Up and Down Albania in 20 Days

Up and Down Albania in 20 Days

30 July 2018: We leave home around 3.00 pm; we have the ferry with the shipping company Adria, departing at 11.00 pm from Bari and arriving in Durres at 08.00. We book a pet cabin, that is, cabins for two people and a pet, which just goes to show how civilisation is moving forward. Full price round trip about 600.00 euros, including car, dog and two people. We arrive in Bari around 8.20 pm and from there the problems begin: gigantic chaos, senseless queues of cars. We check in and discover that our ship is called Francesca. We have dinner with two sandwiches and a pizza between the two of us that tastes of glue, in a bar at the port with very unpleasant and rude staff, especially towards the Albanians (and this upset me quite a bit), and after a long wait we finally board the ship. It's almost 11.00 pm and the cars and trucks are so packed together that you can barely open the doors.

The cabin, ours is number 231, is truly spartan, with two bunk beds, a bathroom and a sink, small and cramped. The ship leaves extremely late, around 00.30, and despite the confusion coming from the passengers (our room is practically next to the shower, so we hear every noise), we manage to sleep at least four hours straight. 31/07/2018: We arrive in Durres on time. We think we'll get off early, but the odyssey is only beginning now! Two hours in the garage, with the cars so jammed together that they can't even get out, the heat is oppressive, the smog tears our lungs apart and makes our eyes water, Ugo is breathing heavily. My rating for the shipping company Adria is extremely negative! We get off the ship at 10.20! As soon as we're out, the first checks begin, then they stop us because we need to take out insurance.

In Albania, Italian insurance policies don't cover Albanian territory, so you have to insure yourself, two weeks 50 euros, otherwise it kicks in for a month and it's 65 euros - so we go for a month! On the right at the exit we find an exchange office to change money and we can finally begin our tour. We stop in a bar for two coffees and immediately notice the extreme kindness of the Albanian people; they try in every way to help us. Anyway, two coffees and two bottles of water, 2 euros! We set off for Tirana; luckily we bought a satnav that reads Albanian roads, otherwise there would have been problems. We arrive in Tirana and after a few adventures we reach the VILLA 27 RESIDENCE, an apartment at 20 euros a night, which then becomes 26 because of the dog. The apartment is fairly complete; there's no air conditioning as advertised on booking, but it still seems cool.

We stink like hippos, we shower and go out to discover Tirana. We find a super-guarded car park on Rruga Murat Toptani (0.80 cents an hour)...an exceptional car park, with police and checks...We go out along the street and it's immediately picturesque with market stalls, pubs and little restaurants, and right in one of these we have two Greek salads, a beer and two bottles of water, two half-portions of meatballs in tomato sauce (a typical dish), 2 coffees...8 euros! Once we've finished eating, we find ourselves in the nearby Bunk'Art 2 Museum, 4 euros each for the ticket, an old bunker with 24 offices today used as an exhibition that retraces the communist terror in Albania. The museum is truly interesting.

Dogs aren't allowed in, but the girl at the ticket desk, seeing Ugo, melts, makes a phone call and lo and behold, Ugo is ready to go in! On the way out the heat is infernal...the sun beats down on you...our energy is ever less. We enter Skanderbeg Square, the very central square of the Albanian capital, where we have our unpleasant surprise: the Et'hem Bey Mosque is closed for restoration. We try to go in; they show us only a few frescoes at the entrance but then nothing...We reach the Clock Tower and then the imposing statue of the hero Skanderbeg.

Margherita is tired and Ugo can't take it anymore...We look at the fresco on the outside of the National History Museum and then, to regain energy, we get two lemon juices and then orange juices...delicious! We visit the nearby Orthodox cathedral, imposing outside but small inside, and walk along Rinia Park, the city's lung, with a small artificial lake inside. Tired, we head back to the car and in the evening, tired and hungry, we look for a restaurant highly rated by some social media, but we drive round and round and can't find it.

In the end we return to our street, Rruga Murat Toptani, with our guarded car park, and outside we eat at the Taverna Greek, with outdoor tables and a menu reduced to just two dishes...all finished...we take those two remaining dishes, French fries, skewers for me and chicken fillet for my wife with salad, and then, still hungry, feta, tomatoes and spices...beer and two waters, final price 1740 lek, about 14 euros...We go back to the apartment utterly exhausted. 01/08/2018: We go out slightly later, around 10.00, and parking in the usual guarded car park, we go to Pazari i Ri, a small covered market with some stalls, mostly sad, selling meat, fruit and vegetables and some typical Albanian objects. The first gifts begin: two pipes carved in wood, at 1500 lek each, about 12 euros, and then a magnet for 200 lek, about one euro and 40 cents.

Margherita is very disappointed by the market; in fact this new Tirana, ready for the future, has swept away, perhaps a little too quickly, its own history and past...After a little over an hour we leave the market and, walking, we find ourselves in a small garden where grandmothers rock their grandchildren. We meet Samia, who with her little Zac asks us about Ugo and asks us many questions about us and about Italy...We look for the Tanners' Bridge; we take the car and set off in search of the historic place...We end up in the middle of the traffic and after many turns we discover that it was exactly 200 metres from the guarded car park! We leave the car and visit this place...The Tanners' Bridge, one of the few Ottoman vestiges of Tirana; facing it are colourful, dilapidated buildings covered by trees.

The bridge is beautiful and elegant, but certainly for an Italian, and especially a Roman, getting emotional over a work of art becomes ever more complicated! Near the site we find the restaurant Fefa, with a large outdoor space...we stop and have a bottle of water, two dishes of aubergines stuffed with fish fillet and raisins, with rocket and turnips, and two generous grilled fish platters, with two coffees...price about 28 euros...Everything delicious...We go back to the hotel...the heat is terrible.

We go out around 6.00 pm and after about 45 minutes we reach the seafront of Durres...First of all we go to visit the Roman amphitheatre, the largest structure of this kind in the whole Balkans...We only see it from outside because it's a disarming disappointment; houses and buildings have been built almost on top of the monument...My advice: don't go in (the ticket costs 200 lek, almost two euros); it's really not worth it. We go back to the seafront, a nice walk with children's rides, lots of bars and little restaurants. We walk and reach a marvellous sunset, the sun slowly entering the sea, leaving the sky full of colours...Wonderful!! We're hungry and decide to have a pizza and salads at the Pizza Grill on the seafront, cost about 15 euros.

