Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt



Friday 5th of April

06.43 It's morning again. Today we will, hopefully without too much trouble, take us to the journey's third capital. First, however, we will have breakfast here in our room/apartment at The Central Palace in Ohrid, Macedonia.

07.32 The breakfast is finished. On TV continues the coverage of the unrest on the Korean Peninsula and in Palestine. There is a story about floods in Argentina. Now let's get ready and go out downtown to find a taxi.

08.17 It was a short walk of 100 meters from our accomodation down to the post office where the taxis are parked. We are now in place in a taxi. We've asked about the price for a trip to the bus station in Struga. Some language problems occurred and our question about what a trip to Struga usually costs were met with the answer "taxameter". As we continued to ask, we were offered a fixed price and the journey began. It is overcast and there is rain in the air.

08.42 The older gentleman that drove the taxi took us to the bus station in Struga, Ohrid's neighboring town. Here at the station, it is calm and quiet, not much people on the go. We have managed to buy a bus ticket each of a young woman sitting in a ticket window looking bored. It cost us 660 denars to go to Tirana. It is about 45 minutes before the bus is here, provided it is on time.

The bus station in Struga.

Christer is waiting for the bus that hopefully will take us to Albania.

09.40 Our transport arrived on time. The minibus from Durmo Tours now leaves Struga with us on board. We have just handed over our passports to the bus host who registers us on a passenger list.

09.56 After travelling through a landscape with stunning views of snow-capped mountains and the beautiful Lake Ohrid, our minibus arrived at the Macedonian border post. The bus host has just jumped off the bus. He brought all the passengers passports.

10.11 Problems!? One of the other passengers was asked to just get off the bus. He had just an ID card instead of a passport. Now the discussion in the bus is vivid. Passport and card are the only words I understand from what I hear. Our bus is full of happy Albanians in jest mood. It is sad that we do not understand the jokes and language.

10.25 The guy who was sent out came back and asked for money (euro) from the other passengers on the bus. He apparently has to pay some penalty fee. Another guy was called out. Only the ID card is apparently not OK. This causes troubles at registration. This is explained right now in an educational way of our driver. Now we finally roll toward the next border outpost.

10.32 We stepped out here at the Albanian border. Everyone has had to stand on a line with their bag in front of him. A black dog on a leash has smelled luggage. It was probably some kind of drug control. A happy old lady has also acceded to our merry companion. She started to laugh and slapped the passport police in the back.

ALBANIA

10.45 At the moment we pass the Hotel Odessa. We go through the mountainous and spring green Albania. Here and there one sees a few bunkers. The communist regime under Enver Hoxha built a number of bunkers to protect its citizens. A total of no less than 700 000 bunkers was built. That would be enough for all the men of military age would have to crawl into and defend the country. Now we look out over the Albanian part of Ohrid Lake.

11.14 We travel further through a beautiful landscape along the river Shkumbin.

11.29 An elderly woman has joined during the journey. I have noticed that a liter of diesel costs 178 lek, US$1,54. Now it is a short break at an unknown location and we have walked to the "burra" on a "tualet", men's room briefly. Outside, it has started drizzling. A sign here says "Kompleksi Nogu" but where we are, we do not know.

11.34 One of the passengers in the bus, a young girl, has spoken to us and offered to help us if we need any help with language or grocery shopping here during the break. The only help we needed was to get information about where in Tirana the bus will stop. Unfortunately, she did not know because she would get off earlier in Elbasan.

Beautiful views of high mountains and Lake Ohrid.

We are traveling through the mountains and valleys in central Albania. The town you can see is Prrenjas.

Our bus has stopped for a food and toilet break.

11.55 It is 80 kilometers left to Tirana. Recently we drove through the small town Librazhd. As we drove into town, we saw a lady who was out walking her goat. She had it on a leash.

12.34 We have been going through Elbasan, one of Albania's major cities. Some passengers have left us.

12.50 Lush arable land surrounds our itinerary. Tirana will hopefully come closer. I wonder where the minibus stops when we arrive. Is it close to the last home on the trip or? We have no local currency for a taxi so we hope to be able to walk to our hotel.

