Compared to our long, unforgettable coastal trek on day one, days two and three turned into more of an A to B. The destinations rather than the transitions were the more interesting parts of each.
We left Vlora’s seaside after an unusually good hotel breakfast so we had little excuse for stopping for coffee in the heart of the city that morning.
In retrospect, we should have tried a little harder. The town is considerably prettier than Sarande.
As we rode the city’s main boulevard along the shore, my pattern seeking mind soon started drawing parallels to Cannes in the south of France. This would be a bit of stretch today but the first signs of an upscale seaside destination in the making are already there. Considering the up and coming energy that permeates the country as whole I wouldn’t rule it out in the future.
We did explore a bit of the north shore where the city makes a seamless transition into a mixed evergreen and deciduous forest providing peace and shade on the way to the beaches. This was Min’s favorite.
The other good reason for lingering on in Vlora is the lack of visual attractions immediately north. We rode for about an hour in that direction before two lane boredom and strong winds had us pulling into a rest area looking for alternatives. We briefly considered Berat, another famous ancient Albanian town in the same league as Gjirokaster. But that would take us off course and away from Tirana where Min was hoping for a little time to settle in before restarting her remote work week in the capital.
As a compromise, we picked a slow local route leading west through rolling hills and villages on SH72 combined with a quicker, but still pretty SH3.
Mount Tomorri looking south from SH72.
Hard to say how the local route compares to SH4 north through Durres or SH7 west to Cerric but it was a big improvement over SH4 until that point. Certainly more engaging, quite relaxing as well.
We rode into Tirana mid afternoon that Sunday. Our expectations defensively low, we were immediately struck by how relaxed and easy going it seemed. Also green, very green. Trees everywhere and cafes filled with people of all ages. Hardly a hint of the austere, gray communist capital it must have been 30 years earlier. We were partially fooled as the traffic very much returned on Monday, but our first impression was a very good one.
Finding our Airbnb turned into a bit of a treasure hunt. Take the nth turn, find a gray tunnel, then the second stairway, then the nth floor and the nth door, etc. On a positive note, our basic mental map of our new neighborhood was fully formed and ready to use within an hour.
Locating a suitable garage took some time as well, but I was able to eliminate several Google suggestions by exploring on foot, a big improvement over Athens. Eventually, I sealed the deal with a no-nonsense older gentleman who didn’t speak English, but suggested we try Italian instead. It worked. He even kindly pretended I wasn’t speaking Spanish half the time.
Once again the enduro boot walk from the Airbnb to the garage ended up being about 12 minutes long. Palermo, Athens and now Tirana. All about the same walk. Urban math?
Driving in Tirana is its own type of chaos. I say that with a smile, because traffic mayhem is something I secretly enjoy in all of its forms. If I were to compare Albania to what I observed in Italy and Greece, I’d say it’s a bit more… adolescent. There’s both more timidity and bravado.
Many other aspects of daily life in Tirana are a delight, such as the bar and restaurant scene or the countless children out playing in the city’s parks.
Dirt riding took a back seat during our 5 day stay here. I went out only on a couple scouting rides. Shall report on those separately.
Only two hours north of Tirana, Shkoder is the gateway to some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in all of Albania. One could easily spend a couple weeks just getting a good taste of the area. Our 48hrs amounted to not much more than a bite, but a very satisfying one indeed.
The most straightforward route to Shkoder from the capital follows the E762. The first 50km of it is multiple lane highway, the second part is one lane in each direction and local. Leaving Tirana mid afternoon on a Friday we got stuck in a bit of a jam that would have been easy to cheat without all the luggage. Unfortunately, I have a couple GiantLoop 45L bags hanging off of some very hefty symmetric Outdoor Motortek luggage racks which make that nearly impossible. With everything strapped on, the bike is about a foot wider on either side than its handlebars. Almost as wide as a car, according to Min.
Shkoder itself is a lot smaller than Tirana and appears to attract a different type of tourist. Overloaded young backpackers, fit middle aged couples wearing hiking gear, well groomed western academics — most are there for the great outdoors. This compared to groups of young western and central Europeans in search of affordable big city thrills in the capital.
The old town, the epicenter of Shkoder’s street life, is pretty well hidden. The young man managing our booking.com rental insisted we were in the middle of it all, but positioned as we were on the 6th floor of one of the few taller buildings downtown we wouldn’t be able to find it just by looking out the window. This despite it being only 5 minutes away on foot.
The historic section is largely a single long pedestrian strip with cafes and restaurants lined on either side. The first weekend of May the strip was alive, but noticeably more subdued than Tirana. More like a wrist vein to Tirana’s hard pumping neck artery.
We explored three very impressive mountain valleys north east of the city during our stay in Shkoder. More about those under rides here. Needless to say, the riding was excellent.
All in all, Albania made a very strong impression on us over two weeks. Not only the rides, the mountains and the beaches, but even Tirana with its vibrant street life. We’ll be back.