Around 10.00 pm we head home, but first, in a supermarket, I see a stray dog, hungry and with a bandaged paw (the problem of stray dogs in Albania is very evident); I buy it four tins of meat and it devours them all!! Before I leave it jumps on me and licks my neck; its is a genuine hug...I'd take them all home! Ugo, meanwhile, makes many of the girls of Durres fall in love; some ask for a photo, one even asks me if she can get engaged to him!! Ugo the playboy...or rather playdog...in the end we go back to the hotel. 02/08/2018: We wake up fairly early and set off for Shkoder, passing through Kruje.

Before leaving Tirana, I should tell you that if you come here by car you must be super careful and super focused at all times; Albanians drive in an unworthy way and don't respect the rules of the highway code at all, not even the most basic ones!! The worst are the bus drivers; they're big and pushy...so maximum attention!! After a few adventures we arrive in Kruje and, with a local character, we find paid parking at 1 euro, 15 cents an hour. We get out and, after a restorative coffee, we set off for the picturesque castle, with its elegant, circular tower offering fine views and very picturesque corners. Inside it are the Skanderbeg Museum (250 lek) and the ethnographic museum (300 lek).

Unfortunately dogs can't go in, so Margherita and I decide to split up: one at a time we visit the museums while the other stays under a tree with Ugo Beddu! The museums are very interesting, especially the Ethnographic one, which retraces the many aspects of Albanian life in years past; there are workrooms, carpets, furnishings and much more...The Skanderbeg one is dedicated to the famous hero of Albanian history. Meanwhile we meet the owner of the Kruja Hospitality, a small family farm stay, with a restaurant offering only local products made on site, with a double room and some bunk beds for tourists. They show us the rooms, the garden, the work tools, even the grappa distiller, which is made with local grapes.

They bring us a series of tastings of local products, including byrek, thin pastry filled with vegetables, delicious, cheeses, salads, chips and an exceptional craft beer, and sweets made with rice, raisins and cinnamon, a typical Kruje speciality, phenomenal, waters and two coffees, 20 euros!! If you go to Kruje, you can't not go to this place!! We continue and visit the citadel, with its alleys and walls, the secret tunnel and the Bektashi temple, an Islamic brotherhood, much less rigid than classical Islam. We go back to the castle and it starts to rain lightly; it's a fresh, pleasant rain...we visit the bazaar, where on a cobbled street stall after stall displays carpets, books, jerseys, coins and objects ranging from the Ottoman empire to the communist one.

We buy a pair of handmade slippers for Margherita, the Albania jersey for my brother Paolo, a pen for Alessio, and two wooden pipes...We go back to the car, aware of having seen something very beautiful, and set off for Shkoder. We hit a bit of traffic because of an accident, but by 4.30 pm we're at the Hotel Floga (75 euros for 3 nights with breakfast), where the owner tells me to put the dog on the balcony...WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I booked for the dog too, and I tell her I'll go to another hotel, and then she changes her attitude...We go to the rooms, simple but comfortable, we shower and rest...We go out hungry and head straight to the centre of Shkoder, to Arti Zanave, a small restaurant with about 6 tables, part of a social cooperative that helps Albanian women...In this restaurant you don't order; they prepare the menu with fresh products daily and bring us the courses.

To drink, water and a glass of Albanian red wine, with a good fruity flavour. The first course is a potato soup, then they bring us some exquisite cheese fried in butter, cutlets and a delicious mashed potato, peppers cooked in a ricotta sauce and a dish of a type of vegetable that resembles green beans, but we didn't understand what they are, salad and a dish of tomatoes...to finish, apple cake. Price 22 euros...What can I say...I recommend it to anyone who wants to try new things and to anyone who wants to spend and know they've done a good deed!!! We go back to the hotel.03/08/2018: Breakfast at the hotel, where they bring us omelette, cheeses and tomatoes...oh dear...we send it all back; luckily there's also a bowl of jam and butter and some bread, coffee and orange juice. We go out around 8.30 am and set off to visit Rozafa Castle, perched on a cliff, visible from afar.

We arrive and the road, besides being uphill, is also cobbled, too rough for the weak little legs of old Ugo...so I have to pick him up and carry him, huffing and puffing...The entrance is 200 lek, about 1.70 each; the castle is enormous, in truth it's only ruins, but the impact is remarkable...The views are marvellous; below the fortress stretch the lake and the plain of Shkoder; the place is almost magical...If you've decided to make this visit, prepare for the great heat too...the sun is very strong and blinding!! We come out of the castle sweating, with Ugo being carried on the way back too, and head towards Lake Shkoder. Beautiful, almost wild, it opens before us in all its breadth and with its views of absolute freedom...We drive around it and then stop at a small square for some lemonades; it's hot and we need new energy.

We leave the lake and set off on a short trip out of town to reach the Bridge of the Middle (Ura e Mesit), a picturesque Ottoman bridge, second in fame in the Balkans only to the one at Mostar. The bridge is beautiful and stands in the middle of nowhere...the river no longer exists and below there's nothing but stones and rocks. It's past one o'clock and we're hungry; returning to Shkoder we stop at the Peja Grill, where we have a dish of rice with chicken and a dish of mixed vegetables, flatbreads and two bottles of water...price 8 euros. Very cheap, but the food quality is quite poor.

In this restaurant we meet a waiter, Klaudian, who speaks Italian very well and advises us to go to Lake Koman on our own, without agencies; he tells us it's now easy to get there, since the roads have all been modernised...is that true? Can we trust him? Anyway, Margherita and I decide to go with our own car...We go back to the hotel to rest...We go out again around 5.00 pm to visit the centre of Shkoder. We start from Rruga Kol Idromeno, the central pedestrian street that cuts the city in two, lined with colourful houses, bars, venues and various little restaurants...Honestly it disappoints us a little, too fake for our taste. We visit the Great Mosque, completely white, with architecture that seems fake and modern interiors, then the nearby Orthodox Church, much prettier outside than inside, and unfortunately the nearby Franciscan Catholic church is closed.

