Ok, so  you have all heard of the term “going postal”? It’s an American slang, it means becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment. Albania boasts itself on being a country of “intellectuals” and there are/were many i.e. Ismail Kadare, Ernest Koliqi et al, however when it comes to waiting in line at the post office all that intellect goes out the window! If you have been here you know what I’m talking about. It’s bad enough when it’s cold outside, but when it’s 98 degrees and there’s no air conditioning or fans blowing then you really, really get cranky.

No, I’m not talking about the post office workers, God bless them, I’m talking about the consumer. Why is it that every time I go to the post office and get in line like a civilized person should do, someone inevitably comes rushing in and squeezes in front of you, whether there is space or not? Then someone else comes rushing in and they squeeze in front of that person. The only thing to do then is to put on your most annoyed face and try to squeeze yourself in front of them because they just won’t budge. Here’s a tip for the Post Office if they’re reading this blog: put-up ropes at each window and enforce the line method and  instruct your tellers to advise the consumers to take their place in line. You have to start somewhere and it’s a long, hard road ahead to change the mentality but sooner or later people will adapt, I hope.

Here’s a term everyone should be aware of “Personal Space”. “The region surrounding a person which they regard as psychologically theirs. Most people value their personal space and feel discomfort, anger, or anxiety when their personal space is encroached. Permitting a person to enter personal space and entering somebody else’s personal space are indicators of perception of the relationship between the people. There is an intimate zone reserved for lovers, children and close family members. There is another zone used for conversations with friends, to chat with associates, and in group discussions; a further zone is reserved for strangers, newly formed groups, and new acquaintances; and a fourth zone is used for speeches, lectures, and theater; essentially, public distance is that range reserved for larger audiences.”

This chart is very informative. I’d say the Post Office, Banks, ATM’s, Power Company, etc. all fall within the social space range. Please look at it, study it, memorize it and adapt it. I don’t want to have to go “postal” next time I’m in a public environment!

Last Thursday, July 26 I had a great idea…”let’s leave for Pogradec tomorrow” I said to my husband, “ok” he said and off I went to my friendly laptop and furiously started searching for a hotel. I found one that would allow pets of course, my two poochies were coming with us, and booked it for two nights. Friday morning we started on our journey at 9:00 am. Our friend Menita was visiting Shkodra from Tirana, where she lives and we gave her a ride back to the city since it was on our way. We arrived in Tirana about 11:30 am, dropped her off and continued on our journey.

We went through Elbasan and a number of other towns before arriving near Lin. The view was absolutely beautiful. I just have no way to describe to you what I see when we drive to these stunning locations, it is really something that has to be experienced. I can load photo after photo with adjectives galore, but the fact remains that it is indescribable! The weather was perfect for driving and we finally arrived in Pogradec about 5:00 pm.

We checked into our hotel, Hotel Millenium.  The hotel has two buildings, the newer section sits across the street from the beach and the older one, with the restaurant, is on the lake. It was a very good location with a lovely balcony overlooking the lake, which made for a great sunset photo! First order of business was to sit on the balcony, turn on soft music from my buddy Dell and enjoy the quietness and tranquility that only a lake can provide. We had a late lunch coming down so we opted to skip dinner and instead go across the street to the restaurant and enjoy a beer, or two, on their covered deck, which gave me the opportunity to take even more photos! The evening wound down very nicely.

On Saturday went to the small beach and enjoyed about 4 hours in the sun with the doggies, who by the way had the time of their life except for their fear of going in the water! Toby finally made it in but Mimi would have none of it. We rented a paddle boat for an hour and ventured out on the lake, soooo relaxing. For lunch we went next door to a lovely restaurant with delicious food, sat on the deck and enjoyed their fare with a nice cold beer, again 🙂

Later in the afternoon we decided to head to Drillon Swan Park, which was only 500 meters down the street. We made our trek there in no time and the park was everything we thought it would be and more. Upon entering it you immediately feel the serenity promised, it certainly did not disappoint. There are lakes full of graceful swans, ducks, small wood bridges, restaurants, trails and row boats. Of course we had to take a short “cruise” on the boat, from where you get a different perspective of the park. If you’re in the area you must visit, it’s free and absolutely beautiful.

On our last night we decided to dine at Bar Restaurant Dallga. The choice was perfect, the food exquisite and the prices average. On our way back Sunday we stopped in Tirana for the night. Our friend Menita was gracious enough to host “all” of us and we had a great evening, enjoying her company and good conversation. Thank you Menita!!! Till next time 🙂

About a week ago we took another day trip to Montenegro. This time we were accompanied by our friends Gjon and Juli who acted as our guides. First stop was Podgorica. The city is the capital of Montenegro and although very nicely laid out, clean and easy to navigate it was, to me, just another big city. I wasn’t really attracted to it much, it seemed kind of sparse, not many people walking around, large streets, it could have been any large city in middle America, but we spent about an hour there and walked around their main drag where I did manage to do a little clothes shopping. We drove around and did some sightseeing from the car :).

Then we headed to Cetinje, the old capital! Now this was more my speed. Cetinje is a town of great historical heritage, founded in the 15th century. It became the center of Montenegrin life and both a cradle of Montenegrin culture and Serbian Orthodox religious center. It is because of its heritage as a long-term Montenegrin capital that it is today the honorary capital of Montenegro. Walking around the city was lovely. We parked in front of the old French Consulate building, it was a beautiful architectural edifice with painted tiles and majestic looking. We saw the National Museum of Montenegro, the Royal Palace and the Biljarda-Museum of Petar II Petrovic-Niegos (1813-1851). He was the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro, the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Cetinje and a philosopher and poet, who, throught his establishment of Montenegrian secular organs, is considered to have been responsible for the secularization of Montenegro. 

We had lunch at a lovely restaurant and a coffee afterward at an even lovelier bar, on the main plaza across from the Royal Palace. We made our way home in the late afternoon and enjoyed the stunning scenery that both Montenegro and Albania have to offer!

Happy Birthday America!! This is our first Independence Day outside of the USA in many, many years. How do I feel about that? Well, although we won’t be attending any parades or fireworks, Vince and I will still celebrate in our own way. We’ll hang our small American flag on the window and I’ll make burgers and french fries, we’ll drink some beer and google some live fireworks online to keep us closer in spirit to the USA. Although we’re far from country, family and friends, our hearts are there in spirit and we wish everyone back home a happy and safe 4th of July!

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free.
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:

God bless america, land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Through the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless america,
My home sweet home.

— irving berlin

“It looks like Europe…wait…it is!” That’s what I said when I looked at this photo and thought to myself how lucky we were to be here.

We were actually in Ulcinj, Montenegro. We took a ride over the border last Saturday, June 29th and it was well worth it. Although smaller than Budva, it was still a lovely city to visit for the day and have a leisurely lunch.The day started out early, well earlier, about 9:00 am when we left Shkodra and headed out toward the Montenegro border. We arrived there in about 15 minutes and then waited another 15-20 minutes to pass. Once over the border the road was an easy drive. It’s a fairly new road and traffic was light all the way to Ulcinj.

We arrived at the Castle around 10:30 am. The Castle sits up on a hilly road, obviously, and from there you get a wonderful view of the coastline. We spent about 45 minutes just walking around and stopping for coffee in one of a number of lovely restaurants inside the castle walls.

After we left the Castle we walked down to the center of town and did some window shopping then went down to the waterfront where we found a decent restaurant and had lunch while enjoying the great view.

We left the city about 1:30 pm and made it home in no time. By 2:30 pm we were back at the old homestead where we rested some more from our exhausting day!