Let me roll back the story a little. My last post was indeed from Albania and in the meantime I have actually been in numerous other countries on the Balkans, but did not had time to post regularly...

That time has changed and with a little support from you guys, I can get back on track. As many of you know, it ain't easy to travel these days, specially after such a long time of economical downturn and hardship. Lot of travel related jobs disappeared or are kept by those who were lucky to have some in the first place. For us, the onlinepreneurs and a like, the reality is slightly different. We jump around looking for stories like decent journalists fifty-some years ago.

So, I am bringing you a little report about Tirana this time. Specifically, me experience of the local free walking tour. As I was just passing by, to reach Shkoder - where I had some volunteering gig. I had just two days for Tirana. And trust me, in full blown summer, it is enough. This city is not really highlife of my life to say the least...

But it hase some interesting history around it for sure and our guide was trying his best to deliver us exactly that.

We have arrived to the meeting point at the main square and the tour started. It really depends on the guide you get to have on your visit. It helps if they are not Ideological at all, so you can have some decent conversation without listening to the same story again and again. Specially in post-communist countries. Nonetheless, our guide wasn't this nutcase. Although he had to mention communism a lot.

We have reached some national opera and behind it in enclosed garden there stood a bigger than life Stalin and Lenin. Kinda wtf moment for everyone. I guess the nation so opressed by their own dictator Hoaxa, they need no reminder of this past anymore. Picture North Korea turning "democratic" over night. How many statues would be left standing... So I took a picture of rather cute Partizani girl, instead of ugly Joseph and Vladimir. Another sign of the times are ever-present bunkers and their leftovers.

The walking tour circles us around the main square almost 360 degrees and picks the best hotspots which I don't wanna go into all of them so if you ever come there you can see it for yourself. 

It all finishes at the former dictators Vila, which is ironically opposite the KFC restaurant and the guy from the advert looks directly to the window of the former leader. Capitalist's revenge... Some cool Street art and graffiti will make you enjoy the tour in between the talks when you're not listening to the guide or talking to the other visors. Although if you do, you'll really squeeze the juice out of it. For example I have had a little talk about the development of the Albanian capital with the guide. Some thirty years old dude from Tirana can't recognise his own neighborhood from childhood. That is how quickly the city grows really...

I should also mention that there was a newly set up vaccination center by the state. And Albanians made me proud of themselves. Nobody shows up there really, the girl in the down left corner just walks by :)