Ciao Italia

8/22

The last week has been very busy as Adam and I have bounced around Italy and I have had very few opportunities to sit down and write.  In this time we’ve stopped in Trieste, Venice, and Florence.  Being the peak of tourist season, we contributed to the huge crowds in the latter two cities.  Trieste was relatively quiet and provided a good spot to stopover for a day following Slovenia.  

As you might expect, we put quite a few miles on our feet as we tried to take in the sights in a limited amount of time.  Luckily for me, my feet have gotten accustomed to this.  Adam, on the other hand, has had to adjust pretty quickly and his feet are not as happy about it.  The upside to all this walking is that Venice and Florence are great cities to explore on foot.  Navigating narrow streets and alleys is as much a part of the experience as the museums and cathedrals.

I have finally activated my rail pass.  I appreciate the relative comfort of a train after a month and a half of traveling mostly by bus.  Possibly the biggest benefit of rail travel in this region is the scenery as you move from place to place.  In a single trip I have been able to see both the Tuscan countryside and catch a glimpse of alpine South Tyrol, all while having space to spread out or walk around.

From Italy we are headed to Austria where we expect to spend a few days in Innsbruck followed by a few days in Salzburg with a possible daytrip to Liechtenstein.  As always, our plans are fluid and only time will tell exactly what we do.

A Montenegrin Stopover

8/14

My zigzagging journey through the Balkans brought me to Montenegro following Kosovo.  My time in Montenegro was necessarily brief because I have to be in Slovenia by August 15.  Having endured the region’s heat for the previous weeks, I settled on going to coastal Montenegro.  I stayed for three days in Tivat before going onward to Bosnia.

Bay of Kotor as viewed from Tivat

It seems appropriate that I would visit Montenegro after Kosovo.  You may remember the times when there was one country called Serbia and Montenegro.  Montenegro was part of Yugoslavia from its earliest iteration following World War I until its disintegration.  It remained in union with Serbia until 2006.  This divorce followed a national referendum in which the pro-independence vote narrowly met its necessary threshold.  Unlike the situation with neighboring Kosovo, Serbia accepted the referendum results and quickly recognized its new neighbor.

Casino Royale is certainly one of the best films in the James Bond franchise.  The series reboot set a new tone and Daniel Craig’s performance makes you quickly forget that there was ever any controversy about him playing Bond. The film’s  eponymous Casino Royale is in Montenegro.  Some of the tensest scenes come during a card game at the casino and the subsequent car chase.  The scenery is beautiful, regal, and appropriate for the action.  However, there is a kicker.  None of these scenes were shot in Montenegro and there is no Casino Royale in Montenegro.  The filming actually took place in the Czech Republic.

 

Tivat

The town of Tivat is where I actually laid my head at night.  Tivat is the type of place I might spend a week if I was 38 year old banker from Milan named Benito looking for nice place to take my yacht for a getaway with my Slovakian model girlfriend.  That said, I am not quite in that situation, though the occasional model might right swipe me on Tinder.  Tivat has a few beaches and an old Yugoslavian submarine and not whole lot else for a traveler like me.  It is a pleasant place to spend a couple of days, but other nearby cities may be better options for travelers looking for actual activities.

Yachts in Tivat

Boats on the bay near Tivat

In the military I had a few opportunities to spend time at sea on naval vessels.  My feelings about those experiences are decidedly mixed.  Being on the ocean is alright for a short time, but months at a time with no land and no alcohol are hardly the life of Riley.  With that in mind, I made time to visit Tivat’s sole attraction, the Naval Heritage Collection.  Since the 19th century, Tivat served as a significant naval base.  As Montenegro entered its independent era a new plan for Tivat was envisioned.  Replacing the military arsenal is now a top tier port servicing luxury yachts and other civilian customers.  The Naval Heritage Collection exists as a reminder of Tivat’s past.  Inside the small museum building are pieces of naval equipment, weapons, and even a two man submarine.  There is also a rotating exhibit.  When I visited it was a photography collection with no tangible connection to the sea.  Outside the museum building are two unmissable submarines.  A guided tour of the larger one is included with the museum ticket price (€5).  This is a good experience as the guide served as a submariner himself and is very knowledgeable on submarines.

Naval Heritage Collection

Naval objects on display

The Naval Heritage Collection's two submarines.  The larger one, P-821 Heroj, is open for tours.

Interior of the Yugoslav submarine.  It makes the USS Peleliu seem spacious.

 

Kotor

Among the more interesting towns near Tivat is Kotor.  Surrounded by mountains and sitting at the edge of the Bay of Kotor, Kotor is in a bona fide picturesque location.  The town’s real draw is its walled in Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Though settlements in the area have existed since Roman times, the Old Town as it exists today was mostly constructed during a period of Venetian rule between 1420 and 1797.

