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Contradictions Captial in Albania

Poor Matt Gross--didn't anyone tell the editor at the New York Times copy desk that "A Capital Full of Contradictions" is the the most overused line in all of travel? Nonetheless, Matt seems to have survived the bad hed, and his Frugal Traveler column marches on, this week through Albania.

He found Albania to be totally bizarre, which is more or less how we remember it from our visit a year ago. It feels like somewhere other than Europe, which in a sense it was, for much of the country's history anyway. Albania is between tourist mainstays Italy and Greece, remember, yet only Moldova is a poorer country on the whole of the continent.

Matt also visited Gjirokastra, which doesn't really deserve more than an afternoon, despite being a gorgeous little mountain town that was home to both novelist Ismail Kadare and former dictator Enver Hoxha.

Tirana is fun, though, and once they solve the whole lack of street signs and yawning chasms in the street that used to contain manholes thing, the country will start to fill up with more visitors who don't work for NGOs.

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·   A Capital Full of Contradictions [NYT]

Celeb Travel / → All Tags

Eliza Dushku's Albanian Souvenir

Cutie actress Eliza Dushku headed on vacation this week to Albania to discover and celebrate her heritage, and brought back a souvenir more suited to Vegas or Cancun. Yes, she got a tattoo. Albania will do that to you. It's a beaut too: a double-headed eagle, modeled after the one in Albania's national flag.

Apparently, she had quite the emotional trip, even laying a wreath at the grave of Kosovo's late President Ibrahim Rugova, where she was overcome by emotion. So much emotion that she promptly got herself that tatt. Still, it could have been worse; it's not a dolphin or a rose on her ankle. Really, how many other ladies show their national pride with tattoos? We're mighty impressed, E.

Related Stories:
· Actress Eliza Dushku gets tattoo on trip [AP]

Albania / Tirana / Balkans / Beaches / → All Tags

Return to the Albania Riviera

The Times of London thinks that Albania is the next big thing. Way ahead of you, fellas. Obviously, the Times is headed to Tirana because British Airways just launched nonstop service from Heathrow, but they're examining Albania at an interesting time.

Development is underway, but it's one of the few remaining places in Europe that has remained unspoiled and yet is actually a pleasant place to visit. The landscape of the place is one reason; for the last few thousand years, whenever there was an occupying force, the Albanians retreated into the mountains, which make up much of the nation's topography.

There's a brief mention of the Albanian Riviera--approximately Saranda to Vlora, along the country's southern third of coastline--but it deserves fuller treatment. Tirana is a bustling, over-stimulating city, as foreign a place as you can visit while remaining in Europe. Saranda and the coast, on the other hand, will become viable alternatives to Croatia and Montenegro (as soon as they solve the trash situation; there's a lot of it). Go now--Club Med bought property north of Saranda and will begin building there soon.

[Image via Hugo VT/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   Albania: Europe's Last Secret [Times of London]
·   The New Croatia [NY Post]
·   Balkan Bonanza! [Jaunted]
·   New Cheap Flights: European Edition [Gridskipper]

Forum Ferreting Feature / → All Tags

Balkan Bonanza!

Online travel forums are filled with gems, if you have the time to dig for them. Luckily we do the dirty work for you in our somewhat regular Forum Ferreting feature.

We're convinced that Albania will become the next popular destination on the Adriatic (and Ionian) coast. Maybe not today, but there are few places in Europe that are as vibrant and cheap while still feeling so foreign. We're not alone thinking this: British Airways is starting nonstop flights from London to Tirana this month.

Albania is not a good starter country for travelers, though, as there are a lot of nuances to learn. Here are a few that we gleaned from a recent Lonely Planet thread:

·Staring: Wherever you are, AVOID staring at Albanian males. Prolonged eye contact is offensive for Albanians, and in many cases has been a cause for fights.

·Talking: When having a friendly discussion with an Albanian, it will most probably drift towards POLITICS. This is one topic that Albanians spend probably 40 - 50% of their time talking about. My advice to you is DO NOT get involved in such discussions. Albanians can become very passionatly involved in such conversations, and it is no news that friendships have gone sour because political views did not match!

·Blood Feuds: You may have heard of the so-called "Gjakmarrje" (Blood feud) which is still present in northern Albania. If there is a quarrel about land and a male from a family gets killed than the victim's family has the RIGHT to kill another male member of the murderer's family (or the murderer himself). My dear friends, blood feuds in NO WAY affect foreigners. First of all it is unlawful by the Code's rules; second of all you'd have no reason to get involved.
 

We were pretty worried about the blood feuds, too.

[Image via avb212/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   Tirana Guide [In Your Pocket]
·   The New Croatia [NY Post]