After just under three hours, the bus from Pogradec pulled into Tirana bus station shortly after 1pm. We knew it was going to be hot. I’d been watching the weather for a while and we’d even extended our stay by the lake for an extra night to limit our time in the city.
It was another thirty minute taxi ride to our apartment in Blloku, now one of Tirana’s trendiest areas, full of good restaurants, bars and cafés. It’s quite a transformation considering that, until 1991, the area was the heavily guarded political heart of the city, reserved for Albania’s communist elite.
Nearby is Skanderbeg Square, surrounded by a mix of old communist and more modern buildings. At its centre stands the imposing statue of Skanderbeg himself, astride his horse, the legendary fifteenth century military leader who led the Albanian resistance against the Ottoman Empire and remains the country’s most celebrated national hero.
The following morning we decided to surrender to the city heat and escape up the mountain instead, courtesy of the Dajti cable car. It takes about fifteen minutes to travel the five kilometres up to what is known as Tirana’s balcony, where thankfully it was around seven or eight degrees cooler.
The views across the city and beyond were impressive. We took a stroll around the top, but were equally happy to find a shady spot beneath a tree and simply sit there admiring the view for a couple of hours.
We decided to make our descent when dark clouds began rolling over the mountains, accompanied by wind and thunder, which made Rachel a little nervous about being suspended in a cable car.
The heat has always bothered Rachel more than me, so after a very late lunch we retreated to the air conditioning of the apartment and called it a day.
On Sunday we decided to get some steps in, walking around the lake beneath its welcome canopy of trees before heading to a great little coffee shop we’d discovered the day before. It also happened to serve what Rachel declared were the best pistachio-filled croissants she had ever tasted.
Rachel had plenty of work to do afterwards, so I amused myself wandering around the markets until eventually conceding defeat when I started to melt.
Monday brought our Albanian adventure to an end. The country had far exceeded my expectations. We had really enjoyed the hospitality and, once again, it was the people we met along the way who made much of the experience so memorable.
Our flight left Tirana and landed on time in Vienna. Rachel passed through immigration without delay and, after a short train ride, we arrived at Vienna’s main station with plenty of time for our onward journey to St Anton.
We were essentially about to traverse Austria from east to west. Knowing it would be a long journey, I’d booked us comfortable seats so we could both get a few things done along the way.
The first part of the journey was fairly uneventful as we travelled across wide stretches of flat countryside. Gradually the landscape began to change. Flatlands gave way to rolling hills, which in turn gave way to mountains as we entered the Tyrol.
Then came the final climb towards St Anton.
Around six hours after leaving Vienna, we stepped off the train to find Rachel G waiting for us with a big smile.
Albania was behind us and another adventure was about to begin.
Dream Chasers 