A Venetian lion on the city walls

Looking up the city walls

The best activity is a walk up the city walls.  Though exhausting, the walk is worth it for the views of the town and bay from the ruined castle at the top of the mountain of St. John.

View from the top of the city walls

I don’t like cats.  It is clear that dogs are superior companions and being allergic to felines also doesn’t serve to boost my opinion of the creatures.  However, I like strange museums and while exploring Kotor I stumbled across the Cats Museum and knew I had to go in.  This tiny two room museum holds mostly postcards and other prints designed for strange cat people from across the last two centuries.  The most interesting of which may be the collection of World War I-era cards featuring French prostitutes and their feline pals.

Kotor's Cats Museum

French prostitutes and their pets

Who thought this would boost anyone's morale?

Panorama of the Bay of Kotor

A wild Scrap Daddy appears!

Permann Throwback
Some things never change

Some things never change

The entire reason for me being in Ljubljana at this particular time is to meet up with my good friend and former apprentice Adam Permann.  Adam and I spent our time in the Marines together in the same platoon and then later trapped in the Charlie Company armory.

Anyone who has listened to more than few of my military stories is bound to have encountered Adam as a character.  He was quite possibly the biggest malcontent in the Marine Corps and a steady source of entertainment.  Traveling with him should be a bit different from my recent solo excursions.  We will be riding the rails for a whirlwind trip from Ljubljana to Prague via Italy, Austria, and Germany.  

Adam made a typically grand entrance when we met up in Ljubljana by knocking over a broom in our hostel, loudly complaining about his experience at the Paris airport, and wondering aloud if numbers meant the same thing in Slovenia as in the United States.

Our second day together was spent at romantic Lake Bled.  We walked around the lake, visited the lake's lone island, and explored the castle overlooking the area.  Adam managed to get threatened by a monk brandishing a large stick for repeatedly touch a map on a wall.  I doubt that will be the last time he draws the ire of someone over the next three weeks.

Pristina: Europe's Newest Capital City

8/8

Kosovo is one Balkan country that most Americans are probably familiar with.  If they can’t at least place it on a map, they still remember the American-led NATO intervention to prevent ethnic cleansing initiated by the Serbian government.  In Balkan fashion, Kosovo has a complicated history.  For over five centuries the area was controlled by the Ottoman Empire.  Following the Balkan War in 1912 Kosovo came under the rule of Serbia.  It became part of Yugoslavia upon that country’s creation.  The early modern root of the Kosovo conflict could be the 1974 decision of the Tito regime to make Kosovo an autonomous region within Serbia.  When Slobodan Milosevic came to power in Serbia he revoked Kosovo’s special status, making it once again subordinate to Serbia.  Kosovo being ethnically Albanian and having a separate history and culture from Serbia resisted this.  Separatist Kosovars entered into armed conflict with the Serbian state in pursuit of independence in the early 1990s.  As the whole of the former Yugoslavia fell apart, Serbia was determined not to lose Kosovo.  The Milosevic regime refused to negotiate a settlement regarding Kosovo and maintained a genocidal policy.  This led to NATO air campaign that forced Serbian troops out of Kosovo.  A NATO peacekeeping force moved in to provide stability and remains there.  The military intervention and the narrative justifying it were not without their critics.  Kosovo’s status remained in limbo until it formally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, making it Europe’s youngest country.  This was and still is controversial.  Though the majority of UN member states do recognize the Republic of Kosovo, Serbia and others do not.  As a disputed territory Kosovo’s ability to join international organizations has been mixed.  However, for all practical purposes the country is independent.  Except for in a few Serbian pockets, the Kosovo government controls all of its nominal territory and has a functioning government.

Kosovo is not a big country.  To give you an idea, it is smaller than every American state except Delaware and Rhode Island.  Other than transiting, I spent my entire time (two days) in Pristina.  Pristina does not have a lot to draw visitors, so two days is plenty.

A Serbian Orthodox church left unfinished following the 1999 conflict

The NEWBORN monument in central Pristina is one of the city’s landmarks.  It was unveiled when the country declared independence.  A new design is painted on it every year on Independence Day, February 17.

NEWBORN monument

The National Library is a bizarre and eye catching building located on the University of Pristina campus.  The building looks like a series of concrete blocks wearing chain mail and rubber hats.  Its critics contend that it is one of the ugliest buildings in the world.

National Library of Kosovo from the front

The library from behind

Symbols of Albanian pride are everywhere.  One does not have to look far to find an Albanian flag.  Also, a large statue of Skanderbeg, the Albanian national hero, stands in a central Pristina square.

