We fell in love with Albania. The country was beautiful, with mountains, an undeveloped coastline, quirky cities, a ferocious history, and age-old fortresses perched on cliffs.
One of Albania's prime ministers was also an artist, and he thought that improving the look of the city, after the end of Communism, would improve productivity. Some of the city's buildings are in fantastical shapes, and others have murals painted on them.
The downtown area is filled with sculptures.
Skanderberg is the national hero of Albania. He fended off the Ottomans for a generation in the 1400s, but, after his death, the Ottomans captured Albania. Albania still has a Turkish feel in its local dress and food.
We took a cable car to Mt. Dajti National Park, high above the city. It is a resort area, and a cool reprieve on hot summer days.
Horses grazed in pastures on the side of the mountain, and there were great views over the city.
We also visited Bunk'Art, a new Tirana attraction. The city turned the secret bunker of its former Communist dictator, Enver Hoxha, into a combination historical museum and modern art museum.
The entrance to and exits from the bunker are hidden in the undergrowth.
We saw the bedroom where Hoxha would stay if there were a nuclear war attack on Albania, as well as historical photos and installations both documenting and protesting war. Hoxha was a partisan fighting the Italians during World War II, as they invaded Albania. He was a war hero, as Tito was in Yugoslavia. After World War II, both war heroes became dictators.
Our daughter-in-law, Heidi, told us the best thing she and Mike did in Tirana was to attend the "Albanian Night" music and dance show. We attended and would recommend it to anyone!
We dressed up in Albanian folk outfits as we entered the theater. The audience posed as "guests" at an Albanian wedding, complete with music, dancing, and a plot. The father of the groom murdered the groom just before the wedding ceremony was scheduled to begin, as the father realized that the groom was really not his son!
Albania also has the best-looking flag in the world, other than the Stars and Stripes. Its symbol is the double-headed eagle.
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