Oct 5, 2012 - Berat

Uma da spontes que separa as 2 zonas de Berat é pedonal e do séc VIII e atravessa o rio Osum que nesta altura padece de alguma secura. No dia 6 de Janeiro, quando o caudal está cheio, ocorre aqui o festival do Epifânio no qual o padre atira desta mesma ponte uma cruz em madeira e os jovens nadadores atiram-se ao rio numa competição para ver quem consegue levar a cruiz de volta. Cerca de 70% da população é muçulmana, maioritariamnete da etnia sunni, mas há uma pequena percentage, cerca de 5% destes que são Bektashims, similares ao sufismo...

Oct 4, 2012 - Berat

Mais uma viagem de furgão entre Dhermi e Vlora e mais uma viagem cénica inesquecivel pelo desfiladeiro de Llogaraja, a mais de 1000 m de altitude. O mar jónico abre-se diante de nós, com vista para ilha grega de Corfu, sôb a ligeira névoa e depois a estrada entra numa floresta de cedros espessa para finalmente descer até a um vale amplo onde pastores conduzem os seus rebanhos entre oliveiras e ao fundo o mar vigilante. Em Vlora apanhamos um autocarro para Berat numa estrada péssima com cratertas do tamanho de planetas...Não admira que o...

Oct 3, 2012 - Dhermi

De manhã cedo apanhamos uma camioneta até Saranda e depois aqui um furgão até Dhermi. Os furgões são minibuses, carrinhas que asseguram o transporte local e que se podem mandar parar em qualquer lado. Esta viagem é das mais bonitas do País. É uma perfeita junção entre montanha e mar. As montanhas são altissimas, às vezes, formando verdadeiras escarpas e o mar é azul turquesa. A estrada segue junto à costa e vai subindo e descendo em curvas e contracurvas, estando o mar muitas vezes lá em baixo, no abismo. Por vezes passamos por praias de...

Oct 2, 2012 - Gyrokastra

Gyrokastra não fica longe de Saranda. No mapa são cerca de 30 km, mais coisa menos coisa, mas isto se fosse em linha recta, mas não é. Temos que contornar parte da montanha e isto leva cerca de 2 horas, num tipico "furgão", que são umas carrinhas que asseguram o transporte local. Voltamos a fazer a mesma estrada sinuosa pela montanha que fizemos quando entrámos na Albânia. Pela berma da estradas estreitas e vertiginosas sobre o abismo, vão-se sucedendo as pedras tumulares em mármore com as inscrições dos nomes e fotografias dos que aqui...

Oct 1, 2012 - Passagem para a Albania

Saimos de manha de Kalambaka numa camioneta as 9 da manha que nos levou ate Ioanina, 2 horas depois. Aqui na propria estacao de camionetas, trocamos para uma outra que nos transportara ate a fronteira com a Albania...depois logo se vera. Viemos de Kalambaka com Larry e Sharon, um casal norte americano de reformados do Kansas, com quem partilhamos o taxi de Kastraki ate kalambaka e depois a mesma camioneta ate Ionanina. Andam a viajar por 2 meses e entao a Sharon e daquelas mulheres bem constituidas, de faces rosadas e da umas gargalhadas...

Jul 4, 2012 - Albania

It could be said that Albania was reborn 20 years ago after years of strick communisim rule where the borders were closed and Albanians survided only on what they could produce themselves. That said, it is evidently a developing country where infrastructure etc is struggling to catch up to that of other balkan countries. Rather than stay in the capital of Tirana we stayed in an ex-military resort in Durres. Nothing much to report here other than a great view of the sunset over the Adriatic sea. The next day it took just 1 hour to see the...

Jul 3, 2012 - Shkodra, Tirana, Kruja, Boga, Theft

TIRANA: Travel by bus. There is not much to see in Tirana. We were not able to get into the same hotel as Mike, but the receptionist phoned another one and gave us directions. It took us forever to find it!! No signs and no one in the immediate vicinity knew where it was. We finally found a young girl about 13 who spoke good English and found it for us. It was in an apt building that looked rather shabby, but the room was very clean and very inexpensive. It is very near a huge beautiful park with a lake in it. The lake reminds us a little...

Jul 2, 2012 - Berat

BERAT: We took a big bus to Fier. The roads in Albania are legendary BAD. The ride to Fier was a rock and roll affair with the bus swerving back and forth across the highway dodging the bigger holes & often coming to a complete halt before diving into and lurching its way through a pot hole. The rule of the road is the biggest vehicle rules the road. This became quite evident when we arrived at a narrow baily bridge where we stopped and two cars coming towards us had to reverse and back off. The bus slowly weaved its way across the bridge...

Jul 1, 2012 - Gjirokaster

ALBANIA: Traveling by bus in Greece is relatively simple. The buses are modern & comfortable… a lot like traveling in Canada. The ones in Albania are a bit of a different story. We arrived at the Albanian/Greece border, checked out of Greece, walked across to the Albanian border through their check point. From there it’s a bit of a stroll to find a taxi, where using hand signals, pointing and bad pronunciation of our destination, produced a 20 euro ride for 4 to Gjirokastra, 50km away. At the border we befriended a Japanese tourist named...

Jun 18, 2012 - My darling mum

This is a wedding anniversary I'll not forget. I started the day as usual on Skype to mum but today she did not know who I was. I am afraid her chemo drugs have had a disastrous and sudden affect on her mental capacity so she is now off the chemo which of course has serious implications so we are coming home to be with her. Thanks for taking an interest in our journey and we hope it transported you out of a cold Melbourne winter for a few moments each day.

Jun 17, 2012 - A unique way to deal with a traffic jam

I chose delicious honey and bread for breakfast at the hotel but there was an array of cheese, cabana like sausage on offer. We followed that with a 70 cent cappuccino at a nearby cafe. It is very heap here. The town was very quiet when we left for our walking tour at 9am but it was already very not and humid. We saw yet another aspect of Tirana by following a huge boulevard built in an age of the fascist and communists penchant for parades and spectacles. The buildings were all very dull by our standards but this part of the city was much...

Mar 15, 2012 - Day trip to Butrint

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butrint Leaving Sarade to go to Butrint ruins the road passes by an incredible number of apt. buildings/homes/businesses in various stages of construction! Most look to be stalled or perhaps just waiting for spring? Also, we saw at least 3-4 of these buildings toppled over as if hit by an earth trember. Mari had found out earlier that the Teddy bears and scarecrows, etc. we often see hanging off the front of homes/bldgs under Leaving Sarade to go to Butrint ruins the road passes by an incredible number of apt....