An Albanian Antidote is needed

 

Starting a trip feeling physically and mentally drained could go one of many ways.  A new found lease and love of life would be the hope, safe to say it wasn't an immediate find after a 3.30am rise and reach for the airport.  Next to no sleep on the back of exhaustion led to a bleary eyed trip up the M4 to Heathrow.

Guess when you book a trip you can't always determine life leading up to it, so the hope is that it does prove life and travel affirming, as have always found that bounce over the years.  Heathrow was a lot busier than I've seen before, queues for bag drop and even backlog at security, fast track was not living up to its name.

Quieter and serene in the BA lounge, where a bit of light people watching brought me into the land of the living. Quite taken by a couple next to us who spent around 15 minutes building up their table with every complimentary food and drink available, I did feel I hadn't got my usual value for money today, and they were rubbing salt into the wounds!

For the first time in living memory I stayed clear of early morning alcohol, even closing my eyes briefly with the airport hum a lullaby after a bit of a patched together muffin and some fruit and croissants.  Must have been feeling really relaxed as we wound our way down to the Gate to be hurried through as the last boarders.

The plane was able to leave on time and we were comfortably established in row 2 for the next three hours.  With only 3 rows in club class today we were given the bells and whistle service by the cabin crew.  It does vary in Club from flight to flight, but pick your moment and you surely benefit.  A never ending stream of champagne offered, around a light charcuterie brunch ( I will call it) Plus snack trolleys and real attention.  And before we knew it I was taking in the Adriatic coastline out of the window before we turned inland through the Balkans to the more mountainous surrounds of Albania's capital Tirana.

On landing we were offered the digital immigration service and I kid you not, we were from touch down to exit in less than 30 mins, our bags first off the carousel too.  Perhaps after the rigmarole Carys went through a couple of weeks ago to Bali we got a bit of good luck returned.

A smallish airport, easy to navigate, in so far as we couldn't see signs to a bus, but we could see buses. Headed towards them and for the princely sum of around £4 each (400 lek) per person we were winding our way past the watchful eye of Mother Theresa (she is a traffic warden out here and into the city) albanias most famous export? 

The last stop was our stop, the central bus terminus.  Rucksacks on, it was around a mile to our hotel on google maps so we took that as a decent bit of extra exercise. Able to catch some of the sights of a well appointed, landscaped city, with the new sprouting up around the old, and the big communist boulevard perhaps the only early memory.

Our hotel antigone was up a back street, more of a guest house, but clean, tidy and air conditioned and would suit our needs well for the few hours we are in Tirana. As ever our inclination was to make the best of them and take a traipse through the history and architecture of this very navigable city.

We made life fairly easy for our selves as we retraced steps to take pictures of the quirky sights we had passed on the way to the hotel.  A really laid back feel with elements of street art you find in all modern cities these days.

Our goal was to get to Bunkerart2, probably the must see recommendation in Tirana. A cold war nuclear shelter turned into a history and art museum.  Descending down into the cave like shell, the claustrophobia and sweat would be the backdrop of our long enough stay. Lots of small cell like rooms with an insight into the early history of their policing, even before the iron curtain came down it was pretty brutal, but when the dictator Hoxha  took hold 1943, it reached new lows. The way a whole society can either be the spied upon or the spyer just horrifies me, and having the state instruments (secret police) to co-ordinate and choreograph it all is just a descent into terror.  Some of the instruments of spying and torture clearly caught the eye, and the setting of the bunker did add grit along with a dystopian feel.  A bit of light art at the end was much needed relief, optical illusions a preference to the harsh reality for sure.

3 big heads

A gulp of air when we resurfaced, having finished in the decontamination chamber, but sunlight was our medicine, and indeed perhaps that was when my albanian antidote kicked in. Travelling, exploring, learning, yep, mojo back.  We took a look at some of the key buildings and squares, clock tower, famous mosque Et'hen Bay was calling to prayer (closed during the totalitarian rule), skyscrapers that 'face' you and the pyramid of Tirana. The pyramid a beautiful viewing platform representing freedom that has emerged from a shadier earlier dictatorial tribute. 

Top of the pyramid allowed us to take in the more panoramic views of the city, does feel it is encircled by mountains.  And the walk back to our hotel was easy now we have done it quite regularly, pleased to get back to the air con and wash way the bunker sweat in particular in the shower.  Did note a pet shop out here where they had actual pets in the shop, not sure where we are with animal rights out here. Strangely there is a whiff of the UK 80s at times, never sure if anyone takes a credit card still, I have expect them to come out and want to take a trace or carbon copy.  Those who love the 'good old days' would love it, I could go down a murky path with those who love the good old days though, too much of the nastier stuff we have been reminded of today is but a western dictators breath away.

Whilst not quite the International Date Line shenanigans of a couple of years back this has been one of the longer travelling days I can remember, and a simple pizza in the evening was all that was called for. A beer in the garden of our guesthouse first, we are on a suburban street, but round the corner we are in Blloku, the cool, hipster quarter. I made a less than cool pizza choice, thinking vesuvio would mean spicy, not gorgonzola. But hey, things could have been worse, I'm back in glass half full territory.