Ha Long Bay. Picture from Wiki.
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Useful Websites
https://www.duolingo.com/guidebook/vi/1
For reference, print off the phrasebook from Wikivoyage.
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Vietnamese_phrasebook
Lonely planet phrase books are available new, or second hand on ebay.
Tirana Airport
We flew to Albania's capital, Tirana, on budget airline Whizzair. To take advantage of the cheapest fare you have to cut down on your luggage. A friend of mine did just that, with one linen blouse which she washed out every night and it was dry by next day.
The full name of Tirana's main airport is Mother Teresa airport, Meme Teresa. Her statue is on the roundabout at the airport exit.
Half a dozen hotels are a short walk around the perimeter if you want to stay overnight, because on your return flight you are leaving from the airport early.
We hired a car from Whiz Cars, which has a hut office outside the perimeter fence. But in June 2023 the airport was being rebuilt without correct car park numbers so we wasted half looking for our Whiz Car office. We should have asked for a map of it first. They said it was next to a hotel, but there were four hotels in sight on the right, and two other airport staff sent us in other directions including the obscured left.
Tirana's Delights - walking
Tirana
Tirana, the capital, highly recommended, has many multi-storey international hotels overlooking tree lined squares. We indulged by staying a couple of night in a fabulous luxury hotel, The Crown Hotel, with a marble staircase with a wide marble bannister. The bedrooms had clockwork curtains. We could not get the clockwaork to work, but it was just the idea which was so exciting. The dining room's last night treat was a tasting menu of seven courses for fifty pounds each would have cost twice that in London. We also had drinks in their rooftop restaurant.
Delightful Tirana
Day 1 We walked to one of the half a dozen many attractions, The House Of Leaves, the museum nearest our hotel.
It is a private museum and did not take Euros. All about methods of surveillance during the time when the country was cut off from the world under dictator Xhosa. (Proouced Hoxer).
Our next stop was Bunk Art 2, a dome over a staircase leading to a labyrinth of underground rooms, all about torture in the bad old days. It ended with a room of music and abstract art. Much friendlier to tourists. Took Euros. .Lots of discount options such as family tickets and student tickets and press tickets or at least if they were not available.
We could not find Bunk Art 1, a drive to the north.
Walking, however, was very pleasant. We started at the street of restaurants and shops in the ground floor alley of the old castle.
Owner of Cobo winery, at his restaurant in Tirana, restaurant called
We ate in a wine owners restaurant. It was good to meet the owner.
The Pyramid
The next day we walked to the Pyramid. it looks like a modern artwork. It was originally designed as a museum to celebrate the achievements of Hosa, designed by his daughter, an architect, three years after he died. The structure was later made into a conference centre. After assorted changes, clashing parties had different ideas.
But those defying threats to demolish it had it turned into a tourist attraction which you could climb. You can photograph yourself on the steps, yourself on the top, and the view from the top.
Our last stop was walking to the Holocaust Memorial. Misleadingly signed from the map at the park. Ask the attendant in the car park.
Languages, Menus, Translations
I took with a translator which I cut out from a Lonely Planet Eastern European guide.
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NORTHERN ALBANIA
THETH
The far south and north both of the country have tiring and scary if you are easily scared, long drives up and down mountains. The Balkans in the north to Theth for hiking were remote. We had rain.
Things to see that way, not much.
Meme Bridge, Side Trip from Theth
Hike to the Blue Eye water
Hike to the waterfall
One picturesque old bridge, Meme. One ruined hilltop castle.
The road out of Tirana going north passes numerous multi story car and tyre show rooms and wedding dress boutiques and isolated wedding venues like white Disney castles.
Once in the mountains, the hiking trails were not marked.
Lots of cheap guest houses. Power went off in the two restaurants by the bridge, and staff in the supemrket disappeared when we wanted to pay. Our hotel at Theth has a Jacuzzi in the indoor pool and a sauna. Made a great birthday cake for 40 dollars. No toilet roll holders and small rooms. Lovely owner family.
We visited one winery, Medaur, which was a bit slow in replying, but did a tasting for a small charge including cheese, bread and salami.
Next door is an aromatic herb factory, lavender and sage.
LAKESIDE
Restaurant Syri i Sheganit
The Schkoder lake has a lakeside restaurant with ducks. I loved the ducks, but was not thrilled by the food.
The big hotel is the DeLuxe with an outdoor pool. on the plain by the motorway and near the prison with high walls and towers and around the outside in English motivational mottoes.
The Motorway North
The buildings are all multi coloured and every building different. Looks like six students designed every building, orange on the left and yellow on the right, or all window frames different colours, or oblongs on the ground floor circles on the middle floor and waves on the balconies of the top floor.
The same goes for the hotels going south along the Albanian Riviera.
On the way back we drove inland to see Berat, a hillside town with a hilltop ruined castle. I had read so much about the town with a thousand windows that I was disappointed in Berat. Few places to eat for those in a car. Worth seeing but not worth going to see.
SOUTH OF TIRANA
Berat's Wineries
Berat has two major attractions are two wineries geared up for coach parties. In the centre of town is Luana, a huge hotel with coaches outside a small lobby and a huge dining room the size of a wedding hall with everybody eating the same white dessert is a glass.
We went to small, quaint, traditional Cobo Winery on the road into town, having met the owner's family at their restaurant in Tirana. It is an old rustic house with beams.
Much more life in the south in the Riviera.
What to eat? They are across the sea from Italy and you get pizza everywhere and ice cream.
THE FAR SOUTH WEST
Dhermi
We stayed at La Brisa hotel, which opened to fanfare in 2022.
We had breakfast included at adjoining Arthur restaurant. The owner is Arthur. It is Thai style. A model elephant in by the beach bar. Rooftop pool.
A kosher hotel, Solomon's, was up the hillside, nooky and full of vintage items and stained glass. They are builign a rooftop swimming pool for next year, 2024, hopefully.
Vlore, en route, a coastal strip with skyscraper hotels in colourful and varied styles. Hard to park.
Further South
Sander, sloping, character, remote so less expensive.
Isak Winery, loved it. Saw the fruit and vegetables as well as wines. Fig jam.
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Porto Palermo, clifftop restaurant, on the z bend road was a coffee stop, cliffside on the road (cross the road on foot to see the view on foot), large orange-red flowers arched over the windows in June.
Useful Websites
