Most people still picture Albania as a blank on the map. For nearly fifty years it was. Enver Hoxha ran a hard-line communist state that sealed the borders both ways: almost nobody in, almost nobody out, bunkers instead of welcome signs, and a country told it was safer alone. That isolation lasted until the regime cracked in 1990–91. Protests, a first multiparty vote, and the old system simply ran out of road.
What replaced it is a parliamentary republic — messy, young, and still finding its footing — not another closed shop. The coast road is open, the springs never closed, and the stone villages are deciding, one house at a time, whether to come back to life. You do not come here for a finished postcard. You come because the door finally opened and the place behind it is still figuring out how loud to be.
For me since middle school I was always intrigued by the mystery of the closed place. To finally get a chance to visit and meet the people is special.
But let’s start with how many of you know where this even is! Ha. (Just north of NW Greece).
Customs was really rather simple. People like the van so it seems to take the focus off of other stuff.We headed for Permet. A small little town on the Vjosa River in SW Albania. Driving along the river you feel an emerging simple vibe to life. Roads are nice but some very narrow. At 60 km/h it’s both hands in the wheel, full attention.Then out of nowhere will come a fantastic restaurant. Food prices very low. A big salad, pasta dish, and Coke Zero $16.Eventually we got to the countryside where we were going. Camped by a small farm. Sheep were running all around.Then of course you know who they come after!Ok. They’re friends!We had a great evening with two Brits (worked on the Tolkien series), and Albanian friends. In the morning they gifted us an Albanian flag for Spud (our van)! Super excited for it. As we drive around locals were flashing their lights and waiving to us. I should add after 73 days in the van we have yet to see a U.S. plate on any other vehicle, so this combo had people quite puzzled.Day two got us out on our bikes for a short ride before the rain. Beautiful country side crossing the Vjosa River.Farm country made me feel at home.Had to stop and talk to a farmer. Tried to explain my farming heritage (cousins and sisters would get this).Late afternoon we headed out. A typical road crossing. Lots of farmers with about say 20 sheep or goats heading down the road. I have to add that we get lost a lot it seems. Google / Apple will give us a location whether with “driving directions” or Lat Long Coords. We will end up down an alley that is so narrow you can’t turn but slowly have to backup. Headed for a restaurant with a few parking spots sent us into basically a landfill! All part of the adventure!Finally found the restaurant which we couldn’t believe was this nice on a road that for 10 km had nothing but woods around it. We will stay parked here for the night and give Teena a night off from cooking.Local Albanian appetizers.Today was a big hike day (5miles), to a place called Blue Eye.Blue Eye is a massive single underground spring that comes up and feeds the Vjosa River. It is over 150 feet deep. Divers can’t reach the bottom due to high pressures below. Vivid clear water.Crystal water flows for miles.Hmmm. Tempting! Well off to the Albanian Riviera. Stay tuned…
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