Pristina's Skanderbeg statue

I visited the Sultan Mehmet Fatih Mosque.  Built in the 15th century, it served as a Catholic church during a brief period in which Pristina was occupied by the Austrians.  It is back to being a mosque and friendly worshipers were eager to show me around the small building.

Sultan Mehmet Fatih Mosque

Interior of the mosque

I attempted to visit the Kosovo Museum, which is not far from the Sultan Mehmet Fatih Mosque.  Though the doors were open and there was no signage or people to indicate otherwise, the museum was most definitely not open for display.  I was able to walk inside and up several stairs without encountering anyone to tell me otherwise which was quite strange.

So maybe there were a few a signs this place was not totally operating

Rooms like this led me to conclude the Kosovo Museum was not open for business

A similar experience occurred at the National Art Gallery, though at least there it was closed in preparation of an exhibit opening the day that I left.

Like Albania, Kosovo is visibly pro-American.  Nowhere else in the world can you turn from George Bush Boulevard (Bulevardi Xhorxh Bush) on to Bill Clinton Boulevard (Bulevardi Bill Klinton) and then hang another right down Bob Dole Street (Rruga Robert Doll).

A large statue of Bill Clinton stands along his boulevard complete with the adjacent Hillary boutique.

He's kind of a big deal

Someone knows how to cash in on that Clinton mystique

Further, the National Library houses the “American Corner”.  With the outside appearance of post office, this room has American books, movies, and guides to American colleges.

American Corner

Guests of honor in the American Corner

Even though the city lacks major attractions, it is vibrant.  At night the streets are filled with people walking about and enjoying themselves.  Cafes, bars, and restaurants are filled.  It is hard to visit Pristina and not feel good about Kosovo for all its quirks and despite its difficult past.  It is a place you want to see thrive.

Looking down Bill Clinton Boulevard

I will conclude this post with this bizarre gem of a music video from Kosovo.

FYROM: WTF is that?

8/7

Skopje city center

Background

If you look at just about any map featuring Macedonia you will see the letters “FYROM” in parentheses next to the word “Macedonia”.  The reason for this is because the country’s official name is the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.  As you should have guessed, Macedonia was one of the six republics in the former Yugoslavia.  Macedonia became independent in 1991.  It was the only one of the Yugoslav republics to break away peacefully.  However, independence led to a new set of issues over the country’s name.  In popular conception, Macedonia most associated with the kingdom led by Alexander the Great.  The ancient Macedonia consisted of northern Greece, surrounding areas, and only the lower portion of modern Macedonia.  Ancient Macedonia was a Hellenistic (Greek) culture and is still held in high regard by Greeks to this day.  Modern Macedonia is occupied by Slavic people speaking a Slavic language.  They are not the descendants of Greek Macedonians and this is how the issue with Greece arises.  To Greece, the modern Republic of Macedonia is appropriating Greek history and culture.  Northern Greece is still referred to as Macedonia.  Pella, the city where Alexander was born, is in Greek Macedonia.  Greece is simply unhappy that another country would employ its history and symbols in its national identity.

Greece was quick to protest Macedonia’s name after the country’s independence.  Greece attempted to block Macedonia’s ascension to the United Nations as well as recognition of the country by other international groups until the name was changed.  Ultimately, a compromise was reached under which the country would be referred to as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on a provisional basis.  Greece would relent on some of its protests and Macedonia would be able to function on the international stage more easily.  Oddly, in the United Nations General Assembly, is seated in the ‘T’ section between Thailand and Timor-Leste.  While neither side is satisfied with this outcome, it does not appear that any change in the status quo is coming soon.

Another issue that Greece had with Macedonia beyond the name was its original flag.  The Republic of Macedonia’s flag incorporate the Vergina Sun, a Greek symbol.  This led Greece to place a trade embargo on Macedonia until the flag was altered.  The flag was changed in 1995 to a stylized sun and the embargo was lifted.

Though the majority of the population in Macedonia is ethnic Macedonian, a sizable Albanian minority is present.  Ethnic tensions have flared up on occasion.  Most significantly, conflict broke out in 2001 which led to increased recognition of Albanian culture and language by the government.  

Macedonia uses the Cyrillic alphabet, however the Albanian population uses the Latin alphabet.  The relative presence of these alphabets in an area functions as a visible shibboleth.

 

Adventures in Skopje

My experience in Macedonia was limited to two days in the capital city of Skopje.  Skopje is a peculiar city.  It’s not truly bizarre, it’s just odd in a way that reflects the identity crisis of the republic.  The city center is filled with monuments, statues, and fountains built or restored only in the last few years. A handful of buildings have also gone up as part of the city's effort to add a measure of classical gravitas appropriate for a European capital.  However, these monuments also lend the city a Las Vegas-like feeling of imitation.  It may feel slightly tacky, but I find the city is oddly enjoyable, especially for a quick trip.  At night the city center shines.  With the bridges, buildings, and statues lit up crowds emerge to make the city center buzz.