13.10 We just passed the football club F.K Egnatia´s home in Rrogozhinë. The road to it was bumpy to say the least, as a perpetual series of speed bumps. A new distance sign is seen. It is 95 kilometers left to Tirana. We do not drive straight there, we are apparently taking a detour via the coast.

13.43 An Albanian young man and an American young woman with Albanian roots have spoken to each other in the bus in English and sometimes in Albanian. Now they have discovered their common interest in music and are singing in full swing. The entertainment value is questionable even though they have the talent and great voices.

13.57 We're back in Durrës on the Adriatic coast. Last time we were here was the summer of 2004 when we visited the city by ferry from Bari in Italy. There has been things happening since then. Along the sea we saw lots of hotels and newly constructed residential buildings. The older ladies and a few other passengers have just stepped off at the bus station here. A stubborn banana salesman stepped on board and just wanted to sell bananas for 1 euro per fruit. Now, we will soon run eastwards towards Tirana.

15.08 Our bus traveled relatively quickly to the capital via the highway that felt like a joy compared to the trails we went on an hour ago. The bus stopped at the National History Museum in downtown Tirana and it was only a short walk to the Hotel Nobel (http://www.hotelnobeltirana.com). In the reception hangs a poster from the Nobel Museum in Stockholm. We first went wrong and walked a few intersections extra but then it went quickly to navigate correctly. Shortly, we're going out to Tirana to see more and get money. This is the 40th European capital that I write a travel journal in and about. Today's room number is 2.

Durrës

View from our Tirana hotel room.

16.55 It has been a successful walk on the city streets. We have both withdrawn money from an ATM and exchanged our remaining Macedonian notes. Now we are at the Piazza Café for afternoon coffee and a ham sandwich. It feels good to be here and we have a lot left to see the capital tomorrow.

17.20 We got hearty and really good ham sandwiches and coffee that you had to serve yourself from a small coffee pot.

18.07 After the coffee we walked around in the immediate area near our hotel. Here we found some souvenirs and a 24-hour shop. Back home, we made ourselves debt free at the reception. It cost us 6300 lek. Creepy, exactly what we had expected! The man at the reception is very "service minded". Imagine if you got such a good response at all hotels. Hotel Nobel is small but good. There are not more than ten rooms. Now we're in one of these, our room for a while.

19.21 In yet another country and another city we hear the call to prayer. It has almost become a tradition on our trips. This time, however, it was weak and barely audible. Albania is often described as a muslim country, but after the communist period, when the country was said to be atheist and mosques and churches demolished, one can say that atheism is the country's largest "religion". We are right now in the beds and make plans for the evening and tomorrow.

19.47 After zapping around the channels we got stuck on a slalom broadcast from Levi, Finland. We first thought it was from the past season. It has proved to be wrong, just now we saw Anja Pärsson and she finished competing before the most recent season. Something else was going wrong in the planning before. I would say that we could start tomorrow at the park on the other side of the National History Museum, but was about to say, on the "other side, and so the name of a Swedish newspaper." Wonder where my thoughts were then? The brain is tired.

20.18 Today we will have dinner at the restaurant Saporito. Here we have picked and pointed us what we wanted. It's good food at a great price.

Bulevardi Zogu I, the main street named after the old King Zog.

Streets near our hotel.

Christer is having an afternoon coffee at Piazza Café.

21.10 It was good food and good drink. We paid a visit to the grocery store Conad before going home. Were we not at Conad in Rome the other year? Now we're back at the hotel. I sip a coffee in the restaurant section and write this. Christer he sits at the computer and writes. Earlier four Danish guests sat at the table next to mine.

22.04 We are in the room and enjoying our free time and read in the books "Två soldater" by Roslund & Hellström and "West Wind" by Ian Rankin.

22.36 It is time for evening beer, a cherished tradition during our travels. The tip was a Kuqalashe. On the TV, they are playing Music from Mark Knopfler.

23.13 Now we're getting ready to break new ground, to do something we've never done before. We're going to sleep on Albanian soil. Now there are only a few European countries left to sleep in. Goodnight!


Saturday 6th of April

08.12 Today is the anniversary of Christer's baptism and our first Albania morning. It is also the last morning we wake up at this time. Today we'll see more of Tirana. Yesterday we had time to just see some of the nearby streets.

