It's definitely one worth noting.

park4night - (3001) Camping Fridolin

Great parking space just before the city. The operator speaks very good German and is incredibly helpful. He also offers a car workshop that has a solution for all problems. There are restaurants. Loved staying here for 3 nights.In midsummer there is a small pool

park4night.com

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An Albanian cockerel in a tree dreaming of la belle France

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That's where we stayed last yr. There 2 donkeys traveling with 2 humans, all were traveling together around Europe. The old lady spent most of the time feeding chickens and collecting camomile from the grass you see in the pic. Lovely place

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