Yesterday we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Albanian Independence from Ottoman rule here in Shkoder. We opted to forgo all the festivities that were going on in Tirana and Vlora and instead spent it in my own historic home, with my uncle Deda and Aunt Bardha, who have lived almost as long as the signing of the Independence and could provide us with more historical  information than we would ever have gotten had we stayed out in the cold all day among the masses.

Albania is on the right path, however there are still insurmountable problems to be ironed out. They have a long way to go but let’s remember it has only been 20 years since the fall a horrible regime, a time when the people were being in held in such a tight communist grip that all they had to eat was 1 kilo of meat per week, some not even that. The stories are many…We have to look to the future now, being mindful of never forgetting the past, with optimism and hope and resolve.

Together Albania can and will become a shining beacon among their Balkan neighbors!

Gezuar!

First of all I want to thank my sister Alessandra for throwing us a beautiful early Thanksgiving dinner party on Sunday, November 18, at her apartment in New York. Many of our mutual friends and some family attended and it turned out to be a great evening, with great food and spirits. I also would like to thank everyone who attended and contributed and made a special effort to come and wish Vince and me farewell. Thank you all!

We left New York on Tuesday the 20th without a hitch, well except for the fact that our suitcases were way, way overweight so Vince made a mad dash to the airport suitcase store and bought a vey flowery hardcase suitcase, which he promptly began to fill with items from the other suitcase. It was a rather comical site to see…Vince doing the suitcase shuffle and exerting all his might into closing the newly purchased case. He finally got everything squared away and I think the airline agent felt bad for us as she let us slide for the extra three pounds.

We flew Austrian Air to Vienna and I must say we were very pleased with the airlines’ efficiency, customer service and food! Yes, the food was actually edible and pretty good. The doggies were treated exceptionally well and they too made the flight without a hitch. We arrived in Vienna at 8:00 am on Thursday and since our lay-over was over four hours we had to retrieve them from luggage, which turned out to be a blessing because they were a little anxious so we were able to take them for a long walk, feed them and play with them, and they were also allowed to come into the coffee bar with us, amazing huh? All in all they had a nice overnight trip too.

We checked them back in for the last leg of the flight to Tirana. We arrived at 2:15pm and went through customs, where we were met by the Albanian Vet from the Department of Agriculture, who came from Tirana to check the dogs in. She was the only one who actually requested to see the rabies document. Dr. Xhilda Pepa was extremely friendly and professional and was very happy to find out that we had moved to Albania permanently and wished us all well. Thank you Dr. Pepa!

My cousin Gjeto picked us up at the airport along with my other cousin Zef, thank goodness for that because Zef had a nice VW SUV which accommodated all the luggage, the dog crates, the dogs and us! On the way home we stopped at Zef’s restaurant for lunch “Hidri” Mishe Zgare, which specializes in barbecue meat, all freshly made from their own private stock. The food, the atmosphere and the company were all great!!

After dinner we finally headed home. We arrived in Shkoder around 7:00 pm, pretty exhausted to say the least. We settled into our new quarters and crashed at about 8:00 pm, I think we slept 12 hours but I still wasn’t right until today. Today was the first “lucid” day I had and am feeling pretty good about our decision to move here! Stay tuned for more!!

Yes, we are.  One might ask why? Why do we want to leave everything behind and venture off into the unknown? Why would we leave the comforts of our home, friends, family and country for a place that is quasi-foreign to us? The answers are simple…family, adventure, travel, new experiences and the comfort of knowing that what we are doing is the right thing for us, at the right time in our lives, without question or regret.

This was not a decision which was made lightly. We have been going to Shkoder for the last three years and each time we found ourselves enjoying it more. I began to think about the possibility of moving there earlier this year and as time went on we found there were more pros and less cons. We talked and talked about it, visited again in September and upon our return made the final decision to go ahead…take the plunge.

We listed our home for sale on a Friday and sold it the next day, on my father’s birthday! We took that as a sure sign that this decision was meant to be. My father, who inspired me to visit Albania, his land, was definitely pushing me out the door from up above, telling me “go…live… explore… see what my country, the country I loved, is really like.”

I spent my early years in Europe, where I was born, then on to New York for another 10 years, after which I married and traveled the world with my husband who was in the US Navy and now my life has come full circle, back to where I began!