09.30 It was a nourishing and tasty breakfast. In the reception is the man who checked us in yesterday and that was where when we returned from dinner. What working hours has he really? He is at least as happy and helpful as he was when we arrived yesterday.

10.07 The blinds for our window is lowered down and we are heading out. Before starting, we will provide a departure time for tonight to the man at the front desk. We'll order a taxi, a shuttle to the airport that the hotel will arrange with.

The artwork on the National Historic Museum portrays Albanian heroes throughout history.

Beautiful buildings around Skanderbeg Square.

10.33 We're at Skanderbeg Square right in front of the National Museum of History. We are here to take a nice bench break and also to photograph artwork depicting Albanian heroes from past to present. Here comes a nagging beggar girl and we have to cancel our plan. She belongs to the kind that acts like a robot and is not able to communicate with.

11.03 We took off from the little nagging girl who apparently did not understand the word no. Now we have migrated south along the boulevard, which is decorated with flowers. Now we are in Rinia Park. Here in the park is the restaurant complex and recreation center Taivani (Taiwan). There are various theories about the name. One explanation is that Taiwan donated the fountain here, another that it got its name because it is said to resemble the country Taiwan. Additionally, the name is seen as an indication that Albania broke off the diplomatic relations with China and recognized Taiwan as an independent state. We will soon cross the river Lana which is passing through Tirana.

11.20 Now we have moved to just in front of the Prime Minister's residence. On the wall of the house opposite hangs a huge Albanian flag. A little earlier, we passed the Cultural Centre which is popularly known as the Pyramid. It was built as a mausoleum for the old dictator Enver Hoxha. Today, it is just an ugly and strange construction that teenagers like to climb.

11.37 It has become a belated eleven o’clock coffee. We are at Bar West. Here we will have a strong coffee with and without frothed hot milk.

Bulevardi Dëshmorët e Kombit.

This government building (parliament offices) is adorned with a huge flag.

Some teenage girls have climbed up on Enver Hoxha's pyramid.

12.18 After the coffee break, we took a walk into the area Blloku, an area that during the communist period was suspended and not available to the common people. We will look at Enver Hoxha's house that should be here somewhere. Blloku of today is Tirana's trendiest neighborhood with lots of restaurants, hotels and bars.

12.25 We are either blind or have Enver´s old villa disappeared to make way for new bars? We found no house on the site where it would be located. We just saw the excavated streets and newly built cafes and bars. The sun warms and it has become a really hot day. We just passed the restaurant with the witty name Shakesbeer.

12.35 It is yet another park and yet another park bench. A bit before this, we have perpetuated a bunker and a piece of the Berlin Wall. The latter is a gift to the city. The man who offered to build bunkers back in earlier days was asked to prove how effective they were. He had to crawl into a bunker so that it was possible to see if it met the challenge. Both the bunker as well as he made it. It's almost blue sky now and lovely spring sunshine. Here in the park, we also saw two dogs try to make more dogs.

12.48 Now I'm sitting on a stone bench below and outside the Polytechnic University at Mother Teresa Square. A short distance away is Christer and Mother Teresa, one of them in the form of a statue. Oops, now I got a text message.

13.09 The text message was from SJ, the Swedish railway company, and was about my train ticket for tomorrow. Imagine that we in one day from now are sitting on a train in Sweden. We have just seen the national stadium for football and other sports, Qemal Stafa Stadium. It is located right next to Mother Teresa Square.

An example of the bunkers that were built in Albania during the Enver Hoxha era.

We meet Mother Teresa for the second time this trip.

Sheshi Nenë Tereza (Mother Teresa square), Tirana.

13.23 It smells everything except roses. A man with an angle grinder is cutting bolts behind us. Now he can have finished cutting. We've sat down for lunch at Kaon Brewhouse Restaurant & Lounge. We sit on their terrace and the bolt cutter works on the neighboring lot next. Further away is a different man and he is demolishing a wall with a sledgehammer. The place was a little tricky to find. We went on the wrong street a few times but now it will be food.

14.34 After a good lunch and a wonderfully good and cheap beer (US$ 1) we´ve carried on exploring Tirana. Now I have been in a small grocery store and bought a bottle of wine.

14.57 We have rapidly crossed the river Lana, seen the Catholic cathedral and the Albanian Parliament. Now we are once again on Skanderbeg Square where today's walk began.