In these hundred metres lies the secret of Shkoder...three churches of different religions practically next to each other. We go back to the hotel, shower, and around 7.30 pm we set off for the famous farm stay Mrizi i Zanave, in the village of Fshati Fishte (reservation required), about 30 km from Shkoder. It's a very well-known restaurant, where you can taste typical Albanian products and dishes at zero km.

We arrive and find kid goats, horses, hens and geese...They bring us various types of bread, cured meats and cheeses, cold cuts, porcini mushrooms, vegetables cooked in corn husk, various types of potatoes, kid goat, a huge pork skewer and no fewer than 4 types of dessert, a glass of wine and water, a bill of only 24 euros for two! Incredible! Anyone who comes to these parts can't skip this gastronomic stop! On the way out a gentleman approaches and asks me how much money I'd want to sell Ugo!! IT HAS NO PRICE...IT HAS NO PRICE! We go back to the hotel. 04/08/2018: We wake up around 6.00 am and set off for Lake Koman, the only fjord in the whole Mediterranean!! The GPS immediately finds the way and off we go...the distance from Shkoder is about 50 km and it takes 90 minutes.

The first 30 km are country lanes, the last 20 km are completely unpaved, with potholes that are chasms (but what was that Klaudian telling us?) Go slowly...also because there are no guard rails and there are vertiginous drops at every bend. The scenery, though, is fantastic; below us open up scenes reminiscent of Norway, this river amid mountains, valleys, lakes...simply fantastic!! We arrive at the lake and unfortunately the ferry that leaves at 9.00 am is full.

We meet a boy who tells us that for 10 euros each he'll take us on his private boat...of course we accept...We park the car in a free car park and with a taxi (at the price of 2 euros) we reach the departure point of the boats and ferries...Chaos reigns supreme, some shouting on the right, someone pushing a boat to the left; after an hour of waiting we pay and they put us on a little boat...we wait and wait but we don't leave!! People arrive after us and leave before us...so I lose it and say I want my money back...and, would you believe it, after 5 minutes we leave...Ugo surprises us once again; on the little boat he finds his corner and rests and is completely at ease...The boat moves slowly amid mountains, on a river the colour of cobalt; the scenery is paradisiacal...we take photos a-plenty...nature can always surprise you! After about an hour and a half of travelling we reach an area

with a small mooring for boats, and what opens before our eyes is nothing short of marvellous!! Is paradise in Albania? A crystal-clear stream cuts two mountains in two, small arenas of pebbles and gravel on the sides, the water, crystal-clear, of a blue colour but very cold, yet you can still swim...(bring your swimsuit)!! In this place there's also a small restaurant, where Margherita and I, spending 4 euros, have two salads, water and beer.

We stay in Eden until 4.00 pm and slowly climb back onto the boats, ready for the return journey...We leave this place aware of having seen one of the most beautiful natural spots in Albania and one of the best I've personally seen...The boats are uncomfortable; a bit of tiredness sets in, along with some aches in the back and bottom...We arrive around 5.30 pm and ask someone to take us to the car park; luckily one of the boat drivers is just leaving at that moment and takes us himself...He drives like a madman; the journey is two km, but I find myself praying...he takes the bends fast, goes into the other lanes...but do we really have to die like this? We arrive safe and sound at the car park and prepare for the return...We reach the hotel.

We go to the Ruzafa Sea Food, a fish restaurant, where we have a mega tuna salad, French fries, 3 dishes of grilled prawns, water and a glass of wine for the price of 25 euros!! Our eyes are closing...utterly exhausted, we go back to the hotel. 05/08/2018: We wake up around 6.30 am...we have breakfast and the staff of Hotel Floga prepare us sweets, a banana, coffee and orange juice. We set off towards the south; we load everything and off we go...Next stop Vlore. We arrive around 12.30 pm, but have difficulty finding the Hotel Onorato, which is on the main street but has no house number...we go back and forth a couple of times, then ask a taxi driver, who tells us to follow him and takes us to the corner near the hotel. Booking at Hotel Onorato for two nights, 70 euros with breakfast.

We have lunch at the restaurant Primavera, where we have two vegetable risottos, water and coffee...10 euros. It's very hot, so we decide to let the peak hours pass and set off to visit the Zvernec monastery. This place isn't easy to find, because you leave the central areas completely and cross first a disused industrial area and then a pine forest. The Zvernec monastery is connected to the mainland by a bridge, over a lagoon; the scenery is beautiful and almost mystical. We walk with Ugo on the bridge, but a priest makes clear signs to us that dogs can't go in...and would you believe it, the only ones making problems were the religious? Anyway, we take a few photos from the bridge and go back to stop at the nearby Zvernec beach, long and sandy, used mainly by local people.

The sea is clean but the beach is rather dirty...Unfortunately, on the environmental side, Albanians have a lot to improve...We take our first dip in the Albanian sea...Ugo also approaches the water, wetting only his little paws...Around 6.00 pm we go back to the hotel, shower and have a light rest. In the evening we go out on the Vlore seafront - by the way, Hotel Onorato is in a very central position - and see a coming and going of people, boys, girls, but above all families. The seafront is full of restaurants, mostly Italian, and it's really hard to find restaurants with typical Albanian cuisine, bars and various venues...we're utterly exhausted and decide to go back to the restaurant Primavera, where we have two pizzas, beer and water and spend about 15 euros. In the evening we go back to the hotel.

06/08/2018: We wake up fairly early and, after breakfast, decide to go straight to the sea, to the beach of Vlore, the main one, the most used by people. Early in the morning it's still fairly empty and, together with Ugo, we enjoy it...The sea is clean, but not very clean; this beach is in fact quite close to the port, but despite this we find many fish on the seabed and the water is anyway clear. Around 10.30 am I take Ugo back to the hotel and return to the beach, and with Margherita we go for a lovely walk on the sand. After dipping again, around 11.30 am we go back to the hotel; we don't like the hottest hours of the day, we freshen up, and all three of us set off for the Llogara park, located about 40 km from Vlore.