And so, without regrets, we are preparing for our move. My husband Vince and I and our two poochies, yes I am taking my doggies with me, I wouldn’t leave them behind. Besides, what would Shkoder be like without a pair of American doggies exploring the city. I am sure they will enjoy their new adventure as much as we will.

I will be posting regularly from Albania to give you an insightful view and clear perspective from an Albanian-Italian-American living there.  I am sure that there are great adventures in store for us and perhaps some not so great, I will share them all!! But for now I’ll just say “Stay tuned”.

Thank you to all my friends and family for their support, especially to my wonderful husband Vince for always being there for me!

Ciao,

Bianca

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Sì, e’ vero. Si potrebbe chiedere perchè? Perchè desideriamo lasciare tutto dietro ed avventurarci fuori nello sconosciuto? Perchè lasceremmo le comodità della nostra casa; amici; famiglia e paese per un posto che è quasi-straniero a noi? Le risposte sono semplice… famiglia, avventura, viaggi, nuove esperienze e la comodità di sapere che la cosa che stiamo facendo ha luogo  giusto per noi, al giusto tempo nella nostra vita, indiscutibilmente o nel rammarico.

Ciò non era una decisione che fosse presa leggermente. Sono tre anni che andiamo a Shkoder ed ogni volta ci siamo scoperti che la godiamo di più. Ho cominciato a pensare alla possibilità di muovermi là all’inizio di quest’anno. Abbiamo discutato la possibilita’ e visitato di nuovo a Settembre e sul nostro ritorno abbiamo reso alla decisione finale per andare avanti, prendiamo l’immersione.

Abbiamo elencato la nostra casa da vendere venerdì scorso e l’ abbiamo venduta il giorno seguente, sul compleanno di mio padre! Abbiamo preso anche questo come segno sicuro che questa decisione è stata destinata…il mio caro papa’, che mi ha ispirato a visitare l’Albania, la sua terra, definitivamente ci stava spingendo fuori  dalla porta, dicendomi  “vai, vivete, esplorite, vedi che cosa e’ il mio paese, il paese che io amavo, vedi veramente com’e’.”

Ho spesso i miei primi anni in Europa dove sono nata, poi a New York per un altri 10 anni, dopo di che mi sono sposata e ho viaggiato il mondo con il mio marito, che era nella marina degli Stati Uniti, ed ora la mia vita ha completato il cerchio, di nuovo a dove ho cominciato! E così, senza rammarico, ci stiamo preparando per il nostro movimento. Mio marito Vince ed i nostri due cagnolini, sì vengono anche loro! non li lascerei mai dietro. Inoltre, che cosa sarebbe Shkoder senza una coppia i cagnolini Americani che esplorano la città. Sono sicura che godranno la loro nuova avventura tanto, come noi.

Invierò regolarmente su questo blog dall’Albania per darvi a tutti un parere e una prospettiva Albanese-Italiana-Americana da là.  Sono sicura che ci sono avventure grande che ci aspettano e forse qualche non così grande, io le ripartirò tutte!! Ma per ora dico solamente “Aspettatemi.”

Ringrazio tutti i miei amici e la mia famiglia per il loro supporto, specialmente il mio carissimo marito, Vince per esseremi sempre vicino!

If you find yourself in or near Fishte you must plan to reserve a table at this restaurant. I have to say it was probably the best restaurant I have eaten in while in Albania.  Hidden on the side of a mountain…stunning views…scrumptious food…wonderful service. The family lived in Italy for a number of years then returned to Albania and opened up this fabulous restaurant. Ambiance was superb, the food exquisite…if you ever get a chance to go don’t pass it up!  See link on the sidebar for more information.

While I was in Shkoder 2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit Gjno Mjeda Textiles and meet the owner Kristina and her daughter Magdalena Mjeda. The textiles they produce are beautifully crafted, all by hand. The business has been active since the 1800’s and was started by Magdalena’s grandfather. True to its origins the family has kept the business going, and after short recess during the regime (although still producing small amounts at home) the business is flourishing once again. I purchased some beautiful tablecloths as gifts. They are one of a kind!! If you are in Shkoder you must stop by and see their beautiful products and small processing room where 12 skilled workers expertly make all the items being exported to Europe and the Middle East as well as the ones being sold on-site. Bellissimi!! Visit their website today, listed on the left sidebar in the links section.

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