If I come and ask you, where is Albania?
You may be at a loss, two empty eyes looking at me, blinking.
Don't worry, the little old wet is not here to show off, this time I went to Albania because of the way. Balkan Grand Ring Road, the next stop from Montenegro is Albania, why not go? It is not that there is a vendetta against it -- people were once good Emperor Song of our socialist camp! Wow hahahahaha... Don't stop me from laughing, I heard that laughing too much abs can come back, drinking too much in the Balkan Rakija, um.
The person who picked us up from the Aman Hotel in Montenegro was michael, the chubby Albanian driver. He was sharp, experienced, and proud of his country, and said to me:
"Jordy, did you know that there are 3 languages in the world that are completely independent of the dominant language family?"
I said "No" cooperatively.
"Haha, then I'll tell you, one is Finnish, one is Hungarian, and the other is Albanian!" They are neither Latin nor Slavic, and the language we speak cannot even be understood by our neighbors! Ha ha! ”
If you don't understand it, when I really stepped into this strange country, I suddenly felt that something was wrong, as if everyone passing by on the road was paying attention to us. There are too few eastern faces, and we look so different. Albania has been closed for 20 years, a modern European country, can you imagine? Before 1976, it was like China's Qing Dynasty, with no ears to hear anything out of the window, and even pots and pans were aided by China. Grandpa Mao's "the end of the world is like a neighbor" refers to the backward country of Albania.
Emma! Tirana, the capital, 99.99% return rate!
How many young boys and girls watched me see the bicycle riding on the sidewalk, the neck looked twisted, and the hook stared at people really embarrassed
Haha, my chubby Albanian driver Michael, he said: This is mountain spring water, very sweet ~
The car pulled to a street garden, and he slowed down, pointed to the statue and said to me: This is the hero of Albania!
A modest cathedral
The vast Lake Shkodër, "shared" by Montenegro and Albania. Interestingly, Michael told me that in Shkodër (the city of Afghanistan), girls were reluctant to marry the Ulcinj (Montenegrin city) boys on the other side of the lake in neighboring countries, even though they spoke the same dialect, because the Ulcinians were far away sailors.
Lake Shkodër, the boys dived for a split second
On the shores of the largest lake in the Balkans, come to a photo
The city of Shkodër is second only to the capital Tirana. The mosque's towering salutation tower shows the splendor of the once Ottoman Empire
This is the pedestrian street of the old city. After spending time in small cities in Europe, I know that the kind of leisurely, even with lazy urban temperament, is very attractive.
An unfinished painting
Mother Teresa, whose radiance of selfless dedication, was vying for honor by Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. Tell me about her background? She is of Albanian descent and was born in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, and Skopje was still in Kosovo in the year she was born... By the way, the airport in Tirana, the capital of Albania, is named "Teresa International Airport"
We came to a restaurant called Tradita G&T, and the name is traditional Albanian cuisine, Tradita=Tradition
What is the handsome guy in the traditional Gheg costume burning?
【Information Supply Station】
Gheg is a pre-independence territorial ethnic group in northern Albania, including the capital Tirana and Kosovo, in contrast to the Southern and Northwestern Greek Minority Tosk, the two largest ethnic groups in Albania. Albanian, along with Hungarian and Greek, is a separate language, very different from the Latin language commonly used in other European countries.
It turned out to be a variety of roast meats. Albanian Grill is the most traditional authentic cuisine, they love to put everything in the fire and burn it
This cheese pot, many people may not be accustomed to eating, the taste is heavy
Albania is also rich in wine, the difference is that people drink it this way...
Capital Tirana · Those closed pasts
How to say it, a small Balkan country that experienced a painful lesson similar to China's "Cultural Revolution", allied with Stalin, groped forward under the protection of the great banner of communism, and then closed the country for 20 years after the death of Mao Zedong, the economy collapsed, the people were hungry, and later followed a wrong leader, the liberalization of the economy led to a shrinking of 70% of the national savings, a national uprising, and the people were not happy. Traveling in such a "European" country, what kind of picture do you see in your eyes that can be refracted by brain waves?
History always has a wrong time, and the key is what attitude to treat them. The Hoxha government was overthrown by the people, and the embarrassing "landmark" buildings his daughter designed, such as the infamous pyramid, have long been abandoned, but still let it stand in the city center! I greatly appreciate this unobtrusive sense of democracy, acknowledging history and reminding the world! So, I'll climb to the top of it in a "parkour" way and look at the modern European capital that has been closed off for 20 years.
In the center of Tirana, there is an abandoned pyramid building, which is criticized by the daughter of the outcast dictator Hoxha.
Steep slope of nearly 50 degrees... I still wanted to climb to the top of it and see the city that had weathered the wind and frost
Acceptance is always more sincere than avoidance
Tirana, a European city of the 21st century
Little heaven is in Tirana
Downtown Skanderbeg Square
Xhamia e Et'hem Beut Mosque, Tirana's heritage site, we went inside and took pictures, Albanian Muslims are friendly
To learn about all of Albania, come here – the National History Museum. The communist gate sign is impressive
The University of Tirana, founded in 1957, is the best school in Albania. Coming here at night, full of students and policemen
There is a wide square between the university and the main street, and students play all kinds of cool things
Nightlife in Tirana, in the Blloku neighborhood. Once completely enclosed as a recreational residence for Communist Party executives, it is now a place for young people to vent at night
What a humorous collision again
Blloku surprises Chinese fast food restaurant, Kung Fu Express!
It is clear that in Albania's eyes, Bruce Lee is the double salt man of China & Chinese kung fu
Striking resemblance to a domestic fast food chain...
Ordered a small combo ravioli and oil-consuming beef are too salty, and the fried noodles are good. The boss is from Nanchang, and the funniest thing is that I also taught the two guys in the back how to use chopsticks
In fact, I myself am also half a bucket of water
Hahahahaha
Tirana, the more exciting the off-road
Some people say that the night in Tirana is not safe, and the brother says: Travel is not safe in the first place, but I can't not travel
So no, I'm still on the road.
【Talent J Albania Fun Tour Guide】
Citizens can enter Albania visa-free during the tourist season. Among them, the visa-free period for Chinese citizens is from March 1 to October 31, 2019;
The currency Leke, with the renminbi, is around 17:1
Young people speak a small amount of English, which is completely insensitive to Albanian, including in their neighbors Macedonia and Montenegro.
Prices are extremely low, there is no UnionPay.
Albania generally plays with lakes and mountain villages, and if you want to go to the beach, it is recommended to go to the southwest coastal areas, such as Deremades, which is one of the best sandy cities in the Ionian Sea.
Routes: Montenegro - Shkodër - Durrës (the beach is ugly, you can skip it) - Tirana - Berat (Albanian World Heritage Site, the most important and amazing place) - Elbassan - Ohrid (Macedonia)
Traditional Albanian dishes are grilled, collectively known as Albanian Grill, which is affordable.
The Marubi Permanent Photo Exhibition, one of The most worthwhile activities in Shkodër, is one of the finest photographs of Albania's earliest years. Ask Tradeita G&T for detailed instructions and guided route recommendations.
I like to remember to share oh ~
I am J, a handsome and talented boy who has traveled through 114 countries.
WeChat public account: Da Ren J
Weibo: @Daren J
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