Albania - In the Land of a Thousand Stars

01.04.23 / 02.04.23

The first day and the first night in Albania we spent in Skodra, the unofficial capital of North Albania.

I have been looking forward to this special country with its unique way of life for a long time, which is always good for surprises. It is precisely these cultural peculiarities and differences from what one is used to at home that were the reason for my anticipation and curiosity.

I had hoped that it would be a bit crazy and exciting here. In this respect, I was not disappointed.

Especially in the city, the first impressions were overwhelming. Apart from the traffic, which actually deserved its own post, the diverse life played out right in front of you on the streets. Let's put it this way: Here things are happening. Something is being sold on every corner, even without a traditional shop, if necessary, right on the street. Vegetables, fruits, clothes, toys, electronics, etc. Smaller market stalls, numerous cafes, bars, and restaurants are of course not to be missed. While a group of men on the roadside are playing a kind of domino game next to a market stall, another person walks along the river promenade with two sheep on a leash. He then lets the sheep graze on a small green area between restaurant - palaces. In the meantime, the cars are honking non-stop.

And then there's the traffic, which can seem slightly insane to a driver trained in Germany. There is a lot going on on the streets here, and not just because of all the cars, scooters, scooters with trailers, minibusses, and trucks. Here, both inside and outside the city, you also share the roads with carriages, bicycles, and bicycles loaded like heavy goods vehicles, all sorts of animals such as sheep, cows, dogs, and pedestrians. Someone also stops unexpectedly in the middle of the road or at least in the second row.

You don't see thousands of stars in the sky here, but hundreds of thousands of them on the streets, namely Mercedes-Benz stars. Every second car is a Benz. Evaluated on 01.04.23. That must be a genetic disposition; I can't explain it otherwise. Even if the car is falling apart, as long as it had at least one star, a Mercedes remains a Mercedes as long as it runs. However, there are really many new, more luxurious cars that catch your eye. The Daimler star, more than just a status symbol, something that connects people.

For the usual overtaking maneuver in any traffic situation, whether it's before a curve or in oncoming traffic, you don't necessarily need a Mercedes here, but a mixture of recklessness and absolute coolness and the Albanian driver's gene. On a two-lane road, the middle lane is quasi-standardly used as a third lane for overtaking. Wild. Unfortunately, these daring overtaking maneuvers often don't end well, as can often be seen at the roadside in the form of pictures, crosses, and gravestones.

When driving, you have to pay attention, but you also get used to it, and at the same time, the journey never gets boring.

As far as nature is concerned, there wasn't much to see along the way until today because there was a lot of industry along the roads. The mountains in the distance are enticing, and I am also enthusiastic about the sea with its endlessly long sandy beaches. You don't see a big, wild river like the Buna, which flows through Skodra, every day.

On the 2nd day, we drove from Shkoder to somewhere by the sea. The main requirement was to be directly on the water and easy parking with the camper vans. We found it right away. Besides a restaurant and a beach bar that will probably open soon, we stood again very well, like on a campsite. We also got company in no time. Four dogs became part of the camp from now on. There are many stray dogs here. Usually, it doesn't take long and they follow you. Lovely intelligent animals that often make you feel sorry for them because you can clearly see their tough life. They are usually very thin and often have injuries. At night you can hear them barking from everywhere, especially in the city.

When I went jogging on the beach in the evening, the dog gang immediately followed me until I turned around and went back. It was fun to go on a tour with the pack. The next morning the same thing happened. I had just gotten up to go jogging on the beach, and the gang was ready to go. This time it went in the other direction. Except for a few collapsed fishermen's huts, there is nothing for kilometers on this beach. Nothing except once again too much garbage and the occasional animal carcass. Wonderful for running. The beach is wide and slopes gently into the sea. It's great to run on the hard, wet sand. I was somewhat puzzled when a car suddenly drove past me. Shortly after, an SUV came towards me. Friendly greeting by waving. So apparently, you can also drive directly along the beach here.

People just do their thing. Everyone has been very friendly, helpful, and relaxed so far. Although it is mentioned casually that we are standing here with the camper vans, it really seems not to bother anyone.

We spent one night on this beach. The sun is shining, the dogs are lying comfortably in front of the camper, jogging, enjoying the peace and reading, it's nice to be here.

Today we have chosen another spot by the sea, just before Saranda.

The navigation system has definitely chosen the premium route for us. On today's route, the wonderful nature of Albania was revealed. The road wound pass-like through the mighty mountains, past green meadows and forests, past shepherds and their grazing herds, past the fabulous mountain rivers that flow through the landscape like something out of a picture book. That alone is enough to go to bed satisfied in the evening and to remain in memory for a long time. I have been wanting to write for a long time that I'm running out of superlatives, and here it finally fits.

Towards the end, it suddenly got really steep again. Thanks to Bürsti's nearly 35 years of experience (birthday party is on 06.05.23), he also mastered this section. I can also always rely on trick 17, that is, turning the ventilation and heating up all the way, if it comes to making sure that the old gentleman doesn't get too hot.

The people here are really super nice, helpful, and supportive even when I'm holding up traffic in 2nd gear.

It's nice to be here. Peace.