15.06 We take a short break at the center of the square. The traffic is flowing in front of us. Behind me sits the old national hero Skanderbeg on horseback. Before me is Tirana's clock tower and Ethem Bey Mosque. The Championships in weightlifting are taking place right now here in Tirana.

Peter is waiting for lunch, Kaon Brewhouse.

Spring has come to Tirana. The picture shows the river Lana.

Christer and Skanderbeg.

Ethem Bey Mosque and the nearby clock tower in the center of Tirana.

15.43 After some searching in the neighborhood after a possible dinner restaurant we are back home in room 2. Now let's review our strength, time and finances for the rest of your stay here. We will be back in Sundsvall at this time tomorrow.

16.04 We have been out and strolled a bit again. We returned to the souvenir shop we were at yesterday. The lady of yesterday was replaced by a gentleman who is presumably her husband. We talked about Swedish and Albanian football with him and Christer bought a t-shirt.

16.56 Now we have returned to the Piazza Café for a break. We will have afternoon coffee before going out on a final tour. Here at the cafe, I will rid myself of my small change. Somewhere behind me "The Final Countdown" from the Swedish band Europe is being played. This must be seen as an indication to us Swedish guests and that the journey is about to end?

17.53 The last sightseeing trek took us to the monument of the unknown partisan and the old Tabakë Bridge, a stone bridge from the 1700´s which today is a little out of place next to the river, not over it as it was when it was built. Now Christer went to check dinner prices at a restaurant we just walked past, Svejk Beer Garden. It is one of several possible options for the evening meal.

Colourful houses along Lana river.

The old Tabakë bridge (Tanners bridge) from the 18th century.

18.17 Now we are home to recharge and plan for the final hours before sleep and the return trip.

19.13 Trip last dinner is ordered. We have teamed up to put us in the restaurant Ulqini. The closest and time constraints led us to choose longer walks away tonight. The orders are just done. It got a little trickery from us before we could order. All the money we have will go to and there is no over to purchase breakfast. Why didn’t we exchange some dollars before we came here? Our lack of money also meant that we had to give up "mixed grill" that was the most attractive option on the menu.

20.49 The last dinner was good. I tried the Albanian dish Paidhaqe, i.e. ribs from lamb. We did some VISA card purchases at the store Conad after that. We are about to pack up the last things to be brought home. There were clear problems to unlock the door to the room. Will it work at night or?

21.26 It is time to say "nets e mire", good night. Christer has just closed the window to the outside world. This Easter trip is almost over. Where are we when the Easter trip of 2014 is over? Also, who will be doing it?

Hotel Nobel, Tirana.


Sunday 7th of April

01.55 "Frutti di bosco" was written on the cover of the little yoghurt I just had. It's an early morning and in about an hour we'll be ready for the taxi and ready to leave Hotel Nobel. Cheap airline tickets make you to get up at weird times.

02.23 Now, we´ve checked out of the hotel. It was no problem to get out of the room. We never locked the door. Outside the hotel was an older gentleman (watchman) and he tried to communicate with us. The staff had written on a note what he would say to us. There was a question about the mini bar and information that the taxi was ordered.

02.53 The taxi journey to the airport was quick and along deserted streets and shut down traffic lights. Our own check in at a check-in machine was complicated. The machine wanted to know our reservation code, which went smoothly to give it. Things went awkward then the passports should be read. Either we did something wrong or you were our passports too thick to read. We had to enter all data manually. Now everything is clear. We are at Tirana’s International Airport Rinas.

Early morning or late night at Rinas Airport.

03.17 We are now adding to our breakfast. Our bodies get coffee and muffins at Airport espresso bar. Nearby sits a Swedish family. When you see teenagers with sagging posture, cap and wandering gaze we can pretty quickly guess the correct nationality.

