They call their country Shqipëria. And its citizens are called shqiptarë (in Britannica, means children of the Eagle). Her mother knew Shqipëria when she read the map. The real Albanian name is emblazoned there. Mom loves that name. Always reminiscent of Skypiea, the name of an island above the clouds in One Piece stories. One of the most famous honorary citizens of Albania is Mother Teresa. Although he was born in Skopje (now in Macedonia), he is of ethnic Albanian descent. His name is immortalized as the name of Tirana international airport.
Driving in Albania by car, several things remind Mother of her homeland. Even though he is one of Europe's poorest countries, Emak noticed at a glance that his house was big, and looked new. Maybe their economy has improved so much that the standard of poverty has risen. The cars that roam, especially on the streets of Tirana, are many luxury cars. This may be because Mother was only there for a few days. Just looking at the surface.
As a tourist destination, Albania is fun, and unique. Indonesian citizens who hold a Schengen visa or a resident permit from the USA / UK can enter Albania without applying for another visa. We visited old mosques from the Ottoman era, as well as several destinations included in the Unesco Heritage list. It feels like this country still has oriental smells. Including human behavior. On the road, we often meet groups of married people. How festive. Long procession interlocked with horns. The bride's car is at the front, and has a flower and ribbon decoration. We also saw a group playing loud music while dancing in the open. Oh yes, this bridal procession is not only in Albania, ding. Likewise in Macedonia and Kosovo.
Since we don't use any public mode of transportation, we don't have any tips for getting around there. We usually look for parking in the suburbs. Some are free, some pay. In Tirana, our car is near the inn, and we choose to walk back and forth to the city center. Approximately half an hour's walk, one way. Not bad, while exercising. About the highway, it's good. To remote areas. The people are friendly, although not a few can speak English.
In summer, the main tourist destination is the beach. Very busy. We stopped briefly at Dürres, Mom didn't take a bath in the sea. In ordinary cities, it is not too crowded. Albanian citizens, it is said that there are many Muslims. There are quite a lot of mosques, but how come you feel a lot in Macedonia. And the appearance of the people is similar to the appearance of the citizens of Western Europe. The women were in revealing clothes in the summer.
We had no trouble eating while in Albania. Cutlery is always ready by itself. When staying in the apartment, cook yourself. Most buy side dishes or bread at the supermarket. If you choose to eat out, we often eat vegetable salads or pizza. Which is safe. Nothing is cheap, compared to Western Europe.
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