Who thinks of going to Albania for vacation?

Kelsey, Henry and I just spent most of three days in Albania.  Our regret is that we did not budget for more time in the country.  We want to come back to explore so much of what we did not get a chance to see and experience.

Why, you may ask would anyone want to spend time in Albania – a country the size of Maryland with some 2.8 million inhabitants.

Particularly, when many Americans may have a negative impression of Albania. This may stem from:

• For years the country was under the rule of the Communist dictator and mass murderer Enver Hoxha.  one example of that period’s repression and economic hardship are the bunkers that existed then.  a few have been preserved to remind today’s citizens of what life was like over 25 years ago.
• During that period of Communist rule, an image of grim, grey, totalitarian, and sub Soviet.
• Described by some as the “North Korea of Europe” before Communism collapsed in 1991.
• Poor economy. It is the third poorest country in Europe.
• Many Albanians seeking to leave their own country. Years of Albanians seeking asylum elsewhere.
• A reputation for having criminals and drug traffickers and organized crime.

• Sex trafficking gangs as portrayed in the 2008 movie Taken, staffing Liam Neeson.
• Revenge killings, some call blood feuds.
• The widespread collapse of multiple pyramid schemes that led to protests and civil war in the late 90’s.
• Corruption of top level government officials

What then are some positive reasons for wanting to spend time in Albania.

• Its coastline along the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea is lengthy and stunning, especially in the southern half of the country.
• It has great national parks, significant mountain terrain, and what appear to be exciting hiking routes.
• It has close ties to Italy and its cuisine takes advantage of what it has learned from Italy
• The country is open for business. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive.  You can feel it.

• The country’s reputation is changing dramatically. See article in The Economist dated June 8^th 2023 entitled “Albania is no longer a bad Balkan joke.”
• Few have discovered the country yet, so there are very few cruise ships, very few tourist buses. No crush of tourists.
• You see no homeless because the family in Albania is really important and takes responsibility for its own.
• Even though the country is almost 60% Muslim, observance and practice is generally lax. Albania is rated as one of the least religious countries in the world.  Everyone seems to get along.  There is none of the tension you feel in Bosnia for example.
• It is much cheaper to visit, stay and eat than other countries in Europe.
• And they feel very positive toward Americans. Over 80% of the Albanian population view the US positively, the highest percentage of any people group in the world.

Why do they feel positive towards Americans, you may ask.

• The first American to warm the Albanians’ heart was Woodrow Wilson, who after WWI made sure that there was an independent country of Albania.
• The American protection of Kosovo against the Serbs is very important to Albanians because 93% of the people that live in Kosovo are Albanians.
• Albania is on track to become a member of the European Union, and has been a member of NATO since 2009. To Albanians, NATO is seen as their protection from a Russian move similar to what they have done in Crimea, Georgia and now the entire country of Ukraine.

We spent time in Tirana, the capital city of the country.  Kelsey, Henry and I had the pleasure of spending considerable time with Steve Strauss, an old friend, college and grad school classmate.

Steve has lived and worked in Albania on and off for some 30 years in a variety of roles, mostly in the banking, financing and leasing worlds of work.  Steve gave us such an education about Albania.  We can’t thank him enough.  He was so generous with his time and we were so fortunate to get the benefit of his insights.

We spent our nights, however, in Durres Albania.  It is the second largest city in the country, is a major port and is a popular recreation destination located on the Adriatic Sea.

I never appreciated how close Albania is to Italy.  It turns out that Durres is relatively close to Bari, a city located on the heel of the boot of Italy – some 150 miles away. There are ferries that make the trip daily.  The crossing takes 10 hours, and usually you leave Bari at 10pm and arrive in Durres Albania at 8am the next morning.  You can rent a cabin and sleep in beds if you want.

Kelsey and my tentative thought about our next trip to this interesting country would be to fly to Italy and explore the heel of the boot, an area that does not get much attention.  Then hop the ferry from Bari Italy to Durres Albania, rent a car and explore southern Albania, ending up at the island of Corfu in Greece.

Reflecting on our time in Albania, what was so striking to Kelsey and myself was the contrast between what we had anticipated Albania to be like, and what we experienced during our very brief stay.  It was a surprise, a very pleasant surprise.