Back in Albania

We have three more days in Albania before flying back to Athens.  On returning from our brief visit to Corfu, we drove from Saranda to Gjirokastra, a town defined by its castle and wonderful views over the wide Drina Valley.  There has been settlement here for 2,500 years.

The castle is one of the biggest in the Balkans and the town's best sight.  What is not publicised is that this castle was used as a prison and a place of torture for many years during the communist years in the country.  Now it is merely an attraction for visitors.

A shot-down US Air Force jet in the 1950s is displayed at the top of the castle.

I have to include a photo of a rare sight - a post box - which Brian was constantly searching for in all our travels.  He and Mairi write post-cards to their grandchildren and post boxes seem to be rare in the Balkans.  Sometimes he had to ask a landlady to post his cards as we were leaving a country.

A view of the Drina Valley and the mountains flanking it.  Almost everywhere you go in Albania you see imposing mountains.  They are an integral part of the country's landscape.

Two of Gjirokastra's most famous sons lived in this town.  The Ethnography Museum has been erected on the site of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha's house of birth. He also returned from studies in France and taught as a school teacher in his town of birth.

This is the house of Albania's most famous literary export and locally born author Ishmael Kadare. He describes this hillside town in the book Chronicle in Stone.  Kadare won the Man Booker Prize in 2005 for the best book in English translation.  It should be noted that Kadare is not so well loved in his own country as he is regarded as having been a friend of the communist regime.

We managed to find not so wonderful accommodation in this town although the balcony had nice views.  Our bedroom which used to be the kitchen in a large house is worthy of a photograph.

Note the juxtaposition of the old Aga style stove and the TV set.