03.40 This is beginning to become a strange day. When I was about to pay I was told that it was not possible to pay by card, something unique in an international airport. We didn’t have the 750 lek that was needed and I asked if it was ok to pay with dollars. OK, the waiter said, it will be 750 dollars. What?!, I wondered. We argued for a while. I claimed that the currency was not at all equal. Something he insisted, one U.S. dollar is one lek. Christer said that our flight ticket was cheaper than the price he wanted for the coffee. I asked if I could talk to his boss. The waiter countered that I would go to the bank so that they could prove what the matter was. I went there and was wondering how many dollars he wanted for 750 lek. He wanted a little over $ 7 so I gave him 8. At the final payment, I made a mistake and paid 705 lek instead of the 750. Everything worked out after a look at the receipt. Everything cool?, asked the guy when we went and I confirmed it. There was a beep at the security check. This was due to my watch which I had forgotten to remove. I just had hand the watch over and get it back right away, smoothly, service, thank you. In the bank the exchange rate is 103.80 lek for $1. Was the waiter new to the job, generally incompetent or unable to explain his thoughts in English? Who knows?

The world´s most expensive coffee can be ordered here.

750 lek is apparently 750 dollars here.

04.15 Dnepropetrovsk can be read on our plane. It is not the destination. It is the name, of the plane that is. We fly with a new company Austrian Airlines, new for us at least.

05.06 On the plane, it says Austrian Airlines but according to the information we fly with Tyrolean Airways. What is right? The flight magazine has the stories from places and locations familiar to us. There you can read about Copenhagen, Vienna, Petra, Chisinau, Milan, Belgrade, Varna and Salzburg. When it comes to Salzburg, you can read about a recently found a portrait of Mozart, a portrait which apparently shows how he really looked. All until now showed portrait of him as an adult has turned out to have been made after his death.

AUSTRIA

06.15 Landed, wandered and controlled at Vienna International Airport. On the flight we got the morning’s third breakfast. Now we are sitting down at gate F32. We will within half an hour depart to Stockholm. If everything goes as it should, we and our backpacks will be on it.

06.34 So, we were back on board. Once again we have read Austrian on the plane but the flight is collaboration between Tyrolean and SAS. Strange and odd to say the least.

Tired passengers on standby at Vienna Airport.

We are flying above the clouds.

07.49 Today's fourth breakfast is finished. Far down below us is Poland. Above the clouds, it is as always sunshine daytime.

08.34 Now we have started to descend towards the airport. There are patches of snow on the ground. For exactly one week ago we were newly awakened in Sofia. Imagine all the things that have happened since then!

SWEDEN

09.19 Once again we sit on the benches between the escalator to the Arlanda Express and a kiosk. It's like tradition to sit here and ever so slow adapt to the arrival and homecoming. The tradition is also to read the latest headlines and reflect on the news drought. It is, when we feel ready, time for breakfast number five.

09.59 We have just had breakfast on 7 Eleven. Now we have a few hours left before we will be transported to the north.

11.14 Now we have killed a little time by reading further in our books. Pretty soon we'll move ourselves for some lunch. I guess we will only get one lunch today.

12.04 We just had lunch. It was not lunch at Alfredo's, as usual, but at Sky Grill. Now we get ready for the train ride. We sit on the platform above the Sky City and have a feeling that it sways a bit when trains pass underground.

Peter is eating his lunch at Sky Grill.

We are in the underground, waiting for the train that will take us north.

12.50 We are once again today on the move, this time it's an X3000 train.

13.34 Now we have soon been on the road for an hour. I slept a little.

14.36 Now it was black around us. We go through a tunnel. Black is also the coffee we drink and it was black during the taxi journey in Tirana twelve hours ago. Now it is all white around us. We are thinking about if it is more snow now compared to then we departed. It was not so much snow on the trees then?

15.08 While I was away on a small but important and urgent matter, something happened right next to our seats. Two train hostesses were doing ticket control when a woman in her 20´s was walking through the hallway. She looked angrily at the attendants and said, "move out of my way," a comment that was received with some surprise. Now it is not far behind.

16.06 Sundsvall greeted us with an intense snowstorm. It was pouring down snow during our walk from the train station. There is no trace of spring to be seen. It rather seems that the winter is trying to make a comeback.

17.04 The dynamic duo is back in Christer's apartment. Here we have summarized and looked at pictures from previous visits to Sofia, Skopje and Durres. Now, all is over again, or?

Welcome home! Welcome to the Swedish spring.


VIDEOS


You can see 48 photos from April 5 in this photoalbum.
You can see 101 photos from April 6 in this photoalbum.
You can see 17 photos from April 7 in this photoalbum.


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