Porta Macedonia, dedicated to 20 years of independence

Statue of King Philip II in background, motherhood statue in foreground

National Archaeological Museum at night

In an act that surely irritated Greece, the city built a massive statue of Alexander the Great on top of a fountain in 2011.  The fountains water and lights coordinate with music to create a public show.  This may be the most Vegas-esque experience in the city.

Alexander the Great statue and fountain at night

The only museum I visited was the National Archaeological Museum.  This museum is less than one year old and holds from every period of Macedonian history through the middle ages.  A guide gave me a tour through the museum’s three floors and this made the experience much richer.

National Archaeological Museum

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje in 1910.  Though her home no longer stands, a small museum, the Mother Teresa Memorial House, holds a number of objects related to her life.

Mother Teresa Memorial House

Chapel inside Mother Teresa Memorial House

Just outside of the city is Matka Canyon.  I spent several hours hiking through the canyon on one of my days in Skopje.  The trail winds along the side of the canyon and the hike alternates between rock face with views of the Treska River and stretches of forest that offer much appreciated shade.

Matka Canyon

A lizard hanging out on the rocks

A shady stretch of trail at Matka Canyon

Živjo from Slovenia

8/15

The last week and a half has seen me zigzag from Kosovo to coastal Montenegro to Sarajevo to Zagreb before finally reaching Ljubljana, Slovenia, this morning.  I enjoyed my time in everywhere I went, even though it was often brief.

The first legs of this journey were done via overnight buses.  These always seem like a great idea as a way to save on accommodation, but I usually end up paying for it by spending half the next day sleeping.

The last leg of the journey between Sarajevo and Ljubljana was covered in the relative comfort of trains.  My train between Sarajevo had a few issues however.  The window in the compartment was such that it would not stay locked down.  Actively holding a window for hours did not seem that appealing, though it might have beat being in a stuffy compartment.  Thankfully I had a fix in the form of 550 cord.  It's often claimed that duct tape is that universally hand piece gear, however the military will teach you that its actually 550 cord that has the most uses.  I always travel with a bit of it.  Usually it serves the function of a clothesline, but in this case it helped me (and my compartment mates) avoid suffering through an international train line.  

The other issue with the trip came when a station further down the line had some sort of fire.  This created a significant delay and ultimately a 9 hour ride turned into a 12 hour one.  I would have preferred more time exploring Zagreb over sitting in the middle nowhere in Bosnia, but it was only a minor issue.  Happily, the train between Zagreb and Ljubljana was clean, efficient, and arrived right on time.

Albania's Communist Period: The Past and Its Legacy

8/2

 

It’s possible, likely even, that my first exposure to Albania came from reruns of The Simpsons.  It might sound a little ridiculous, but it’s not like Albania is a topic that comes up much in elementary school.  The Simpsons, however, were a staple of my youth and an education itself.  The basic plot of “The Crepes of Wrath”, an episode from the first season,” is that Bart is sent away to study abroad in France after proving too much for everyone to handle.  The Simpsons family receives an exchange student of their own, Adil from Albania.  While Bart is working as slave for two horrible Frenchmen at their winery, Adil is the perfect child that Bart could never be.  Adil’s perfection is facade, as he is actually a spy for the communist Albanian government.  He is caught by the FBI sending plans for the nuclear plant back to Albania and sent away.  I don’t know when I first saw this episode, though I do remember it well, mostly for Bart’s struggles in France.  By the time I would have first seen it, Albania was no longer communist and things would have been dated.  I wouldn’t have cared, the references would have gone over my head anyway.  At least I learned that Albania was a place and I got a half hour of entertainment.

From 1945 to 1992 Albania was a communist state.  For the first 40 of those years the country was run by Enver Hoxha.   Even by the standards of communist states, Albania was isolated.

If you’ve seen the Spike Lee joint Inside Man, then you’ve heard Enver Hoxha’s voice.  A recording of him is a plot device.  If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t know what I’m talking about, go out and watch it.  Anyway, Hoxha’s voice and likeness blanketed Albania during his rule and he had total control of the country.

Hoxha, like most communist dictators, is an intriguing figure. He was born in Gjirokastër in 1908 in the house that now holds the Museum of Ethnography.  He later went to France for university on a scholarship.  Like Ho Chi Minh, Pol Pot, and many other communist leaders, Hoxha’s time in France proved to be a political education and he became involved in communist activity.