It's a surprising place, located between the Adriatic and the Ionian, home to various trails for trekking and cycling, lots of greenery and the marvellous Pisha Flamur, the Flag Pine, a rare natural monument of extraordinary beauty, a tree of an arid, almost silvery colour...beautiful!! Driving along the road to the park, we see an old man walking up the slopes, in 40 degrees with a small bottle of water; we decide to stop and take him with us...He thanks us a thousand times and tells us he loves Italy...We reach the top of the Llogara Park where the viewpoint is, and below us opens an exceptional view; the sea blends with the sky, mountains, little islands...splendid!! We take photo after photo...a place of disconcerting beauty! On the way back we stop at one of the many little restaurants in the park; I let Margherita choose, and her instinct says Agriturismo Dukat...and I must say the

choice turns out to be spot on. The place is very nice and we have a salad, an exquisite grilled vegetable platter and half a kilo of lamb cooked on the grill, two coffees and two jugs of water, dessert offered by the house, for the price of 14 euros! Before going back to the hotel we visit the Muradie Mosque in Vlore, a mosque built in the mid-16th century. The exterior of brick and stone is beautiful, while the interior is fairly bare. We go back to the hotel, leave Ugo, who is utterly exhausted, and around 4.45 pm return to the sea. In Vlore the most beautiful beaches are found after passing a tunnel, which is about 2 km from the centre.

We pass the tunnel and after a few km reach a lovely pine forest, park and throw ourselves onto a pebbly beach and crystal-clear sea!! We stay in the water for more than an hour...the feeling is beautiful, relaxation and a splendid landscape...Around 7.00 pm we're at the hotel. We go out fairly late and return to the restaurant Primavera, where we order a mega salad, linguine allo scoglio, a grilled fish platter, half a kilo of mussels, beer and water for the price of 30 euros. It's got late and after a little walk with Ugo, like the good retirees we are, we go back to the hotel. 07/08/2018: After breakfast, we say goodbye to Hotel Onorato and set off for Dhermi.

We stop at the first petrol station to fill up with gas (speaking of gas, rest assured, Albania is full of it and our adaptor fits) and fill up...2500 lek of gas...about 20 euros (petrol and gas are only slightly less expensive than in Italy). We take the same road as yesterday, cross the Llogara national park again, and this time we manage to photograph the marvellous tree that had escaped us yesterday too!! The view is stupendous and you feel like stopping to take photos and film every 100 metres...We set off again and approach Dhermi, a small town on the Albanian coast, today famous for its marvellous beaches. We arrive at the HH Boutique Hotel, 124 euros for two with breakfast (the most expensive hotel of our trip)...The room is nice and has a balcony offering a fine view over the sea of Dhermi.

We settle in, let Ugo get used to the new home, and go out to eat something; we go to a little bakery nearby and buy two kinds of savoury pastries with cheese and cooked ham, and 2 with tomato, two bottles of water and two coffees, 4.10 euros...The sky is slightly cloudy and a light rain even arrives...which fortunately lasts only about ten minutes.

We stay in the hotel until about 3.00 pm and then, leaving Ugo in the room looking at us perplexed, set off for Drimadhe beach, a beautiful beach, long and protected by mountains and greenery, washed by a crystal-clear sea...After an hour the sun peeks out and sweeps away the clouds; the colours are splendid, the sea turns dark blue, azure, green...The beach is partly private but in other parts it's free and almost empty....Margherita hardly goes in...the water is decidedly cold, while I, a good little fish, am in the water almost the whole time. We take a long walk and go to discover some hidden cove....Beautiful!! Around 6.30 pm we go back to the hotel, where Ugo awaits us. We go out around 8.30 pm and have a wander in search of a restaurant in the small village of Dhermi, and go to the restaurant Harmonia, not far from our hotel.

The setting is refined and elegant; we dine outdoors, have water, harmonia salad with melon and balsamic vinegar, some peppers with cheese (a typical Albanian dish), grilled vegetables and grilled meat for two, price about 28 euros...The quality isn't really the best and honestly we're rather disappointed...We take Ugo for a little stroll and go to the hotel. 08/08/2018: It's about 9.00 am and we drive to the nearby beach of Dhermi, the main beach of the area, famous above all for the nightclubs and venues right by the sand...We set off with Ugo following behind us and immediately notice that most of the beach has been privatised; there's enormous confusion, cars parked in the second or third row, people throwing themselves about in search of a metre of space...honestly it's not for us; by all means the water is transparent, but all this confusion doesn't suit us at all.

We decide to go back to Drimadhes beach, yesterday's one; Ugo comes too and we enjoy a magnificent landscape, practically almost alone! Go figure people...everyone crammed on one side while 3 km away there's nothing in a magnificent landscape! The sun beats down very hard; I'm in the water as much as I can, but around 11.00 am we leave the beach and stop again at yesterday's bakery, where we buy some tomato pastries, some cheese puff pastries and two chocolate desserts, for the price of 3.05 euros. We go back to the hotel, eat and relax in our room, a room that was cleaned but without giving us fresh towels...but can a hotel like this fall into such mistakes? Around 3.00 pm we set off for Palase beach.

Almost all the guidebooks and even Google Maps say that to get to this beach you have to drive some km and then walk on unpaved ground; that's no longer the case, in fact a road has been built that comes down from the mountain and reaches right up to the beach. So we arrive with extreme ease and before us opens a very long, pebbly beach, washed by a crystal-clear sea and protected by hills and mountains...splendid!! Unfortunately we also see the birth of some resorts and the works that are violating the mountain...let's hope all this doesn't lead to the ruin of these extraordinary places. We dive in; with the mask I see some little fish, and then Margherita and I go for a walk to some coves at the end of the beach...We spend these three hours in complete relaxation and peace, on a truly unspoilt beach with a great sense of tranquillity.

Before we leave, nature gives us immense joy: some fish jump out of the sea to quickly go back in...nature is always an authentic masterpiece!! As we leave, the colours are soft, the sky paints itself red, everything looks like a fantastic painting!! Back at the hotel, Ugo Beddu awaits us, and with his old-man expression he greets us coming towards us and wagging his tail....It's time for a shower and dinner!! We go out around 8.00 pm and head straight to Taverna Fevan, a small roadside restaurant, family-run...On various social media there are conflicting opinions; they tell us of great quality but also of great disorganisation.

