Durres, Kruje & Tirane, Albania
Early this morning the Sea Cloud was positioned just outside of the port city of Durres, Albania. Thus began our first of two days exploring the enigmatic country of Albania. Fifty years of communist isolation under the dictator Enver Hoxha just after WWII, along with the ensuing struggles of an emerging nation have left permanent scars on this developing country. But the pragmatic Albanian people continue their battle to be a part of Eastern Europe and the world, while maintaining their cultural identity.
Once the Sea Cloud was docked and port officials cleared our vessel, preparations began for a full day ashore. Durres is the second largest city in Albania and a very busy industrial port, conveniently located for access to the two inland visits planned for our day. Soon busses arrived and once onboard we began a leisurely hour-long journey to the old or historic capital of Albania.
Kruje is situated in a spectacular setting beneath the country’s central limestone escarpment. After crossing a broad valley, our busses began climbing up through a pine forest, into what is now a small community; and once was the capital of Albania. Two very important museums were both created and built in the early 1980s specifically for Albanian tourists, as at the time, the country was closed to foreigners. We learned about George Kastrioti, a folk hero known as Skanderbeg who was responsible for uniting a large group of feuding tribal leaders to fight and win decisive battles against the Ottoman Turks. Once we found our way up to the third floor of the Skanderbeg Museum, we ended our tour on a terrace with an extraordinary view of not only Kruje, but Tirane in the distance and all the surrounding mountains that circle this small mountain town. The second museum was an ethnographic museum depicting the lifestyle of a wealthy 18th-century family as they might have lived in this 15-room museum with intricate detailed pieces, some of them 500 years in age!
Our final stop in Kruje was the traditional Medieval Bazaar which has been a protected cultural site since 1961, preserving the rich characteristics of traditional Albanian markets of the 18th and 19th centuries. Making our way down the cobblestone alleys of the market, many of us took time to explore several small shops, finding a variety of unusual treasures: olive oil lamps, Albanian filigree, antiques, textiles, traditional costumes and just a touch of kitschy souvenirs tucked in and around Albanian flags!
At noon sharp we boarded our busses and began a 35-kilometer ride down into the central valley and the modern capitol of Tirane. Being Sunday, we were lucky with traffic and arrived at our lunch stop, the local restaurant Sarajet at 1:00pm. A large buffet table of small plates or meze awaited our arrival and gave us a small taste of some of the specialties of Albanian cuisine. This was accompanied by the performance of a well-known Albanian folk music and dance.
Finishing off the afternoon, we all had a chance to take a walk around the central Skanderbeg square where the diversity of Albania could be seen by just taking a moment to look at the 18th-century Et’hem Bey Mosque, the giant sculpture of Skanderbeg on a horse, the huge Albanian flag, the former Communist Party headquarters, an old clock tower, the Socialist Mural on the National Museum and a towering new building with a crane partially under construction in the background!
As our expedition leader said before leaving the restaurant, “Go Albania!” Such open, and engaging people, ready to learn and grow; always ready to remind you of their history and give everyone who comes to visit a chance to see their country as they do, with great cultural pride.