Birthplace of Enver Hoxha (now the Museum of Ethnography)

He returned to Albania and played a role in the founding of the Albanian Communist Party in 1941.  While Albania was occupied by Italian and German forces during the war, Hoxha was a leader of partisan forces.  By the war’s end the communists were the dominant political force in the country and Hoxha, as their leader, naturally came to lead post-war Albania.

He put the country on a strongly Marxist-Leninist path.  Confiscating land, implementing massive health and education programs, and silencing dissent.  Hoxha had a close relationship with Stalin and the USSR.  Once Stalin died and the USSR shifted course, Hoxha held steady to a Stalinist ideology and split from the Soviets.  He looked to Maoist China for guidance and put in place typically disastrous policies.  The isolation from Russia meant that its primary outlet for goods was no longer an option.  Combine this with the already asinine economic policies of  communism and it makes for struggle.  When Mao died in 1976 and China began to reform Albania was left isolated.  

Hoxhaist Albania was marked by hardline economic and social policies.  Religion was banned.  The possession of religious symbols, such a cross, was enough to warrant a visit from the authorities.  Churches, mosques, and other religious buildings were destroyed.  Gjirokastër provides one example of this.  Over a dozen mosques existed in the city prior to Hoxha’s rule.  All but one of them were destroyed during the communist period.  The one that was allowed to remain standing was utilized as a training center for circus acrobats because of its high roof.  Today the building is still standing and back to serving its original religious purpose.  The Albanian population never quite returned to practicing their religions as before.  Albanian society remains quite secular.

The mosque in Gjirokastër

Gjirokastër houses several other physical reminders of the communist regime.  Under the government’s industrialization plan Gjirokastër was the site of several factories.  The primary factory produced metal goods such as tableware and cigarette cases.  Leftover sheet metal from the factory can be spotted across the city being utilized as fencing, the obvious outline of forks, knives, and other items stamped from the metal clearly visible.

Factory metal being reused

The Hoxha regime was extremely paranoid about the threat of foreign invasion and had over 700,000 bunkers constructed across the country.  I saw a few of these while walking around the valley near Gjirokastër.  Though many are crumbling, I stumbled on one that had a new life as a garden shed.

A typical bunker near Gjirokastër

A bunker being reused in a garden

A beat-to-hell American plane is on display in one corner of Gjirokastër Castle.  It’s a bizarre because it feels like it was only placed there as an afterthought.  There does not seem to be any compelling reason for the plane to be in its particular location.  However, it has an interesting history behind it that goes to show the regime’s paranoia.  In 1957 the Italy-based plane was flying in the area when it developed mechanical problems and made an emergency landing in Tirana.  The Albanian government claimed that the plane was spying on Albania and this was used as proof of the outside threat to the country.  What the plane was actually doing is unclear, though the spying claim seems more an invention of the Albanian government than one based on fact.  Even the sign at the museum references this ambiguity-  “American Spy Plane(?)”.

The alleged spy plane of Gjirokastër Castle

Tirana, then as now, was the capital of Albania and the center of political life.  Hoxha and the communist elite lived in a portion of the city known as Blloku (the Block) that was off limits to the general population.  It is a trendy neighborhood these days, but still holds reminders of the regime.  Hoxha’s residence can be seen, but not visited.  From the outside it appears to be of a smaller scale than might be expected of a man who ruled the country for 40 years.  By Albanian standards it must have been highly luxurious, but by dictator standards it seems fairly modest.

The back side of Enver Hoxha's residence

The Checkpoint Memorial to Communist Isolation can be found in a park in Blloku.  A bunker, a section of the Berlin Wall, and concrete supports from the mine of a forced labor camp remind passersby of some of the consequences of authoritarian communist rule.

Checkpoint Memorial to Communist Isolation

Skanderbeg Square, the center of the city, used to be the location of several communist statues.  Lenin, Stalin, and ,of course, Hoxha held places of honor here.  In fact, the statue of Stalin remained until 1990.  It was, perhaps, the last public Stalin statue located outside of Stalin’s hometown of Gori, Georgia.  The statue of Hoxha was toppled by a mass of citizens in early 1991.  It was a major moment indicating the coming end of Albanian communism.  Statues of Lenin and Stalin are hidden behind the National Gallery of Art and I was able to look at them up close.  They have certainly seen better days.

Communist statues in Tirana

Uncle Joe trying to hail a cab

Looks like Lenin could use a hand

One of Tirana’s architectural landmarks is the Pyramid.  This monstrosity is a few blocks from Hoxha’s residence.  Designed Hoxha’s daughter and son-in-law, it was built after the dictator’s death to house the Museum of Enver Hoxha.  It didn’t serve long in this capacity.  With the fall of communism it was converted into a conference center, but that concept was later abandoned.  Its only occupant is a television station in the basement.  It sits covered in graffiti, windows smashed, stripped of anything of value on its exterior.  A physical representation of the legacy of a man and philosophy that kept the country isolated and impoverished for so long.

