This past month saw the return to regular travel for me since I was in Mexico at the beginning of this year. I was very ready to get out of central Florida where I had been holed up for most of Covid.
This fall’s trip came about to line up with a super random trip that my friends booked to Western Turkey that I’ll be covering more in depth in an upcoming post. But I figured if I was traveling all that distance, I should visit some new countries in the process! Around the same time I started looking at maps, an old friend from Thailand posted a series of seemingly over-saturated turquoise coastal shots that looked straight out of a tourism campaign. I reached out to her and asked how she was enjoying Croatia and she told me she’d actually spent the past year living in Albania!
Albania is a country I can honestly say I’ve never given much thought to. I knew it was in Europe and generally over near Greece and that it used to be Communist, but that was about it. When I told people I was thinking of going there, many expressed concern about whether it was safe! Well I can report back that it is a wonderful country, filled with amiable people, stunning vistas, interesting foods, and an incredibly rich and complicated history.
It also turned out that I had more than one friend in Albania while I was there so I ended up staying in country longer than my initial timeline. When I travel, I leave a lot of flex time to be able to change plans if I find something interesting going on.
I spent a few days in the capital of Tirana trying out restaurants, working remotely, and walking all over the compact central district. Then I bused down to Berat, a town split in two by the river Osum and the first of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites I would visit. The town is a common stop on the tourist circuit because of its window-filled houses stacked one atop the other creeping up both hillsides.
My next stop on my southern trek was far and away my favorite stop in Albania – the stone city of Gjirokaster. Much like the Berat, Gjirokaster is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its unique architecture and culture. The citadel that looms large over town was first built sometime before the 12th century and is still in fantastic condition owing to the fact that it was used as a fortress up until the Communist era. I loved the few days I had there so much, that when I heard my friends were planning an overnight trip there after I had met up with them, I jumped at the chance to return and act as tour guide.
An archway frames the clock tower inside the citadel in Gjirokaster, Albania. 
Traditional buildings in the old bazaar in Gjirokaster, Albania.
My next ten days were spent in the coastal town of Sarandë, the farthest south major city in Albania. It was not my favorite place as I found the food lacking and the wifi not as strong (which seems something silly to complain about, but I work online). The prices were also more expensive across the board, but still cheaper than most European cities. As I mentioned before, I stayed because of friends new and old. We went to my third Albanian UNESCO site one day (Greek/Roman ruin Butrint) then our long weekend back in Gjirokaster. We drank wine… ok lots of wine, ate out every meal, and just had an all around wonderful time. I missed being around friends. Covid has changed so much, but the thing that has been hardest for me has been the lack of social interaction.
My time in Albania came to an end, when I visited Corfu, Greece with my friends Pino and Laurel. Greece had been the top of my bucket list since I crossed Japan off in 2016. September provided just a taste as I had two days in Corfu and 4 in Athens before I traveled to Turkey.
The moment I climbed up the steps from the metro line from Athens airport into Syntagma Square in the heart of Athens, I had a giant grin on my face. I jumped in a tram to meet up with my friend Caroline at her hotel before we checked into our AirBnB in the old neighborhood of Koukaki. Every block I was straining past strangers to get a glimpse of the Parthenon perched on the Acropolis. The monstrous plateau is visible from around the city and countless photos and videos in textbooks and travel shows could not prepare me for the experience of seeing it in person.
Sadly in my first four days in Athens, I did not get to visit. I have been really busy with a couple of work projects so my days in the City of the Gods, was mostly spent admiring the sights from cafe tables. Even so, I still managed to get out an explore early on my morning runs. One day I even had the opportunity to run in the Panathenaic Stadium – the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and the finish line of the marathon in the Athens Olympics of 2004. It was a wonderful taste of all the city has to offer. And I know I’ll have lots more to say about Greece as I am planning to return on the second week of October.
Where I’ve Been
COUNTRIES VISITED: 3
United States, Albania, Greece
CITIES VISITED: 7
Orlando (parents’ house), Tirana, Berat, Gjirokaster, Sarandë, Corfu Town, Athens
Where I’m Going
For October, I have started out the month visiting the western coast of Turkey with travel friends, Jeff (@milesandpints) and Caroline. We had found a mistake rate at a hotel in a coastal city none of us had heard of and since we live mostly nomadic lives, we decided to check it out. Upon research of the area, we realized we would be near the ancient ruins of Ephesus and a famous thermal baths that we plan to do as side trips. After that, I’ll be headed back to Greece to see some islands and then do a road trip through the north to visit Meteora and the Peloponnese peninsula.
