Index
Day 1 - Random encounters
Day 2 - Unplanned delays
Day 3 - Driving to Montenegro
Day 4 - Montenegro
Day 5 - Back to Albania
Day 6 - More delays
Day 7 - Return
Montenegro and Albania: July 2018
Left Kotor early for Budva, another seaside beach town with an old fortress right on the water in Montenegro. A blend between old and modern, with a vibe that felt a little closer to Miami as opposed to Rome. (albeit on a much, much smaller scale!)
The border crossing back into Albania was quick and painless compared to the other way around, and from there it was a quick drive into Shokder. The Marubi National Museum of Photography is a great take on modern Albanian history, told more as a history lesson than from a photographer's perspective. The nearby Ebu Bekr Mosque is a strikingly modern contrast to Rozafa Castle on the outskirts of Shokder, and a meal of authentical Albanian stew was finally had at a restaurant by the musuem.
Of all the cities and towns experienced on the trip, Shokder felt like it was still crossing from the post-World War 2 age of depressing concrete and cinder block, yet the journey to the modern age had partially stopped and only tried to continue in fits and spurts as it mirrored the national economy. The couple of blocks that Marubi National Museum was on stood in stark contrast to the state of mild disrepair just a few blocks over on the broad main street, yet both looked much more hopeful than, say, some of the areas we saw in Bulgaria a few months ago.
Rozafa Castle had a commanding view of both the Buna and Drin Rivers on the edge of town. While the location lacked any real grandeur, it still had a substantial prescence as you walked among its walls.
Finished the day off with a long drive into the evening into Berat. Passed through the industrial port town of Durres on the way, found some real freeways in Albania... and yes, found they still do some crazy (to Westerners!) things like abruptly funneling two opposing lanes of traffic into one lane because they were too lazy to fully remove the concrete jersey barriers from the overpass (!).
The original plan was to head past Berat and to the Albanian Riveria on the Ionian Sea, then head back to Berat (a UNESCO World Heritage site)... but alas, by the time we wound through miles and miles of country highways, it was well past dinnertime. Ended up heading straight to the hotel in Berat and had what was perhaps the second decent meal of the trip (one order of lamb sausage and one order of lamb intestine please!).