Tirana Pyramid

The transition to democracy and markets was bumpy for Albania.  The communist party effectively surrendered control of the political system in 1990 by announcing that free elections would be held in 1991.  The Communist Party was flogged in these elections and ones that followed in 1992.  It might appear that people do not like living under repressive regimes which deny them basic liberties and keep them poor.

The economy moved to a market system and, for the most part, was successful in early period of liberalization.  However, in one of the most episodes in any post-communist transition, a majority of Albanians fell victim to pyramid schemes which wiped out their savings and devastated the economy in 1997.  The government did very little to control these schemes even after becoming aware of their existence.  The country descended into chaos once the schemes collapsed.  The prime minister resigned and a new government was eventually elected, however during this time over 2,000 Albanians died violently.  The economy normalized once order was restored and growth returned.

As I write this, Albania is a functional democracy.  It feels like Albania has escaped the shadow of its communist past and put the turbulence of 1997 behind it.  Reminders of 47 years of communist rule remain, but they don’t dictate the country’s present state, instead serving as reminders of how not to do things.  My brief exposure to the country has been positive and it makes me feel optimistic about its trajectory.  I know I will be keeping any eye for out Albania in the news in the future.

 

Links Worth Clicking On:

IMF article on the pyramid schemes
A great primer on what they were, why they appeared, and how they grew.  A little wonky, but nothing beyond some standard economic concepts.

Contemporary article on the 1997 unrest (NY Times)

Photos from inside the Pyramid

Tirana: Albania's Capital

8/4

Tirana is the capital and biggest city of Albania.  It is a great city to stop through even though it does not have a large number of attractions for visitors.  An interesting history, a relaxed atmosphere, and a lack of tourist crowds are all reasons to visit Tirana.

The city center is easily walkable, clean, and attractive.  Tree lined streets in the city center add aesthetic appeal in addition to offering some protection from the summer sun.

Like the rest of Albania, the 20th century was turbulent for Tirana.  Having began the century as a relatively unimportant town under Ottoman rule, Tirana became the temporary (later permanent) capital of independent Albania in 1920.  This set it on a totally new trajectory.  When Albania came under Italian hegemony, Tirana was a focus for Italian projects.  During World War II the city was occupied by both the Italian and German militaries.  The end of the war ushered in nearly five decades of communist rule.  The end of communism in the early 1990s opened Albanian markets, politics, and culture.  All of these periods left physical marks on the city that make spending a day walking around a worthwhile activity.

The center of activity in Tirana is Skanderbeg Square.  A large statue of the national hero sits in the middle of the square next to an Albanian flag.  During the communist era the square was pedestrianized and largely covered in concrete.  Now several lanes of traffic surround the green space where Skanderbeg’s statue stands.  A statue of the communist dictator, Enver Hoxha, was pulled down during a mass protest in 1992.  This area is now a small park with benches and trees in front of the National Historical Museum.

Skanderbeg statue

Tirana’s most significant road is Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit (Boulevard of the Martyrs).  It runs through Skanderbeg Square and a walk down it will allow you to sample all of Tirana’s architectural periods.

Very little of Tirana’s Ottoman past is still visible, however the Et’Hem Bey Mosque, built in 1823, stands prominently across several lanes of road from the Skanderbeg statue.  It was closed during the communist period because of Albania’s state atheism.

Et'Hem Bey Mosque on the left with statue of Skanderbeg

Several government buildings around Skanderbeg Square were designed by a handful of notable Italian architects during the 1930s.  

Further south down Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit is the Lana River.  The river itself is not very wide and the water was low when I visited.  It was incredibly during and following the communist period.  Today it has been mostly cleaned up and a stroll along its banks is another worthwhile activity.

On the south side of the river is the unmissable Pyramid.  This eye sore was orginally designed to house the Museum of Enver Hoxha after the dictator’s death in 1985.  It sits mostly empty and covered in graffiti these days. An art installation out front, the Peace Bell, was made of metal from bullet cartridges used during the anarchic period in the mid-1990s.

Peace Bell

Near the end of Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit are several communist era buildings  The well manicured Presidential Palace used to be the Soviet embassy until 1961, when Albania broke off relations with  the USSR.  The Palace of Congresses, where the Communist Party held its most important meetings is across the street.

The Palace of Congresses

At the very end of Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit is Mother Teresa Square.  The buildings in this area are among the most noticeably ugly buildings in the city.  Structures here were built during the World War II  occupation by Fascist Italy.  Unlike earlier Italian constructions, these bland imposing buildings lack any charm.  The largest building is now part of a university.

