After our first two days in Albania it was off to Vlore by bus, which is how most Albanians travel if not by car. The bus station in Tirana is buzzing with loads of people smoking, drivers awaiting their passengers or those for their buses to take off. There are no particular times for departure, it is all up to the driver. Our bus was supposed to leave at 11:30, but we ended up leaving around 12:15 once the bus had a few more travelers. The ride was only 600 Leks, around $5.50 for the three hour drive. The drivers take cash only and interestingly take the fare at the end of the ride so be sure to ask in advance how much the fare is. Riding through the countryside is breathtaking, rolling hills with sheep, goats and cattle grazing and small villages decorating the foothills of the mountains. Once we arrived a cabbie offered to take us to our apartment a few miles away. Our hosts lovely mother was there to give us a tour of our new place and show us where everything was, she didn’t speak any English, but we understood each other enough thanks to Google translate. Often we are reminded how easy it is to travel now with the technology we have in our pocket. Never getting lost, being able to talk to those we normally wouldn’t, having a high end portable camera and knowing where is good to go are all things we wouldn’t have as easy access to even a few years ago. Our quaint apartment is located a block from the beach on the 7th floor of a recently constructed building. Rent here is only $380 a month, which is insane thinking in comparison to what a beach place like this would be in the US. One surprising thing about this place is the sheer amount of concrete shells that scatter throughout the city. A lot of buildings are habited to a certain point and the tops remain empty and unfinished. There is the constant buzz of construction but minimal crews working so things take awhile to get done. Small inconveniences like our elevator being out or having to squeegee the floor after showering pale in comparison to the absolute joy of living on the beach.

Vlore is a costal town 157km from Tirana along the Adriatic sea and framed by the Ceraunian Mountains. Originally founded as an ancient Greek colony, it has been referenced as early as the 2nd century AD in works of Lucian and Ptolemy. This seaport has had a tumultuous history, at different times being occupied by the Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Venetians, and Ottomans. Vlore was the epicenter of the Albanian Independence movement and the home of the founders of modern Albania who signed their Declaration of Independence on November 28th, 1912. Along the foothills are countless rows of perfectly planted olive trees, the olive oil here is some of the best in the world. Vlore is a Mediterranean tourist destination, but having arrived off season in the beginning of February was an excellent choice. The city is quiet and full of locals, we have only seen a few other travelers like ourselves. The weather ranges from 10c to 13c (50-55f), the only thing that makes it chilly is when the sun goes down and the wind picks up.

There are stray cats and dogs everywhere you go. Most of the dogs have green tags with numbers so they can be kept track of. They all look well fed and seem to have their own lives… some travel in pairs or packs playing on the beach and some alone on what seems like a determined mission. The cats are the same. Most of their markings are white with spots or ginger, some with glowing green eyes. The locals pay them no attention but it is incredibly difficult to have a meal outside and listen to them cry at you. I have thought to get treats for them, but afraid to if they remember me and I run out. It would be an increasingly expensive habit as there are dozens of them.

It is nice to be here for a few months, as we have discovered that a month of time is hardly time at all to spend anywhere. As soon as you get settled somewhere you have to pick up and travel, which is incredibly exhausting and sometimes having to change languages, which is rather confusing. From getting comfortable with our basic Portuguese, to picking up minimal Italian we are now having to study one of the most difficult languages in the world. Albanian is one of the oldest, originating from the Indo-European trunk and branching off into its own, unrelated to any other modern language. Like anywhere it is important to make an effort even though most people here speak a little English, particularly the young people.

We spend our afternoons walking the beach like locals for the glorious sunsets in evening, each slightly different from the last. The sun descends behind Sason Island and the Karaburun Peninsula in a rainbow of colors, our favorite time of day.