Being here during the elections has been interesting. I heard all different arguments on both sides of the fence. I can totally understand the frustration with having one individual in power all these years, on the other hand I can also relate to the frustration with the politics and ideas of the opposition. For me it was a no brainer. Prime Minister Sali Berisha was bound to lose. He has been a constant fixture in Albanian politics for 20+ years. He served as President from 1992-1997, until his government collapsed in the wake of the notorious pyramid schemes. He is the longest-serving democratically elected leader and the only President of the Republic elected to a second term. He is a former secretary of the committee of the Party of Labor, and leader of the Democratic Party since the 1990’s. In 2005 the Democratic Party won the general elections and he became Prime Minister, and re-elected again in 2009. However, his legacy to Enver Hoxha has never been forgotten, especially here in Albania. He was and always will be remembered as Hoxha’s private doctor (he is a cardiologist) and member of the communist party in the early days. His administration was always criticized for having an authoritarian and intolerant mindset that precluded the kind of compromise and negotiation Albania needed to move toward democracy, and he personally seemed unable to distance himself from the old regime. In people’s minds he was and always will be a communist, a part of the old regime and people were just tired of being reminded of that. Although he was responsible for a lot of progress in Albania it was time for him to go. Nevertheless he should be thanked for everything he did to move Albania forward, especially her integration with NATO. So, thank you Mr. Berisha and best of luck in your future endeavors!

Starting fresh with Edi Rama will be something to watch closely. Although he was not part of the old regime he is not without baggage and his term should be monitored very closely so that in the next elections, in four years, the people can again excercise their democratic right. I don’t agree with most of the Socialist agenda, however, I do agree with this statement made by Edi Rama “Albania needs to modernize, to start producing and processing food here, not rely on imports, and develop tourism. Our biggest asset is our country’s natural beauty.” You got that right!!

Gjirokastra has been a fascination for me because of its quaintness and history, however it became even more so after learning of my uncle Deda Marka Gjoni’s imprisonment there for three years during Albania’s darkest 50 years. He was arrested a number of times for “political agitation”, another false charge by which one could be arrested merely for being who they were, in this case a member of a prominent Albanian family who fought and died against communism. He was taken there and remained imprisoned from 1950-1953. He was kept in a dark cell in the Castle’s prison, with his hands and feet tied, a small barred window his only contact with the outside. He was fed bread and water and thus survived for three years in those abhorrent conditions. Although his story and that of my family’s are for another writing and one that needs to be told again and again, here I want to concentrate on the natural beauty of Albania and its cities, but I couldn’t write a blog about Gjirokastra without at least mentioning the suffering that was endured not only by my uncle but by many other Albanians of various statuses in life under the horrible regime of Enver Hoxha.

We spent two nights at the Gjirokastra Hotel, which is situated right below the castle in a superb location. The accommodations were excellent and the service superb. The hotel is family owned and the restaurant is full service. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are always served with homemade specialties. We really couldn’t have asked for a better stay.

Of course the main attraction in Gjirokastra is the Castle itself. This castle has existed in various forms since before the 12th century. Extensive renovations and a westward additions was added by Ali Pasha of Tepelene after 1812. The government of King Zog expanded the castle in 1932. Today it possesses five towers and houses, the new Gjirokastra Museum, a clock tower, a church, a cistern and many other points of interest. The prison was used extensively by Zog’s government and during the Communist regime to house “political” prisoners. The museum also houses some beautiful social realism paintings which were taken from the Tirana museum after the fall of the regime.

Another point of interest in Gjirokastra was the Skenduli House.

This house is one of the most evident examples of vernacular Gjirokastrian architecture. The planimetric typology is derived from the development of the quadratic type of plan to the tower house (Kulla) with three floors. In 1964 the house was declared a Museum House and first category monument by the Institute of Cultural Monuments. In 1981 it was taken by the state because of its architectural and cultural value and the Ethnographic Museum was settled inside, with an exhibit of popular costumes and typical objects of the Gjirokastra region. In later years the museum was relocated to the site of Envex Hohxa’s original home and the Skenduli house returned to its owner. The construction dates to the 18th c and since then no intervention has been carried out on the bearing walls.