For us only the great quality counted; they were quick and kind in serving us, and spending about 12 euros each we had two moussakas, two portions of feta (made directly by them) baked with tomatoes and oregano, exquisite, grilled vegetables, potatoes with garlic cream, and some baked vegetables, beer and water...Recommended!! On the way down we stop at a mini-market...ice cream (only for me), a little walk with Ugo and then off to bed.09/08/2018: After breakfast we set off for Himare, a former fishing village of barely 3000 inhabitants, today transformed into one of the most fashionable tourist destinations in all of Albania. It's hot, the journey is pleasant and the road that runs over the mountains offers extraordinary views over the Albanian coast.

The problem is on arrival at Himare: we booked three nights at Villa Xani for 94 euros, but nobody knows this hotel; even the street isn't recognised by the GPS. We find ourselves in the centre of the town and chaos reigns supreme, cars everywhere, pedestrians crossing the road without looking; I go into a little street and find myself stuck....I ask around but nothing; nobody knows anything about this Villa Xani...do they even exist? We stop at a campsite and finally Sergio and his colleague, Albanians who speak Italian, with their GPS show us where it is and even phone the hotel. We have to go back and look for the stadium...We follow the directions, reach the stadium but there's no sign of this Villa Xani...not a trace; we ask the people who live there but they can't help us.

As I'm heading back, the good Samaritan arrives on a scooter and asks us where we're going...Villa Xani, and he says follow me....He takes us to Villa Xani; a young lad comes out and I tell him to put up some signposts...with us there's a couple from Sardinia and together we chat a bit while waiting for the rooms to be ready. After three quarters of an hour of waiting we go in and the rooms are very nice, with a double bed, two bunk beds, balcony, kitchenette, fridge, air conditioning and full bathroom. It's almost 1.00 pm and we go out to eat something light, but there too it's chaos; all the car parks are privatised, they ask you for money even to stand still for 10 minutes. We rest a little and around 2.30 pm go out to the nearby beach of Livadhi, a big beach with greenery behind it, privatised in some parts while still free in others.

The beach and its sea are beautiful, but it isn't the best beach we've seen in Albania. Around 4.15 pm the weather suddenly changes, the sky turns black and a strong wind rises; parasols fly into the sea...Margherita and I decide to leave the beach and visit Himare's old town, a place little visited by tourists but which deserves to be seen. The little village is perched on a hill and is characterised by its stone houses, the ruins of a castle and above all it offers marvellous views over the bay and the beaches. The views stretch to the horizon, the colours are vivid and the sky blends with the sea...After about an hour we go back down to our car; a bit of art was needed!! We go back to the hotel...Ugo is waiting for us...Around 7.30 pm we go out, take a walk along the Himare seafront and stop to dine at Taverna Stoli, a tavern with outdoor tables facing right onto the sea.

We have bruschetta, Greek salad, grilled vegetables and two linguine allo scoglio, a glass of wine and water, and pay about 23 euros; fair price, generous dishes but quality of a 6/10. After dinner we walk a little more with our Ugo Beddu but around 10.30 pm, visibly tired, we go back to the hotel. 10/08/2018: We wake up fairly early and set off for Llaman beach, a beach that should be near our hotel; I say "should" because after a while we can't find it, and with the junction for Jala beach ahead of us, we opt for that choice. Ugo Beddu is with us too. This is one of the beaches most loved by young people; here in fact there are various venues, pubs, bars, jet skis and speedboats. The beach is small, super crowded, but despite this it's very beautiful, enclosed by two mountains, made up of white pebbles and a lovely transparent sea.

We stay until about 11.00 am, then Ugo gets impatient and makes it clear he wants to go home...We have two orange juices and two coffees for the price of 8 euros, and then two sandwiches, which I wanted with only vegetables and which instead they bring with French fries, ketchup and some tomato, price 3 euros and 15 cents. We go back to the hotel, freshen up a bit and around 2.00 pm, leaving the legendary little Ugo at the hotel, set off for Porto Palermo, a small and splendid bay, dominated by the castle of Ali Pasha Tepelena, which we visit (ticket price 80 cents). The fortress offers fantastic views over the whole bay and the surroundings. Porto Palermo beach is small, not very crowded, with rocks and stones even in the water. We dive in and go to discover the seabed, which also gives us some fish, all truly beautiful.

After about an hour and a half we're back in the car, and this time set off for Borsh beach, the largest beach on the southern Albanian coast, a good 7 km long. The beach is partly privatised and partly free, and it's so big that there are also many empty spaces and absolute tranquillity. The water is transparent, but a spring that flows straight into the sea also makes it very cold...We dive in and also conquer this beach. The tour of the coastline isn't over yet; we also go to visit the nearby beach of Qeparo, much more organised and less wild, with a nice shoreline and sandy seabeds, transparent and very shallow, which make it a favourite destination for families and children; we even see two little girls in mermaid costumes getting into the water. It's almost 6.00 pm and Ugo Beddu is alone at the hotel; it's time to pamper him and spend a bit of time with him.

Around 8.00 pm we go out for dinner. The centre of Himare is as always very chaotic and 99% of the car parks are privatised and paid. We find a car park where we pay about 2.50 euros, leave the car, but the car park attendant also wants the keys to the vehicle...my blood freezes!! What do I do? Margherita is hesitant too; I should point out that the car park attendant has no licence, is definitely operating illegally and doesn't give us any document!! I look around and it's the same for everyone, so I resign myself and leave the keys with the guy. We stop at the nearby Taverna Vironas, a local restaurant offering both international and Albanian dishes...We sit outside and meanwhile Margherita goes to check the car a couple of times; all calm.

We pay about 20 euros and have a green salad, grilled vegetables, two portions of baked kid goat, water and half a litre of local red wine...We go out and I go to check the car personally...and I can't find it!! I freeze and ask...they tell me they moved it 20 metres to let another car out; indeed the car is there...what to do? We take a stroll along the Himare seafront and it feels like being in a shopping centre at rush hour...a sea of people, restaurants and venues packed...we buy some gifts for relatives and acquaintances in a local craft shop and then I buy an ice cream...3 flavours 1.50 euros...It's 10.45 pm, back to the hotel. 11/08/2018: We wake up around 7.00 am and on the window, fortunately on the outside, I see a little mouse running up and down the glass...after all, the balcony faces the countryside, so I presume it's a normal thing.

