We left Tirana yesterday and drove through the mountains to Elbasan- a rather industrial looking town- where we stopped for a coffee. The weather was moody and grey with spatterings of drizzle, but not much could dampen my excitement. The mountains are truly beautiful, covered in trees and the most vivid green grass. Small villages nestle in the most inaccessible places with mosque minarets puncturing the skyline and people tend goats and sheep by the side of the road. The poverty that exists in many of these mountain villages is palpable- derelict buildings with families living on one floor, and lean-to huts with the most basic of amenities, it is sad to see such an utterly stunning country with so much potential, yet such a large percentage of its people living below the poverty line.
This Albania is very different from the noise and vibrancy of Tirana- seeing the way in which some people live and how they are forced to utilise the land around them to make a living, is a huge contrast from the Maserati’s and Lamborghini’s of Blloku. But still, despite this sad state of affairs, the landscape remains incredibly beautiful. I spent the majority of the journey with my head almost out of the window (much like a dog on a hot summer day) taking in the fresh air and the incredible views.
One particularly quirky and slightly disturbing thing I noticed was that many of the larger houses and some hotels had a doll hanging from the balcony. When I asked what it was for, my boyfriend told me that people hang them there to ward off the bad intentions and jealousy of others that may covet the inhabitants’ fortune.
After passing through an expansive lowland peppered with brightly coloured houses and derelict factories, we climbed up the last mountain, right to the very top, and there below us was Lake Ohrid. It was a grey and cloudy day but it did nothing to dampen the beauty of the view below. The water of the lake is an incredibly icy turquoise, even white in places, and the snow-capped mountains of Macedonia beyond frame it perfectly. A light mist hung over the shoreline and tall reeds poked out of the water and swayed in the breeze. It was completely silent. Tranquil and beautiful we stopped and just stared for quite some time.
Our apartment is right on the lakefront promenade of Pogradec with a terrace that overlooks the water and the mountains. At the moment, this place is something of a ghost town and if you venture out in the evening, you will only encounter the occasional cold looking policeman and a few stray dogs. It is so quiet and peaceful- no car horns, no police sirens, no fireworks- just calm and I can imagine that this is the perfect place to spend a long weekend during the hot summer months.