The most important and most decorated room in the house is called Dhoma e Migve. The entrance door was the only decorated one and so was the unique fireplace which was decorated with pomegranate flowers, symbolizing fertility and prosperity. The harmony of the rooms and the fact that each of them has a specific function make the originality of the house, which testifies of the lifestyle of one of the rich families of Gjirokastra during Ottoman times. If you’re in the city you must stop by to see this house, its beautiful and the fireplace simply stunning! Opening hours are 9:00-19:00. The house is shown by the owner Mr. Nesip Skenduli. Please look at my Image Gallery for more photos of our trip to Gjirokastra.

Stopping at Porto Palermo has a very special meaning to me. During the communist regime my aunt Bardha Marka Gjoni was brought to the castle as a prisoner and held there for one year. This period was one of the darkest of her life and every time she tried to remember it all she could do was shake her head and close her eyes. She wouldn’t speak much about it only to say that she passed a terrible time inside, and after having visited it I can only imaging what she went through.

The information on this castle that is distributed by the locals is dubious at best. They seem to think that it is a 200 year old castle, but anyone with a bit of knowledge of history can see that it is much, much older. Please follow this link to Wikipedia where you can read a more accurate description of the castle Porto Palermo Castle.

When you are driving toward Saranda you will see the castle on your right, perched up on a little peninsula with a lovely little beach and the clearest of waters. You have to go down a gravel road to get to the parking lot. There you will be greeted by the “castle custodian” who will just hand you a key to the castle for 200lek, if there’s nobody else there, as was the case with us. So off we went up the short hill to enter the castle.

It is amazing at how well kept it is on the inside. Very clean. It actually is a very beautiful structure. As I was walking through I couldn’t help but think about my dear aunt living in these conditions for over a year, what a horrible time that must have been.

All that aside, if you are driving to Saranda you should definitely make this a stop. The location is stunning and it’s a great photo opportunity!

 

 

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This natural, deep spring embodies the clear, vibrant blue color which is seen in many of Albania’s water bodies. The way in which the water bubbles up to the surface helps create the illusion of an eye, with the dark-colored center as the pupil, and the surrounding blue water appearing as the iris. The spring is reported to be about 45 meters deep, but some say it goes even further.

During Albania’s communist days, the Blue Eye was one of several places reserved only for the communist elite to visit, and was kept off-limits to the general public. The Blue Eye or “Syri i Kalter” as it is known in Albania, is located just off the road between Saranda and Gjirokastra. If you are driving from Sarandë towards Gjirokastra the turn will be on your left-hand side, about eight miles from Sarandë.

We stopped here on the way to Gjirokastra. The drive into the park is rather uninteresting, but about 5 minutes into the drive you arrive at a hidden paradise. The first thing you will see is a lovely restaurant on the river, you must drive another 50-60 meters to arrive at your destination and park the car. Once you park the car, by another lovely restaurant, you will walk through wooded  paths along the river, which are well-defined and arrive at the Blue Eye. The nature walk is only a preview of the prize! The spot is beautiful, a bit surreal, the clearest of waters welcomes you and you are pretty much mesmerized by it. It’s a beautiful thing to see!

After your stop here and on your way back to your car be sure to take a break at the cafe bar, it’s location is soothing and relaxing, sitting on their porch, listening to the water rushing in, surrounded by beautiful nature is just something you don’t want to miss. I highly recommend stopping at the Blue Eye if you’re in Saranda or Gjirokastra!

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We decided to take a day trip to the ancient city of Butrinti, which is located about 20 minutes south of Saranda. The drive to the city is spectacular, especially on the point where a lookout has been built for visitors and locals alike to stop and photograph the stunning view. It is just breathtaking! Another 5 minutes down the road and you’ve reached Butrinti, to read more about this beautiful ancient city follow this link Butrinti.

The weather was perfect for this outing, although I have to admit if I didn’t have my hat on I would have been extremely hot. Most of park is shaded and the walk through the city is well laid out and easy to follow. There are some stunning views of the sea and mountains and it really is a photographer’s paradise. We toured the whole city within 2 hours, including the museum, which unfortunately had lost power but most of it was visible. There are no restaurants in the city itself, however there is a vendor who sells bottled water and soda and the restrooms at the castle are very clean. If you’re down in the Riviera you must make this a priority stop!