Day 14 Dures - Berat (Albania)
Well that was an intersting ferry ride. Was supposed to sail at 10 but didn’t leave till after 12. We were tucked up in bed by then. It rattled and banged the whole way and had more vibrations than an Australian hired Harley.
Getting into Albania could not have been easier, customs similar to an airport and picked up 3rd party insurance from a kiosk just before exiting the port.
Rode into Durres which is nice enough for a port city. Found an ATM and a nice cafe overlooking the sea for coffee then set off for a leisurely 100km ride to Berat.
The city apartment blocks slowly gave way to farmland and very pretty countryside.
We arrived at our accommodation for the night which is a bed and breakfast type place with a very friendly host. Sent on my way sightseeing with a large helping of Raki and a toast to Albania.
This is very picturesque town with an old castle come settlement on the top of a big hill. The town is at valley level and is possibly the nicest and most fertile place I have ever seen. As far as the eye can see there are patterns of crops, orchards, vineyards. Apparently they get 300 sunshine days per year and today was certainly one of them. Looking forward to sampling the wine.
The mosque and cathedral are virtually across the square from each other. Both having been there forever.
We climbed the big hill and it was worth the effort. A beautiful little chapel has been turned into a museum with artworks and magnificent wood carvings dating from the 14th century. No photos allowed of this.
The rest of the place was amazing with stone buildings and churches, a mosque and what is left of the water reticulation system. Clever buggers back then.
The centre of the town has a lovely wide boulevard flanked by bars and restaurants. The locals mainly men and family groups, not many women sauntered to and fro in groups of 2 or 5 ish engaging in conversation. Occasionally a bit of banter ensued between groups. There was a serious game of chess going on under trees with lots of people crowded around. All very nice. We sat with a beer and wine and people watched for a while and then joined in. One thing that was very noticeable to us was the young people in the bars were mostly drinking coffee and soft drinks, very little alcohol.
Getting into Albania could not have been easier, customs similar to an airport and picked up 3rd party insurance from a kiosk just before exiting the port.
Rode into Durres which is nice enough for a port city. Found an ATM and a nice cafe overlooking the sea for coffee then set off for a leisurely 100km ride to Berat.
The city apartment blocks slowly gave way to farmland and very pretty countryside.
We arrived at our accommodation for the night which is a bed and breakfast type place with a very friendly host. Sent on my way sightseeing with a large helping of Raki and a toast to Albania.
This is very picturesque town with an old castle come settlement on the top of a big hill. The town is at valley level and is possibly the nicest and most fertile place I have ever seen. As far as the eye can see there are patterns of crops, orchards, vineyards. Apparently they get 300 sunshine days per year and today was certainly one of them. Looking forward to sampling the wine.
The mosque and cathedral are virtually across the square from each other. Both having been there forever.
We climbed the big hill and it was worth the effort. A beautiful little chapel has been turned into a museum with artworks and magnificent wood carvings dating from the 14th century. No photos allowed of this.
The rest of the place was amazing with stone buildings and churches, a mosque and what is left of the water reticulation system. Clever buggers back then.
Wild flowers everywhere
The centre of the town has a lovely wide boulevard flanked by bars and restaurants. The locals mainly men and family groups, not many women sauntered to and fro in groups of 2 or 5 ish engaging in conversation. Occasionally a bit of banter ensued between groups. There was a serious game of chess going on under trees with lots of people crowded around. All very nice. We sat with a beer and wine and people watched for a while and then joined in. One thing that was very noticeable to us was the young people in the bars were mostly drinking coffee and soft drinks, very little alcohol.
Interesting to hear about Albania -
ReplyDeleteWe're thoroughly enjoying reading about your adventures. Interesting to learn something about Albania as I knew very little about it.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are enjoying the blog. It’s also a great way for us to keep a track of where we’ve been and what happened.
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