We have breakfast and around 8.00 am set off for Gjipe beach, located north of Himare; it's one of the most hidden spots on the Albanian coast. To get there, after about 11 km of road, you turn off and drive always by car on a narrow road for at least 2.5 km, then leave the car in a car park (1 euro 50 for daytime only, 2 euros 50 including the night) and continue on foot along a path of red earth that cuts through the canyon, descending towards the sea. The views are breathtaking, the heat already making itself felt.

After about 30 minutes of walking we arrive at Gjipe beach, which opens up before us with its white pebbles, its mountains behind, and an emerald-coloured sea of Caribbean transparency...paradisiacal!! Unfortunately, modernity has arrived here too; in fact there's a campsite, two restaurants, in truth very spartan, and lots of people even camping freely...One of them even plants his pegs on the cliff. I dive into the transparent water; you swim with such lightness that it feels like flying. We also rent a small speedboat and, paying 20 euros for two, it takes us to see a nearby cave where we also swim. Around 12.00 we leave this small unspoilt corner and set off along the path, but this time it's all uphill!! The sun beats down hard and every now and then we stop in search of shade. After some effort we finally reach the car park and, hot and bothered, go back to the hotel.

We freshen up and rest a bit. We go out a little earlier, around 7.15 pm; we want to enjoy the sunset. We walk in the centre of Himare and head towards Potam beach, small and still crowded at this hour. The sun slowly descends towards the sea, but the haze and a few clouds cover the splendour of this moment. We take a few photos and record a bit, and then, hungry, go to the nearby Taverna Velac, slightly away from the chaos of the centre. We spend 23 euros on an olive salad, very good; they explain that the olives and olive oil are produced directly by them, then grilled cuttlefish, marinated prawns and seafood risotto, water and beer. Excellent cuttlefish, a pity about the rice, which is slightly overcooked. It's got late; time to go back to the hotel.

12/08/2018: After breakfast we set off for Ksamil, about 60 km of panoramic sea views...The Albanian coastal road should be counted among the most spectacular in Europe!! We arrive at Villa Ideal in Ksamil, 140 euros for 4 nights. Unfortunately the rooms are being cleaned and we have to wait a couple of hours...we go for a wander and stop to have lunch in a small fast food place next door, where, spending 8 euros and 10 cents, we have a burger sandwich, three skewers and a green salad, all accompanied by fresh water.

We go back to the hotel and after about twenty minutes of waiting the room is ready; the hotel owner is very kind, helps us carry the luggage, shows us the room, gives us a bottle of fresh water and two orange juices with two snacks; it's the little things that make the difference! The room is pretty, complete with fridge, air conditioning, bathroom and a nice balcony...So far the reputation of this small hotel, which is also in a very central position, is positively confirmed. We settle into the room; in the afternoon we'll begin our journey towards the beaches of the area. Around 3.00 pm we go to visit the nearby Monastery beach, a small pebbly inlet with good parking. The view is beautiful but the small strip of land is truly crowded, so full of people that Margherita and I decide to lie down directly on a rock right by the sea.

The sea is as always beautiful, but slightly rough and therefore less transparent than other beaches we've already seen on this coast. Time passes quickly; around 5.40 pm it starts to rain lightly; it's a passing shower. We go back to the hotel where our Ugo awaits us...We relax a bit and the thought of dinner begins...We go out and, craving pizza, we read some reviews recommending the restaurant Malasi; we head straight there and the choice will be dramatically wrong. We have two pizzas and, after waiting a bit, they bring us two tyres, with acidic tomato, non-fresh products; all night I had the pizza sitting on my stomach...Absolutely to be avoided...We go back to the hotel. 13/08/2018: We set off in the morning and after about forty minutes we're at the Blue Eye spring.

I should say I'm not feeling in great shape; yesterday's pizza was deadly...You reach the spring fairly easily; the entrance costs about 1 euro and 60 cents per vehicle...The spring is in the middle of greenery, has a temperature of just over 10 degrees and its depth hasn't yet been ascertained. A few daredevils try to swim; we limit ourselves to taking photos and filming; anyway, to see everything takes no more than an hour...We have two coffees and stop at a bakery where we buy savoury and sweet pastries for the price of two euros. I've got a bit of a temperature, so I decide to rest a while...Margherita, around 3.30 pm, goes for a wander in Ksamil along the seafront and comes back hot and surprised by the crush of people. We go out around 8.00 pm and go to the nearby restaurant Tirana, a fairly elegant place with a nice terrace.

We spend 20 euros and have a Greek salad, fish soup, mussels and paccheri with sea bass. To drink, water. Good quality, a bit slow in service but can be recommended. We want to take a walk on the Ksamil seafront, but the power often goes out and the whole town is left in complete darkness....We take Ugo for a little walk and then go to bed. 14/08/2018: We wake up in the morning around 7.30 am and go to Bora Bora beach in Ksamil. The scenery is very beautiful; it's a small bay, washed by a crystal-clear sea and with three little islands in front, easily reachable both by pedal boat and by boat, or for the more daring even by swimming. Unfortunately the beach, but a bit all of Ksamil, is truly full of people and the small bays have almost all been privatised, leaving very little free space.

Margherita and I rent a pedal boat for an hour for the price of 8 euros and go to see the islands up close, which offer little beaches and very picturesque corners. We take lots of photos and around 10.30 am return the pedal boat and decide to take a complete walk along the seafront. We have two coffees and two fresh fruit juices at a little table with a sea view, price 8 euros. In a craft shop I also find a very distinctive wallet and buy it for my sister Laura (4 euros). For lunch, instead, we decide to have 4 grilled corn cobs (80 cents each); there are many vendors along the seafront selling fruit, sweets and indeed corn cobs. We go back to the hotel to rest a bit.

