Albania!?!

Albania is number 1 in the Lonly Planet ‘s list of top 10 countries for 2011, and more important our friends Erik and Marija moved to Tirana. Reasons enough to pay a visit!

Tirana is a lively city. Maybe not the most beautiful architecture, but this is largely compensated by loads of bars, restaurants and parks.

Not so nice architecture; the former Enver Hoxha museum designed by his daughter Pranvera. 

Loads of nice places to eat, drink, or launder your criminal money...

Lots of green in Tirana.

Splendid interior of an old mosque in Tirana.

We visited a Venetian Mask factory in Shkoder, a remarkable display of entrepreneurship. The owner worked as so many Albanians in Italy, and started this factory back home. Now he has several shops in Venice, and Las Vegas, and made the masks for the movie 'Eyes wide shut'!

Beautiful masks!

Inspired by the novels by Ismail Kadare, and ‘Herberg met het Hoefijzer’ ('Inn with the Horseshoe' , a classic for the dutchies), we decided to make a trip to the valley of Teth in the North of the country. This valley is closed half of the year because the road is inaccessible due to snow, a spectacular ride!

When the going gets tough.....

This region is also known for it’s traditional law or ‘Kuna’, which is the subject of Ismail Kadare’s novel ‘Broken April’:
....After shooting the murderer of his brother, young Gjorg Berisha has a period of 30 days to pay his blood money. When this truce finishes he has two options, either go back to his village and be sure to get killed by one of the brothers of his victim, or allow himself to be locked up in a windowless tower or ‘Kulla’ for the rest of his life....
Truly, life in North Albania in the 1920’s could not have been that dark!
Or can it?

The windowless 'Kulla' of Teth.

But as long as you do not kill anybody accidentally, the valley is quite beautiful.

While Matilda explored the surroundings...

The rest of us enjoyed some local food and drinks:

Why do all Albanian men wear suits at all times?

After our adventures in the mountains, we paid a visit to Berat, a candidate to become Unesco word heritage site:

Beautiful Berat!

 Matilda developed the new sport of "Dop Drinken" (or drinking from the cap).

Matilda showing the art of 'Dop Drinken" to Daddy and Aap.

Albania, what a country! It definitively gets our stamp of approval as a fantastic holiday destination, spectacular landscapes, culture and history, friendly people, and our German friends just might find their car back!

"Gib mir mein Mercedes zurück!"

A big Thank You to Erik and Marija for their kind hospitality!