Tuesday, October 5, 2010

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.
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This is how many Albanians buy their meat,  these stands are set up all along the highway
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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/)
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A common sight here, even in the capital city.
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Colourful painted houses are everywhere
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So many unfinished structures
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We stopped for lunch at a restaurant/"zoo"
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I love chickens- wait, is this a chicken?
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No, seriously, they're amazing
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I actually cried when I saw the bear, though.
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I think this is a lynx, or a bobcat.  I'm not sure what the difference is.
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I shared a moment with an owl.
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The toilets were not.  A hole in the ground is not my idea of fun.
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At least the cats got to roam around free

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Albanians love birds.  They have them in practically every store or restaurant I've been to here
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The remains of an old city wall
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Another common sight.
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I wonder what they were talking about
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One of the best things about Albania is that a Catholic church...
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...and a mosque can coexist peacefully side by side in a tiny village.
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A great way to pass time at the border
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A breathtaking view
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Albania really does have so much natural beauty.

2 comments:

  1. I have always wanted to visit Eastern Europe and maybe even live there for a while! Albania is on the list :)

    Thanks for sharing such beautiful photos of your country :)

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  2. If you ever get the chance, do it! I'm originally from Canada, but have been lucky to have the chance to live in Albania and Romania, and to visit Russia and the Czech Republic, also. I love it here!

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