Tonight we're going to Saranda...We get the news via Facebook of the bridge that collapsed in Genoa and we're stunned...our thoughts go to the victims and their families...anger mixes with compassion and with the awareness of living in an Italy that is slowly crumbling.....We set off around 5.20 pm and after about 20 minutes we're in Saranda; the city opens up before us with all its commercialism, with its buildings, hotels, night clubs, restaurants; honestly it doesn't make much of an impression on us, a concrete agglomeration on the sea...they've even built children's rides on the beach. With Margherita and Ugo Beddu we go up to the castle, today used as a restaurant, pizzeria and bar; we book a table for two and enjoy the marvellous views that Lekuresi Castle offers: on one side the lake, on the other the sea and on yet another the bay of Saranda.

The sunsets this place offers are evocative...It's 6.30 pm and Margherita and I go back down into the town of Saranda and take a short stroll along the seafront...it's not for us; after about 100 metres we turn back, in the sense that when it's too much it's too much...by all means there may be those who like it and even those who seek it out, so I don't judge, but too much crowd, too much noise, isn't for me...am I getting old? Noooo, just maturing...We go back to Lekuresi Castle and near the lighthouse wait for the sunset; we take photos and film, and even our faithful friend Ugo seems almost absorbed by the red colour of the sky and the blue of the sea...Around 8.00 pm we reach the restaurant and sit down; the setting is elegant and refined.

We have fish soup, grilled vegetables and two grilled fish platters, water and a glass of red wine; the price is higher than the standard Albanian ones; in fact in the end we pay 4300 lek, about 35 euros. The food quality is good, but certainly not exceptional; what you're paying for above all is the location. You're practically sitting on the terrace of this castle, with magnificent views; moreover, live music lightens our evening, and I compliment the guitarist, who is really good! Just think how many unknown talents there are in the world...Around 9.30 pm we've finished; we go back to Ksamil, where we take Ugo for a little walk and then go to the hotel.

15 August 2018: It's Ferragosto; we read the news from Genoa and our first thoughts immediately go to the tragedy...The show must go on...and here we are setting off for Butrint, barely 5 km from Ksamil, where the Butrint National Park awaits us, created in 2000 to protect the archaeological site, the lagoon and the whole natural area. Today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The entrance to the park is 6 euros and 50 cents for tourists, while exactly half for Albanians. We arrive here fairly early and luckily there's still almost no one; the park is beautiful, you follow a shaded route that touches the main archaeological ruins.

Among the most important we recall a magnificent 3rd-century BC theatre, a spectacular Christian basilica from the Roman era, the Lion Gate from the Illyrian era, the Venetian watchtowers and much more, and on the other side the spectacular lake with its wild landscapes...Beautiful!! The route ends with a museum, with vases, statues, coins, bowls and many finds that were unearthed during the excavations of Luigi Maria Ugolini, a young Italian archaeologist, in 1928. If you want, you can also ask the boatmen at the exit to take you to visit the Ottoman castle built by Ali Pasha and some bunkers from the communist period. We go back to Ksamil; the holiday is drawing to a close, so we buy a series of gifts; this time it's alcohol: we buy some bottles of the most famous cognac and brandy in Albania, the Skenderbeu brand, and some smaller ones of Raki, the country's most celebrated grappa.

They cost about 5-6 euros each. For lunch we stop at a nearby bakery and buy meat and cheese pastries and a cherry sweet, and go back to the hotel to our Ugo, whom we pamper a bit. The owners of Villa Ideal bring us chocolate sweets...We must say we've been well in all the hotels, but Villa Ideal in Ksamil was number one for kindness and hospitality!! Around 3.30 pm we go in search of an isolated beach in Ksamil; we find one situated right in front of the central ones; isolated it's not, but certainly with fewer people than the crowded ones on the seafront...We rent two parasols and two sun loungers for the price of 1 euro and 70 cents (for two hours) and enjoy our last day of sea in Albania. We go back to the hotel at 5.30 pm.

We go to the nearby Fast Food Bishuki and, spending about 17 euros, have dinner with 3 pita, two Greek sandwiches with pork and chicken, yoghurt sauce, onion, tomatoes and fries, and 4 grilled skewers (2 for Ugo), a Greek salad, beer and water. We take a walk with Ugo and go back to the hotel. 16/08/2018: We wake up around 7.00 am and, saying goodbye to the wife of the owner of Villa Ideal, we leave Ksamil and the sea of Albania to head inland: today's destination, Gjirokaster. We arrive in the city of Gjirokaster around 10.00 am and have booked at Bebej Tradicional (25 euros a night with breakfast), where Maradona, the hotel owner, awaits us - a jack-of-all-trades lad known to practically everyone, who has the habit of driving his hotel guests around Gjirokaster in his car.

This for two reasons: one of business - it's an excellent service, you leave your car in the hotel car park and he takes you and picks you up - and the second, don't think of coming to Gjirokaster with your own car to visit the old part, it's practically impossible. The streets are all made of irregular cobbles, ups and downs, bends, and it's almost impossible to drive unless you're a local!! Gjirokaster was the birthplace of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha and offers a picturesque historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, made up of many Ottoman houses.

We visit the Skenduli House, entrance 200 lek, about 1 euro and 60 cents, which houses Ottoman-style furnishings with Albanian influences; a lovely craft bazaar, with many shops selling local typical products - we buy the last gifts for everyone; the Ethnographic Museum, entrance 200 lek, about 1 euro and 60 cents, similar to many others, housing costumes, tools, ornaments, rooms that retrace the history of the city; and above all the beautiful castle that dominates the whole centre, entrance 200 lek, about 1 euro and 60 cents for the castle and the same for the museum, one of the most beautiful and best-preserved fortresses in the country.

Surrounded by mighty walls, besides offering breathtaking views over the historic centre of the city of Gjirokaster, it houses an interesting museum of armour, with cannons and various artillery pieces, and of the prisons; the castle was in fact used by the Ottomans and the communist regime as a penitentiary system. The castle undoubtedly deserves the trip, while the historic centre, honestly, disappoints us a bit; very small and perhaps a little too touristy for our taste. A local television interviews me, asking what I think of Gjirokaster; I answer that it's very beautiful, as all of Albania is beautiful. We also find time to pass along the Cold War Tunnel, a long tunnel of about 100 metres that served as an escape route for the dictator and his collaborators in the event of an enemy attack.

