on the road

Quick snapshots of the Albanian countryside from our drive to Buddva, Montenegro a few weeks ago.  Hopefully they give you a small taste of what this country is really like.

This is how many Albanians buy their meat,  these stands are set up all along the highway

There are hundreds of thousands of these bunkers all across Albania.  Built by Hoxha to protect against a percieved threat of invasion from Italy
"It is said that when a prototype for the bunkers was presented to Hoxha, he demanded the architect to go inside of it. A tank was then ordered to open fire. The bunker withstood the shelling, the architect survived, and Hoxha gave the go ahead to build nearly a million replicas of the prototype all over the country." 
(from http://www.vagabondjourney.com/travelogue/bunkers-in-albania/)

A common sight here, even in the capital city.

Colourful painted houses are everywhere

So many unfinished structures

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant/"zoo"

I love chickens- wait, is this a chicken?

No, seriously, they're amazing

I actually cried when I saw the bear, though.

I think this is a lynx, or a bobcat.  I'm not sure what the difference is.

I shared a moment with an owl.

The toilets were not.  A hole in the ground is not my idea of fun.

At least the cats got to roam around free

Albanians love birds.  They have them in practically every store or restaurant I've been to here

The remains of an old city wall

Another common sight.

I wonder what they were talking about

One of the best things about Albania is that a Catholic church...

...and a mosque can coexist peacefully side by side in a tiny village.

A great way to pass time at the border

A breathtaking view

Albania really does have so much natural beauty.