The capital, Tirana, had just added a flight to Luton, England. At an introductory fare of just €22 one way, it was too good a bargain to pass up.
It had been several years since we’d ridden through Albania, and even then we’d only skimmed the mountainous regions. Albania seemed to be one of the last countries in Europe to avoid becoming overly commercialized, and it has yet to join the EU. That also means it’s still outside the Schengen Zone, allowing us to spend up to 90 days there without using any of our Schengen time.
We spent a couple of days in Sofia before flying on to Albania. Kinga and two of her friends from Poland, Gonzo and George, met us there after Horizons Unlimited. We’d met them the previous summer at Kinga’s place in Poland. After attending a motorcycle club party on a lake (see last year’s post), we’d become good friends. They tried really hard to get me drunk—remember, they’re Polish and have a reputation to uphold. They succeeded… but thankfully didn’t kill me.
We were also met at the apartment by a friend of Kinga’s who now lives in Macedonia but had previously lived in Sofia.
The first day, we all piled into the car while Kinga drove. That alone was an experience! We’d found an apartment, so the evening quickly turned into eating, drinking, and swapping stories. It was a really fun night.
The first morning there, Melanie decided she needed a haircut. We found several salons nearby and set off on the hunt. Time and again we were turned away because we didn’t have an appointment. Others simply hadn’t opened yet… or maybe everyone had overslept. Who knows? It seemed like an odd way to avoid making money.
We wandered farther and farther from our apartment, sometimes walking up and down streets lined with closed or completely empty businesses. We kept searching on the map apps and finally found a salon that could fit her in… in a couple of hours.
So, we kept wandering and stumbled across a cute little café. Not what we’d been looking for, but exactly what we needed. We ordered a couple of cappuccinos and some sweets, then settled in at a small table on the street corner, watching the locals go about their day.
When it was finally time, we headed back to the salon. Ten minutes later, the haircut was finished.
Let’s just say it will be a few weeks before another haircut is needed. It wasn’t quite as short as the one she got in Guatemala… but what’s a couple of millimeters between friends?
When we returned, we took the train into town and wandered the streets. Near the train station is an archaeological site dating from the 1st to the 6th century.
«”The archaeological sites in downtown Sofia exist because the modern city is built directly on top of the ancient Roman city of Serdica, the medieval town of Sredets, and continuous settlements dating back thousands of years. The earliest organized human habitation in the Sofia area dates back to the Neolithic era, between 6000 BC and 5500 BC.”»
We eventually found a great little restaurant on a street corner, enjoying lunch on ground where people had lived nearly 8,000 years earlier. We ordered drinks and some incredible meals. I ordered mussels—again—and they were absolutely delicious.
On the way back to the apartment, we picked up supplies for dinner. Shopska salad was, of course, on the menu. It’s a traditional Balkan salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, and feta cheese, then topped with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Ohhh… it’s so good.
As usual, we ended up with far too much food and drink, but we gave it our best effort. Another traveler, Masha Homayounfar, who now lives in Bansko, stopped by for the evening. Once again, it turned into one of those nights filled with laughter, stories, and good company.
We had to call it an early night because our flight to Albania departed at 7:00 a.m. We all said our goodbyes and promised we’d meet again somewhere down the road.
That’s one of the bittersweet realities of travel. You make incredible friends, knowing you may never see some of them again. Still, I wouldn’t trade the past 16 years of this life for anything.
The next morning, we caught our ride to the airport and landed in Tirana just five minutes after we took off… at least according to the clock. Gotta love a time zone change.
For this trip through Albania, we were relying entirely on public transportation, with absolutely nothing planned beyond our hotel for the first night.
How did that work out? And what did we think of Albania?
You’ll have to tune in next week.
Cheers,
2WANDRRs
2WANDRRs 
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