Albania is situated just north of Greece and just off the heel of Italy and as such would probably attract more tourists in the summer to come and enjoy the coastline along the Adriatic Sea. Unfortunately for us it was November and while warmer than most of Europe it was still a little cool but we were forecasted a sunny weekend so we thought we would visit Durres a town about 40km west of Tirana on the coast.
The rain was pelting down on our day of travel and so while we were going to jump on the bus we decided to cheat and caught a taxi and ended up having an easy trip out to our next hotel. On the way out we never really hit the countryside as the dual carriageway was lined each side with huge stores. Most were recognisable names and it’s obvious to see that companies have begun investing in Albania probably in anticipation of its imminent joint of the EU. Well imminent is the hope of most of the Albanians we have spoken to. I can see why it makes sense as there must be fewer and fewer opportunities for global expansion for these companies and Albania must present itself as a cheap labour source but also rich in demand for modernisation and consumerism.
Once we arrived on the coast the rain was still falling and we managed to find a local restaurant near the hotel where we got to enjoy some traditional Albanian meze type dishes. The meals usually come on shared plates and consist of meatballs/koftas, stuffed peppers, feta salads as well as a few other delights we are steadily working through. We definitely are enjoying the food here.
But it’s certainly not the restaurant scene that dominates the streets for the most common sight is cafes and groups of men sitting around drinking coffee and chatting away. As well as smoking. It has been noticeable how many more people smoke here in Albania and when we saw that a packet of cigarettes was selling for 3 euros it’s obvious that there is not the same financial deterrent imposed here as there has been in Australia where a packet now costs about 25 euros.
Well walking and exploring are free in every country we have visited and so once again we set off to explore Durres the next day and true to the forecast the sun was out and we had a 10km stretch of boardwalk to enjoy walking along. We certainly weren’t alone. I would say that beaches rarely look their best during the cold months and while it was sunny it was obvious that most of the beaches would have had more lounges and parasols set up on them which would have definitely made the place look a bit better.
The buildings too looked a little run down but again I think they would have looked better in the heat and it must certainly attract a lot of visitors as the whole of the beach was lined with hotels and accomodation and this wasn’t even the popular area to visit!
We had a lovely walk and then finished on the front back in Durres where we found a table at a nice fish restaurant right on the front and enjoyed a lovely meal of squid, calamari, salad and chips while watching the world go by. Definitely enjoying our Albanian experience. T