For lunch and dinner Maradona recommends the small central place called Odaja restaurant, where they prepare traditional Albanian dishes. For lunch, spending about 18 euros, we have peppers stuffed with rice, aubergines, cheese fried with sesame and honey, vegetarian moussaka and a pasta bake. Margherita has wanted to try lamb cooked in yoghurt, a typical Albanian dish, since the first day of this trip, but it's very hard to find; we ask the kitchen of this restaurant and they tell us they'll prepare it for us tonight!! Happy now? In the evening, paying a few extra euros, we have this lamb in yoghurt, with a delicate, mild flavour, korka beer, Greek salad, meatballs and we repeat the cheese fried with sesame.

On the way out, two lemon and orange juices from a French boy, and Maradona ready to take us back to the hotel, where we meet his father and mother and they give us water from their supermarket; we buy a bottle of wine typical of Gjirokaster, and before we leave they also give us two bananas and two apples...small gestures that show the kindness of these people!! Hotel Bebej Tradicional, another 10-out-of-10 hotel! 17/08/2018: We get up around 7.00 am, pack the suitcases again, and around 8.00 am Maradona serves us an abundant traditional breakfast made up of melon, a maple juice, milk, sweets made by his wife to be filled with jam, eggs, tomatoes and cucumbers and cheese...in short, a super breakfast that confirms what I said before...Hotel Bebej Tradicional will be the number-one hotel of our whole trip.

Around 9.00 am, after the ritual photo with Maradona, we say goodbye to everyone and set off for Berat, 140 km away...It'll be a very long journey; in fact it takes us 4 hours....so attention to anyone going to Berat: there are no signs; the first one is 10 km from the city; the roads are broken up, full of obstacles, both human and animal; today, besides goats, hens and cows, a tortoise even crosses my path, so plan a good amount of time to get there. We make it around 1.15 pm...we arrive at the Guesthouse Niko, a family guesthouse, at the price of 20 euros a night with breakfast included. The rooms are basic but spacious and there's also good parking.

Niko and his wife welcome us and, after settling Ugo and the backpacks, around 2.00 pm we go out to visit Berat, a city situated on the Osum river, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, characterised by a picturesque historic centre made up of many Ottoman houses that make this place almost magical. Margherita and I take photos from both sides of the bridge; the views are truly unique; all these light-coloured buildings with black and brown roofs, right below the mountain, make the landscape almost fairy-tale-like. It's hot and the walk will be very hard; in fact, to reach the castle you walk uphill on a road with works in progress; you sweat and walk slowly; luckily we left Ugo at the hotel; it would have been too much for him and for us...Before reaching the castle, along the climb, in a small side street is the Ethnographic Museum, entrance 200 lek, about 1 euro and 60 cents.

It's yet another museum displaying costumes, work tools and rooms that retrace Albanian history...We leave the museum and continue the climb to reach the castle; I should say that for lunch we eat an apple and a banana. The castle is not exactly a fortress but an ancient fortified citadel, where there are still inhabited houses, bars, venues and churches...it feels like being projected into another century!! We visit the marvellous Onufri Museum, which displays Byzantine icons, the work of one of the most important Albanian painters.

The museum is splendid; as soon as you enter you're left literally open-mouthed, and the spectacle that opens before your eyes is beautiful...A series of Byzantine icons, set in, that leave you breathless...We leave the museum and go to see the view; unfortunately the castle opens its views only over the new city and not the old one, too covered by trees....and so the view is vast, spacious, but certainly not unforgettable. Beautiful, however, is the church that sits almost sheer over the void, made of brown and light bricks. Margherita and I continue our visit to the castle while the sky suddenly turns black and threatens a storm...We start to descend and ask for a lift from two workers of Albanian Telecom, who kindly take us to the centre of the city.

We only manage to visit from the outside the Orthodox church of Saint Demetrius and the adjacent Lead Mosque, practically almost next to each other, a testament to the religious freedom that Berat offers...It starts to rain, so we head towards the hotel, walking quickly...It's almost 5.30 pm and just as we enter the hotel, outside the heavens open...We rest, pamper Ugo, shower, and around 7.00 pm it stops raining and the sky slowly clears. We go out in search of a restaurant, take a lovely walk along the pedestrian centre and see that the first part of the street is dedicated to bars and drinks, while the restaurants are found right at the end of the street.

Our search for two places begins but all the restaurants are full...and in the end we decide to stop at Hell's Kitchen, a fast food place right in the centre, where for 13 euros we have two dishes of pork and chicken with salad, fries and yoghurt sauce, two pieces of grilled feta, and two chicken skewers for our friend Ugo, who, licking his chops, thanks us, beer and water to drink. It's almost 11.00 pm... 18/08/2018: A simple breakfast at Niko's Guesthouse and off we go towards Durres...The road is new and in about an hour and forty minutes we're in the port city. We stop at a bakery, where we buy the usual pastries to take on the ship.

As always we spend very few euros and cross the centre of Durres, with all its restaurants, venues, buildings and the Bar Roma with the little wolf cub in the middle...DAJE ROMA DAJEEE! We change our lek into euros, and this time, compared to the outward journey, boarding is much quicker. We're on the boat around 12.00. Unfortunately Adria will confirm all the problems we already had on the outward journey...We leave at 3.00 pm instead of 1.00 pm, no service, small and unwelcoming cabins, and arrival instead of at 9.00 pm at 11.00 pm and more, with over an hour in the garage, crammed together, with the cars stuck, breathing smog before getting out.

A German behind me is baffled...he keeps repeating: "never seen anything like it"! So we leave Albania; what to add about this trip? Beautiful, full, not very relaxing...all the worries we had at the start dissolved in an instant; Albanians are warm, hospitable people, genuinely happy to welcome foreigners, especially Italians.

The places were marvellous, starting from the north, so wild, up to the sea of the south, perhaps a little too chaotic...Albania is for all those who want to discover, to go back, it's for those who don't stop at the first image but go deep; Albania is for those who seek the past, it's joy and at the same time sorrow, that sorrow owed to a recent history that tortured the whole nation; Albania is just one step away....All this trip wouldn't have been possible without her, Margherita, who supports me, puts up with me and accompanies me with enthusiasm and curiosity, and without him, the legendary Ugo, who despite his age, more than 15 years, doesn't complain and truly misses out on nothing....Thanks to everyone...