Shkoder

Yesterday we hired a van and driver to take us from the Norwegian Village to Shkoder in Albania. It was a great trip with a very informative driver. He shared a lot of information about Montenegro and the sale of coastal property to Russians. Along the way he pointed to an expansive stretch of coastal area and explained that the entire length had been purchased by a Chinese consortium for future development. Unfortunately Montenegro is becoming like the Spanish riviera. He stopped at scenic spots for us to take photos and was a careful driver.

We located our hotel easily with lots of signage. The staff had very limited English but made serious attempts to be helpful with directions. After checking into our rooms we set out on foot to explore the city, one of the oldest in Europe.

It was a sunny day so everyone had laundry hanging.

The mosque in the centre of town.

Albania is a secular country, not bound by religious doctrines.

Fishermen testing the waters before we crossed the Bailey Bridge

John walking with care over the old Bailey Bridge.

On the other side we encountered loud music and a group of gypsies. Yorgos and Kalliroi decided to dance for them and were met with applause. Walking further along the river (lake?) we stopped for a rakia and talked with the owners of the small cafe. They were very friendly and arranged a taxi for our return trip to a fish restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious dinner. The younger foursome left us to search for a movie theatre while we walked slowly back to the hotel with a stop for coffee in a "betting" cafe. Greyhounds raced on one screen while a soccer game played out on another screen. Our heads were on the pillow very early.