On Intrepid’s Albania Expedition, journey author and photographer Diana discovers the quickest solution to get to know a spot is thru its individuals.
“An important monument right here is the individuals” says Elton.
Elton Caushi, our chief on the Albania Expedition, is taking us on a strolling tour of outdated Tirana. We begin within the ultra-modern downtown a part of the capital metropolis but, in simply a few blocks, discover ourselves within the higgledy-piggly backstreets among the many pre-communist homesteads and decaying communist-era tower blocks.
He’s stating the varied landmarks and monuments to the previous; he reveals us vibrant murals adorning the perimeters of a number of tower blocks and explains how the then-city mayor (and now Prime Minister) Edi Rama commissioned these. Not standard for a politician, he studied artwork at college and labored as a painter, author and even basketball participant earlier than embarking on a political profession. Then once more, Albania just isn’t stuffed with ‘standard’ individuals.
Within the coronary heart of outdated Tirana now, Elton attracts our consideration to a stone signal on a whitewashed wall. He interprets the commemorative textual content that claims this constructing was as soon as the location of a printing press that made propaganda posters and pamphlets in the course of the communist period.
As he’s mid-sentence explaining the secrecy round communication crucial throughout that point, a person, maybe in his mid-50s walks in direction of us, addressing Elton. It seems that he lives on this home and, naturally, he invitations us into the courtyard for espresso and to introduce us to his mom.
Edmond Karapici was too younger to recollect the poster making enterprise however his mom, Hirka, does. She additionally recounts how she used to work at one of the famend cocktail bars on the town. She might concurrently carry a tray stuffed with drinks whereas dancing.
We’ve solely been within the nation for just a few hours and already we’re touched by the openness and generosity of the Albanian individuals.
Our subsequent encounter with Albanian heat is after a protracted, sweaty cycle round Karavasta Lagoon to the village of Babunje. Adriatik and Eva Rrasa welcome us into their dwelling with a scrumptious glass of their neighbour’s do-it-yourself pink wine and we sit below the dappled mild of the overhead trellis of vine leaves, taking within the intricacies of our environment.
It’s extra like being in an historical Greek temple than a yard. Adriatik is a stone mason and metalworker and he has grand designs for his small patch of land. He wastes no time in sharing his expertise and enthusiasm with us and we get to attempt our hand at hammering scorching metallic straight from the furnace and shaping moist clay into small pots.
Eva additionally possesses some secret expertise: she’s an knowledgeable within the historical artwork of espresso studying. She pours the thick Turkish-style espresso into delicate porcelain cups and tells us to drink it usually however to depart just a few dregs on the finish. She then swills some water round every cup and leaves it upturned on the saucer for a couple of minutes earlier than launching into our fortunes, translated by her daughter, Arnisa.
Apparently I’m going to return into some cash and I’m ‘very wise’ with it. She’s not improper, I’d simply offered my flat and the cash is in a financial savings account.
A fellow traveller is instructed she’s in a loving relationship however she’ll have an enormous determination to make quickly, one other learns that his path might be beset with adventures (certainly, he’s planning to maneuver to Australia) and our chief Elton gathers he’ll get some official information (all of us counsel it’s most likely an official prize for his superlative guiding expertise).
Earlier than we depart, we share a little bit glass of native raki with our newfound pals.
Raki is a neat spirit typically constituted of fruits like grapes, mulberry, raspberries. It’s a common drink in Albania, and also you’ll discover one thrust into your palm wherever you go. Later within the journey, we embark on a brief hike among the many Tragjas mountains behind the seaside city of Vlorë. Because the low solar turns the tops of the mountains an alluring orange, we make our manner into the wilder countryside of Albania. We attain the homestead of Sofo and Dhurata as nightfall is falling and we’re welcomed with their very personal honey-infused raki.
We sip it in near-silence from a rocky overlook as we watch Sofo shut up his turkeys and goats for the night time. We additionally get to satisfy his canine who seem from nowhere: their barks shatter the silence and the sight of these barred tooth put a chill down my backbone. However as quickly as Sofo placates them and presumably reassures them we’re pals not foe, they go away us be and I calm my nerves with the comforting raki.
Again inside, Dhurata affords us petulla, a candy doughnut-like snack. She tells us it’s historically made for celebrations and right now she’s celebrating the delivery of a brand new niece.
Because the darkness descends and the nice and cozy autumn night air is stuffed with candy herbaceous aromas just like the mountain sage we pattern as tea, Sofo serenades us on his flute. He tells us that is how shepherds used to speak on the mountainsides and throughout the valleys. Now all of them use iPhones and are glued to Instagram, however he remembers less complicated occasions together with his melodies handed down via generations of shepherds.
I’ll confess, earlier than I set off on this journey, I watched all of the documentaries I might discover about Albania. Aside from one in regards to the sworn virgins (an interesting and must-watch perception to a dying custom), the remaining solely chronicled the underbelly of Albania and the connection to prison gangs within the UK. But, what I discovered by really visiting Albania was a protected and welcoming nation with individuals solely too keen to share their historical past, tradition and life’s philosophies – to not point out raki and occasional – with me.
All photographs by Diana Jarvis.
Diana travelled as a visitor on Intrepid’s nine-day Albania Expedition.
