Hello again! I’m combining two countries for today’s post. I’ve been busy bopping around Albania and then Montenegro. The Balkans continue to be stunning. Let’s break it down by country:

ALBANIA

Right away, people were so friendly. The border crossing was easy and fast, and the drive into Tirana was absolutely beautiful. It was downhill almost the whole way through twisting mountain roads with almost nobody on them. 

I was the most nervous to drive here after doing some “research” on Reddit (that is where I do most of my research these days because I don’t trust any other websites since pretty much everything is somehow sponsored/full of affiliate links). I read a lot of horror stories. Lots of scared Americans and upset British people. To the contrary, my experience was mostly seamless. The drive was beautiful, winding mountain roads most of the way to Tirana.

Then all of a sudden, while still basically in the mountains, I saw Tirana nestled between the massive mountain ranges. It kind of gave me Denver vibes given its proximity to nature. Tirana is much closer to the mountains and has cooler architecture though. Approximately 75% of Albania is mountainous or hills. 

The most standout thing about Tirana to me was the architecture – I truly cannot count the amount of times I said, often to myself, “hey, look at that weird/interesting/strange/pretty building” while wandering around. The interplay between the mountains and the colorful architecture was stunning. There are also hella bunkers. I went to a museum that was inside of one, and I learned so much about Albanian history. I think I spent almost two hours just reading every word in that museum. Albanian history is… brutal. Lots of spying. I also went to the House of Leaves Museum, which was all about the Albanian spy industrial complex. Highly recommend. 

Here’s some photos from Albania:

People in Tirana were extremely nice. First, I chatted a bit with the very fashionable woman working at the coffee shop/thrift store/cheesecake shop around the corner from my hostel. She was wearing a very stylish trench coat which she said she purchased from the thrift store in the basement of the coffee shop. I stayed in Blloku, a hip area with cool bars, interesting shops, and nifty cafes. Thanks for the suggestion, people of Reddit.

Later on during my first evening in Tirana, I went to a random bar before meeting a friend from Istanbul for food. A random man hollered at me from across the bar and then he bought me a scotch. I don’t normally drink scotch, but when in Rome (Albania), I suppose.

“You look like a very important asset from the CIA,” he told me. He was also an ex-lawyer. And he was quite the yapper.

“Yeah, I wish I was that cool,” I told him. 

“I was just shocked to see a lady as beautiful as you walk into this bar unaccompanied, I thought you must be important and brave,” he said. Okay, go off. I’ll allow it. I will continue to use the term “unaccompanied.” New bio/vibe just dropped.

I told him that I am semi-retired. I don’t think that he believed me because he kept pushing the CIA angle. Maybe it was the lipstick. Also, another random Albanian bartender randomly brought me some fancy barrel aged rakia. Normally I am not a fan, but that fancy stuff….yes please. Shoutout random Albanian men and free drinks.

At dinner, I had the most delicious dips, really good regional red wine, chicken skewers that kind of looked like sausages, and then some lamb. They are big on lamb in the Balkans, and I’m a fan. I’m so glad I eat meat now. For real.

The next day, I got some writing and planning done, then went to a really nifty local hipster-y bar called Radio Bar. It had old – you guessed it – radios, old trinkets, sewing machine tables, and quirky decor. I sat there with a new friend for probably two hours before heading next door to try out the traditional Albanian restaurant next door. 

Snack of the moment: ALBANIAN FOOD – The Albanian restaurant was incredible, and this time I noted the exact dishes that I tried:

-Baked courgettes with tzatziki sauce – seasoned with garlic and turmeric, with ‘decanted’ yogurt, cucumber slices, peppermint, and olive oil. It was served with cubed slices of bread that was also flavored with peppermint.

-Homemade cheese appetizer with kosovo sausage, melted cheese, and olives, seasoned with garlic and thyme and served with crispy filo dough.

-Tirana’s traditional casserole “as in the old times” (that is what the menu called it) – curd cheese cooked with veal, corn & wheat flour, onion, garlic, tomato pase, and red chili peppers with parsley aka “bukovo.”

Anyways, WOW THAT WAS REALLY TASTY. I want to go back as I write this. Here’s a couple of photos of the food:

MONTENEGRO

What a beautiful, beautiful country. What is wild is that it has only been fully independent from Serbia since 2006. They use the euro, but they are not in the EU yet although they are looking to be. Their politics are also crazy and have been largely controlled by one family, which happens to be the richest family in the country. Seems familiar. Also, only a little over 600,000 people live in the entire country. ‘Tis tiny. 

I stayed in Budva and in Kotor, but I also took day trips to the smaller towns of Perash (more historical) and Tivat (very posh, I treated myself to a very fancy steak lunch, pictured below – because why not). I also did a lot of cooking, which is rare for me. Good for me, honestly. I hope I keep it up.

Budva also had some of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen. Whew. Budva and Tivat certainly felt more commercial than Kotor and Perash, but all were beautiful despite the ongoing high rise development. Get out here while you can, folks. It is cheap (for now).

The mountains that come out of the sea in Montenegro are truly insane. I cannot really put it into words. I went on a little hike/wander from a fortress in Budva down to the beach and then into old town. My shoes got drenched because I “clearly didn’t grow up near the ocean.” I sure did not. It was absolutely stunning, wet sneakers notwithstanding. You also have to pay attention on the random beach cliffside hikes, otherwise you will literally fall off a cliff into the deep abyss. Would not recommend.

Montenegro? It’s giving central California, but about one fifth of the price. I hope that the pictures can speak for themselves. And speaking of pictures, I met a fellow American who is also a photographer and went to Perast with me for the day. He had a similar (but way fancier) camera to mine and showed me a lot of the ways to better utilize the manual mode on my camera. We also took a quick boat ride over to Our Lady of the Rocks, a tiny island off the coast of Perast in the Adriatic Sea. 

Here’s some gems from Montenegro: 

Oh yeah, here are some cats because DUH:

Song of the moment: I Know The End – Phoebe Bridgers

Why? Because this song has so many layers and it feels fitting. It also feels very November.

Featured lyrics:

Either way, we’re not alone

I’ll find a new place to be from

A haunted house with a picket fence

To float around and ghost my friends

No, I’m not afraid to disappear

The billboard said, “The end is near”

Listen to the song: