I'm happy to say that we departed our Tirana Hotel Ferrari this morning. The gentleman that worked there were so kind and helpful and breakfast was delicious, I just wasn't a fan of our room. Half way through breakfast I decided to run across the street and buy a banana from a vendor. I haven't gone a day without a banana since being away from home!
The group came up with the idea to do the wave while saying "yay!" the first time that our leader said "yay," in his little speeches he does on the bus. We anxiously waited for him to say it all morning (he often uses it), and he never did!
We made our way to Kruje, Albania, the former capital, for a stop along the way to Montenegro. We drove past the only airport in Albania on the way. It was extremely tiny and weird how we drove right through the airport to get there.
Kruje was situated up in the mountains with a view looking down onto Tirana. We had a 3 hour stop there so some of us went into the Skanderbeg museum (the national hero of Albania that I mentioned in my last post). We had a guide as we went through and he was very knowledgeable. He explained the meaning behind the flag of Albania. It's a 2-headed eagle with one head facing east and one west - to Rome and to Constantinople. It also had something to do with the Skanderbeg family crest.
Our guide also told us about how most Albanians speak Italian just as well as the Italians. There's a lot of Italian influence over here, including in the food!
After the museum I walked through the old bazaar and took a look at some of the stuff being sold. They had a lot of really pretty knitted wool mitts and socks. I saw a ring I really loved but my finger was too fat to fit it on.
Some of us met for lunch up at hotel panorama. I was feeling very faint and dizzy at this point. I think my blood sugar was really low. I ordered pasta and munched on delicious sourdough bread. It was sooo tasty. There were some important looking people sitting behind us. They may have been dignitaries or something - they were all dressed in suits and getting the best of service.
I still wasn't feeling 100% after lunch. I felt weak and shaky, so I slept most of the time on the bus. We stopped for a bit before the Montenegro border to grab a drink and go to the washroom. Poor Katherine was also feeling really sick at this point, but at a much worse level than I. I gave her some pills to take.
You could tell the difference economically between Albania and Montenegro instantly upon entering Montenegro. The infrastructure was instantly better off. The views driving into Budva were so beautiful. We drove along the coastline and managed to stop for some photos along the way.
The new hotel is quite nice. We're in a great part of town that's just minutes from the beach. It's a very touristy European city. Lots of expensive looking yachts parked in the marina.
Once settled in we went for a walk into Stari Grad aka Old Town. It was beautiful inside there. It was right along the water and had some beautiful old churches inside. It was also full of shops and cafés.
After our walk some of us went for dinner to catch the end of the US vs. Germany game. Germany pulled through and won 1-0. I had some yummy traditional minced meat rolls that came with fries and veggies.
I stopped at the market on the way home and got some stuff, including ice cream for dessert. I was so tired that I went home and showered and passed out instantly. I wasn't feeling the best again.
Albanian flag in Kruje:
Adorable men that sat chatting and smoking and doing crossword puzzles in the afternoon:
Old Yugoslavian money:
Made it to Budva, Montenegro (so much more beautiful than this photo depicts, but more photos to come!):
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