Mother Teresa Square.  The middle area is a promotional plaza from T-Mobile.  

Just beyond Mother Teresa Square is the Grand Park.  This wooded area is quiet and relaxing.  There are plenty of trails that will take you to restaurants, an artificial lake, and plenty of spaces you can make your own.

The artifical lake

Three distinct grave sites and memorials sit within a few hundred feet of each other in one corner of the park.  A memorial to German soldiers who died in Albania during World War II is off to the side and easy to overlook.  Some German soldiers are buried at that location.  

The German war memorial

The tombs of three Albanian brothers who were early activists in the Albanian indpendence movement are laid to rest in a shaded area.

Lastly, a small graveyard for British Commonwealth soldiers who died in Albania is along the trail and easily spotted.  This particular memorial site has an interesting backstory.  The British military had limited military activity in Albania during World War II.  Those servicemen who died in Albania and whose bodies were not immediately recovered remained in the country following the war.  Efforts to repatriate them were made impossible by the communist government.  When communism fell these Commonwealth servicemen were given a place of honor in the Grand Park and the site is officially looked over by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.  A large red granite slab sits in the middle of the cemetery.  This once stood over the grave of Enver Hoxha.  However, Hoxha's body was exhumed from its elaborate tomb in the Martyr's Cemetery in Tirana and moved to the public cemetery after the fall of communism.  The holes in the granite from where Hoxha’s name was fixed in place can be observed in the British monument.

The Commonwealth cemetery in the park

Commonwealth graves

The memorial monument that was once over Enver Hoxha's grave.  Notice the small holes above the middle plaque.

Two museums in Tirana worth visiting are the National History Museum and the National Art Gallery.  Both are located around Skanderbeg Square.  Unfortunately, neither museum allows photography inside, so you’ll have to settle for my descriptions.

The National History Museum is eye catching from Skanderbeg Square because of its prominent mosaic depicting Albanian history from early Illyrians to the post-communist era.  Parts of it are well signed in English, while other parts lack any English signs.  The museum is enjoyable enough, but English signs do make a difference.  A section on the victims of communist terror provided a glimpse into communist regime's brutality.  Mementos from individuals who were imprisoned or executed by the regime are on display.  It is apparent that this is one of the newer exhibitions at the museum.

Mosaic of the National History Museum

The National Arts Gallery is small.  Seeing as how the focus of the museum is on paintings and Albania does not have a long tradition of painting, this makes sense.  Most of the Albanian paintings on display are less than a century old.  Pre-communist realist paintings occupy a small alcove.  The bulk of art on display is of the socialist realist style.  Huge paintings of partisans fighting Axis forces and Hoxha during the liberation of Albania cannot be overlooked.  Admittedly, I am a bit of a philistine when it comes to art, but I can appreciate socialist realism because of its straightforward nature and my fascination with communist states. 

George W. Bush is a polarizing figure.  That feels like stating the obvious.  Some say his painting “lacks any sort of conceptual skill or depth”.  Another critic notes that Bush “has an uncanny ability to translate photographs into more awkward images enlivened by distortions and slightly ham-handed brushwork”.  One of the biggest surprises that may come while walking around Tirana is that the reclusive painter has a street named after him.  Rruga George W. Bush is located near Skanderbeg Square.  The street was named for Bush after his 2007 visit to Tirana.

Eat your hearts our Jacques Chirac and Gerhard Schröder

It may seem strange at first, but Bush and the United States are very popular in Albania.  If you look around Tirana the flag you’re most likely to see after the Albanian one is the American flag.  There’s good reason for that.  Bush’s popularity, in large part, stems from that 2007 visit.  No other sitting president had visited the country before.  Besides the Rruga George W. Bush, Albania also issued a stamp of Bush and a small town erected a statue of him.  That can tend to make an American president popular in a locale that tends to get overlooked.  I saw the same phenomenon last year in Myanmar with Barack Obama.  As a relatively poor country with a complicated history, Albania can look to the United States aspirationally.  No matter how cynical your view of the United States is, as an idea it remains something that much of the world looks up to.

The pro-American sentiment is also a legacy of the American role in the Kosovo War.  Kosovo is majority ethnic Albanian.  The NATO campaign there and subsequent American support for independent Kosovo has bolstered American standing with the Albanian population.

Gjirokastër: The Stone City

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Panoramic from the valley floor

The Drino Valley is a beautiful place.  Near Gjirokastër the valley floor flat and wide open.  The Drino River isn’t much to look at at this time.  Although, that’s not a problem.  The valley that has been carved through the Gjerë mountains is still stunning.  Green, tranquil, and idyllic.  It’s a perfect spot for the town of Gjirokastër.

