Our Albanian odyessy 2017

having decided to stay at a flat in the centre of Tirana our only problem was parking and breakfast, the first was quickly solved not fifty feet from the flat was a car wash with parking facility, the only problem and it was really a problem but we had to park as possible to the wall, breakfast however was a different matter I wanted a cup of coffee and a donut Elona was insistent on lugging cups bowls spoons and plates across town along with the esential cup of tea kettle which was going to haunt me for several days. Tirana being the capital of Albania is situated some 30 km east of the Adriatic coast, opposite the heel of Italy if you have not heard of the place google Albania, Enver Hoxha and its history. Despite its turbulant recent history its pass is as varied as Greece and historically relevant as Italy. This is where Elona grew up a place of destitute poverty close dictatorial control and extremes of behaviour and demands,  its a place with surprises around every corner...

Day one of our trip really started the day earlier on Friday all of us had been working hard. Johnathon and Andrew where at college Elona at school and me driving.  Our trip started in earnerst with the packing which we had promised to get done by the previous Wednesday as is our want it was left to the wire, it seemed difficult to get the others to understand that although we were taking two suitcases each, a large one for in the plane hold, forever after known as checked luggage, and a smaller " carry on case", due to the necessity of weight and Elona,s quite understandable requirement to use every possible kilo of permitted weight by taking "luxury" commodities  back home. Elona's definition of luxury is things like custard powder and cous cous which apparently are not to be found on supermarket shelves.  So the final part on Friday evening was taken up by us shifting heavy items from overweight suitcases which still had capacity, replacing them with li...