Twoo Castles in Two Days! Part the Second.

Today, our last day in Albania we headed South under bright and cheery skies.  Naturally being cautious after such a wet week we all carried rain gear with us but thankfully didn't need it.  Our goal today was to reach the castle of Berat which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Berat is the site of one of Skanderbeg few lost battles.  But that is not the main reason we were going here.  It is the home of many Onufri Icons and a well preserved iconostasis.  Since photos were not allowed to be taken here is a link to Google's picture page.  Iconostasis of Berat.  Many of these were painted by Onufri himself, others by his son and his students.  They feature his unique red paint that scientists and artists can not duplicate.  Onufri Iconogrphic Museum

The icons wall was part of the second church on the same site. During the dark ages of communism an order came to white wash all church and mosque walls.  The Tirane mosque simply locked its doors and will be amazing to visit once the restoration is complete.  Here the Greek Orthodox monks complied with the walls and ceilings.  Before they go to the icons the order came to preserve the art, not as religious in meaning but simply as art and the church of Our Lady of the Assumption became a simple museum like so many others in Russia and the conquered lands.  It is again used for services but only on the Feast of the Assumption.

What  I do have pictures of is the stop we made on the way to Berat.  The town of Durres which is also where Llri lives.  It is about 25 minutes Southwest once you break free of the Tirana morning traffic.  I am always in favor of a beach break.  The water was not yet warm but swimming in the Adriatic will be beautiful in about a month and then all summer long.

Tea and coffee on the hotel porch.  The setting reminded me of Hotel International in Havana a little bit but not so fancy.

Llri spent a few happy moments at the piano.  He was a professional musician and piano teacher.

This is Judy.  I am probably in her picture taking a picture as well!

Can you see to left side above the houses a Christian church?

The castle we are walking up to is perched at the top of this peak!  So happy today it is not raining!

Yes, beneath the clouds, that is snow on the top Marble Mountain.

There is still snow on these Dinaric Alps!

Berat, of Berati, is known as the City of a Thousand and One Windows.  It sits on both sides of the river and is a great contrast to the clay green-gray waterway.  It is also known as the City of Window Above Window.  Llri demonstrated the problem for us.  Both phrases sound almost identical except for a slight tonal difference in the Albanian language.  All of the houses, on both sides of the river are white washed.  Partly this is down because the window then stand out and that is a 'touristic attraction.'

We drove part way up to the castle and then did walk up the incredibly steep cobbled way.  Very rocky, much like in Kluja, but at least the stones were not as slippery.  After we visited the church and the adjoining museum we made our way through the still inhabited castle to a lovely restaurant.  Our hostess seated us on an elevated terrace with a beautiful view tiled roofs and the not distant Alps. The al fresco arrangement was so pleasant we hated to leave.  The dining was in their home which also rents out two sleeping rooms.  The salad was not the chunky vegged Greek salad but more what I am used to having.  Chicken kebabs were especially good grilled with just a squeeze of lemon and the desert was a cinnamon rice.

Ancient grapevines covered the Pergola.

Quaint interior.

These cobbles are flat compared to Kluja which seemed to be laid on their sides!

Just hanging out at the castle!

I was pretty sure from the sound of it that this car was not going to make it up the hill.  About 300 people lead their ordinary lives from their very old homes inside the Citadel of Berat.  We all stepped way back out of the way in case it began to skid or slide.  Cheerful people though!

We inched our way back to the bus while the birds sang and in the not to distance we could hear the baaing of the sheep before we could see them.  I should also mention here that a very nice, young, new, tour guide in training named Thom was along with us.  Thank you Thom for making sure that Elva and I not only didn't get lost while looking where we were going but solicitously helped keep Elva steady when needed and me more confident to climb the rail-less steps!  Elva may have been a little embarrassed but I will grateful accept all the help offered.

On the way back to the city we took a pleasant drive through the bucolic countryside.  This is the  most agricultural area of the country and things are still being down the old fashioned way.  The small farms owned by the families who work on them cannot handle combines and other heavy machinery.  Even if the owners shared the cost there isn't the space.  We saw so many donkey or horse drown carts.  I wasn't fast enough to capture the whole of one but these lovely people seem so content with their lifestyle.

We passed lakes and crossed rivers and took the scenic route back to the big city.  While we were driving our very patient guide answered many questions.  We learned about the school system here in the countryside.  Several villages share a small school but for high school the children go into the city.  There are not dormitories for them like in the Falkland Islands but rather it is a daily commute.  Therefore the drop out rate is higher.  Also they are needed on the farm.  For many going to university isn't even a dream of possibility.

Generally speaking, once the children who do go on to higher education had paid approximately $600 USD for a year of university and also for books and housing, they cannot find jobs that require a degree anyway.  Universities are starting to add vocational training as an option.  At least there are more opportunities and fewer graduates will leave the country.

These USA loving people make their first choice our home.  There is a VISA lottery and they enter when they meet the requirements and pray.  Second choice is Italy or Germany.  Many can go there but now with additional immigrants who have flooded the continent even that is becoming difficult.  The people really are waiting to see if they have been accepted into the EU.  That is their best bet to increase opportunities and also wages.  The average working man salary is 450 Euros a month.

So here we are back in the city at Woodrow Wilson Square.  He is credited with causing the people of Albania to retain their identity.  Why Albanians Love America!

 

Back at the hotel we let our phones/cameras charge for about a half hour while we cleaned up.  Elva and I decided that after the big lunch we had we would go light for dinner.  Gelato!  This is the first day of sunshine so we thought we could do it.  We walked out along the weird little alley to the other end.  It did indeed have house that only face it but from behind locked metal privacy fences.  At the far end a delightful side street had many local type but clean and nice restaurants.  There was a bridal shop where a bridesmaid was picking up a long and very red dress. 

Puffed up against the chill onset of twilight these pigeons were cooing complaints to each other.

Inside the store the owner was beginning to tuck these cheerful canaries in for the night.

At the city castle restaurant area we had not noticed this the other night.

We passed the old embassy which is now the Ministry of Education building.

Hoxha's home is now a museum.

Elva and I checked out one of the nearly 2000 bunkers that were built in Albania during the Cold War.

Heroes of Albania ceiling inside the bunker.

When it began to rain we headed to our old standby - the mall.  It was crazy crowded just like a Friday night in America.  Here there was a puppet show for the little kids, balloon animals, and the kids especially loved when the performs came out and sang and danced with them!

 We made a quick stop in the grocer to buy water and wine in case tomorrow, Sunday, we might need it! ; )  Then we went to the gelato booth we had passed so often.  We had a little trouble as we did not have any Lek and the purchase was too minor to put on a card.  I finally paid in USD as Elva's remaining Euros were too large!  Struggle over I chose lemon and strawberry for my cone and I think Elva had the same.  At least hers was also white and pink!

Time for Elva to settle in for the night while I wrote to you and did not start down the rabbit hoe like the other night!