If one word were to be applied to Gjirokastër it would probably be charming.  I don’t know what it takes to make a town “charming”, but Gjirokastër has it.  The old town is built on the hillside and its distinguishing feature are the hundred of old stone houses.  These stone buildings have led the entire old town be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  These buildings were constructed during the period of Ottoman rule over Albania, mostly between the 17th and 18th centuries.

A typical street

It is possible to tour several of these old houses.  I only toured one of these, the Skenduli House.  This three story mansion was built in 1700 for one of the wealthiest merchants in the area.  It is still owned by the Skenduli family today.  Even though it is clear that a significant amount of restoration work has already been done on it, it still needs more.  The interior offers great perspective on the living conditions of the upper class during the Ottoman period.

The Skenduli House [apologies for the low quality]

A model of the Skenduli House

A room inside the Skenduli House

Across the street from the Skenduli House is another stone house containing the Museum of Ethnography.  The house itself is good condition and, while less extravagant than the neighboring Skenduli House, it is still quite large and its inhabitants would be have been well to do. The museum contains examples of traditional dress, crafts, and household items.  Unfortunately, there are no signs anywhere, but there are guides that can assist.

Traditional dress on display in the Museum of Ethnography

Carvings in the Museum of Ethnography

The dominant feature of Gjirokastër is Gjirokastër Castle which sits on an isolated outcrop above the bazaar area.  The passageway next to the entrance is lined with captured Italian and German artillery and other heavy weapons from World War II.  There is even a small Italian tank among the objects on display.

The open areas of the castle afford arresting views of the valley, the craggy mountains, and the countless stone buildings.  It makes the journey up the hill worth it.

The castle yard

Looking down from the castle

A clock tower sits at the edge of the fort.  This was built when the area was controlled by Ali Pasha (he’s the one that Lord Byron met) to assist in keeping track of the Muslim call for prayer.  These days it doesn’t function, but provides some aesthetic appeal.

The castle clock tower

The fortress is home to two museums.  The Museum of Gjirokastër is small, but well assembled.  All the signs are in English and provide a significant amount of background on the area and its long history from the Bronze Age through the modern era.

Displays in the Museum of Gjirokastër

The other museum, which is adjoining, is the Museum of Armaments.  There isn’t much English signage in this area.  A large portion of it is dedicated to the World War II period during which Albania was occupied by Italy and then Germany.  A number of small arms used by the occupying forces are on display, as well as those of anti-occupation partisans.  Statues, paintings, and photos provide a small amount of context.

Statue of a partisan fighting a German soldier

Armaments on display

The Museum of Armaments is located in the part of the castle that used to be a prison.  It was first used in this capacity during the rule of King Zog in the pre-World War II period.  Every successive regime used the prison until it was closed in 1968 during the communist period.

Hallway of the castle prison

While old town Gjirokastër is the main draw, a modern town exists down on the valley floor.  Though not large, it is a hive of activity compared to the sleepy hillside.  There is not much in the area to draw travelers other than the bus station, but it is still a pleasant area to walk around and remind yourself that modern civilization still exists.

View from the new town

My accommodations were basic, but for about $8 a night to have a private room I cannot complain.  As well, food was cheap and satisfying.

I think we can all agree that this qualifies as "basic"

Gjirokastër was a great place to spend a few days.  Just walking around the old town is a treat in itself, though there are enough attractions to hold your attention for a couple of days.  If you are in the region I highly recommend it.  It is easily accessible from Greece or elsewhere in Albania.  

Stone buildings in various conditions

Albania: A Primer

The next few posts will be covering my time in Albania.  I realize that the average American's knowledge of Albania is somewhere around minimal to absolutely nothing.  To save you the trip to Wikipedia and that wormhole, I'll give you a quick rundown here on the country.

Albania is a mountainous country in the Balkans.  Early Albania was peopled by the Illyrians.  Through its history it has been a part of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires.  It gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.  During World War II the Italians followed by the Germans occupied the country.  At the war's end the country regained its independence and became a socialist state under the rule of Enver Hoxha.  The communist period was marked by extreme isolation, even by communist standards.  Hoxha died in 1985 and communism fell in 1992.  Albany moved to a market economy at that time.

Since the fall of communism Albania has embraced the West.  It is now a member of NATO and is a candidate for EU membership. 

Albania is a middle income country, but still poor by European standards.

The population is nominally majority Muslim, but religion is not a significant factor in the daily lives of most Albanians.

There are significant Albanian population pockets in most Albanian's neighbor because of the way in which Albanian borders were drawn by outside powers.