Tirane/Kruje, Albania
Albania. What would it be like? Rarely do we visit a country where we have so few preconceptions. Closed from the world for 50 years, and then disillusioned from its disastrous introductions to free-market economies in the 1990s, we knew that Albania would be a land of paradox and contrast. But what exactly is Albania?
We entered the principal port of Durres in the early morning. Escorted by a few Italian ferries, we docked amidst a huge confusion of industrial cranes, ships of all types and sizes, and plenty of rusting hulls.We began with an introduction by our exuberant guide Ols, moonlighting from his job as director of Cultural Heritage, Museums and Monuments. His worldly perspective and openness set the tone for the day, as we drove to both the new capital of Tirane and the historic capital of Kruje.
Myriad “mushroom” bunkers littered the rolling hills, remnants of the paranoid Communist era of dictator Enver Hoxha. Hundreds of uncompleted buildings signaled both optimism and harsh realities, as one never knew if a building was ever destined for completion. Colorful facades and wide Parisian boulevards are the refreshing vision of Tirane mayor Edi Rama, whose basketball and artistic prowess have made him as famous as his revolutionary urban renewal strategies.
We visited the National Museum, walked through the heart of Tirane, dined at a festive traditional restaurant, drove up the stunning mountainside to the old capital of Kruje, visited the surprising Ethnographic Museum and the museum of the national hero Skanderbeg, and we shopped at a bizarre bazaar in the medieval hillside streets. At the end of the day we were dizzy with images, ideas and information, still spinning to grasp this place called Albania.
Albania. What would it be like? Rarely do we visit a country where we have so few preconceptions. Closed from the world for 50 years, and then disillusioned from its disastrous introductions to free-market economies in the 1990s, we knew that Albania would be a land of paradox and contrast. But what exactly is Albania?
We entered the principal port of Durres in the early morning. Escorted by a few Italian ferries, we docked amidst a huge confusion of industrial cranes, ships of all types and sizes, and plenty of rusting hulls.We began with an introduction by our exuberant guide Ols, moonlighting from his job as director of Cultural Heritage, Museums and Monuments. His worldly perspective and openness set the tone for the day, as we drove to both the new capital of Tirane and the historic capital of Kruje.
Myriad “mushroom” bunkers littered the rolling hills, remnants of the paranoid Communist era of dictator Enver Hoxha. Hundreds of uncompleted buildings signaled both optimism and harsh realities, as one never knew if a building was ever destined for completion. Colorful facades and wide Parisian boulevards are the refreshing vision of Tirane mayor Edi Rama, whose basketball and artistic prowess have made him as famous as his revolutionary urban renewal strategies.
We visited the National Museum, walked through the heart of Tirane, dined at a festive traditional restaurant, drove up the stunning mountainside to the old capital of Kruje, visited the surprising Ethnographic Museum and the museum of the national hero Skanderbeg, and we shopped at a bizarre bazaar in the medieval hillside streets. At the end of the day we were dizzy with images, ideas and information, still spinning to grasp this place called Albania.
