It’s only been three and a half weeks since we’ve left Athens, but we’ve seen and experienced so much since that it feels like months have passed.
The main reason for picking up the pace have been our June travel plans. Min will fly east to see her dad in Korea and I’ll fly west to attend to a few things back in Santa Fe. We wanted to see as much of the Balkans as we could before our trips in order to figure out where we’d like to spend July, the final month of Min’s Schengen exile. Like many places around the world, the EU allows tourists to visit for 90 days within 180. We ran out of our day stash visiting Italy and Greece and the access clock resets in August.
So, the Balkans…
Ali Pasha Bridge (center-left) in Gjirokaster. Min’s discovery and favorite walk.
Things here are bit raw, especially in Albania, but raw is how we like it. When everything works as expected, it’s comfortable, predicable and… a little boring. It’s when you’re forced to change gears that things become interesting.
So far we’ve spent time in Albania and Montenegro. Of the two, Albania is higher energy and less polished whereas Montenegro seems like it should already be a part of the EU. This difference makes perfect sense when one considers their history. Montenegro was a part the former Yugoslavia, the most economically advanced region of the political if not geographical Eastern Europe. Albania was the most repressed.
But things are changing. Establishments like the one in the video above at a beachside in Ksamil, the southern edge of Albania, are a testament to the country’s recent transformation and ambitions.
Life’s also as cozy as can be in the old town Gjirokaster where the weather was great in late April and the local restaurants threw blankets over the chairs to make the cooler evenings inviting as well.
Last, but not least, there was Tirana. Pick any day of the week and any street in the Blloku district and you could chose from a half dozen restaurants, wine bars and breweries, all well attended and alive.
Just to bring things back to earth, not everyone is driving a Mercedes just yet — although it does seem that way in Tirana at times. Places like the Gjirokaster castle (above) stand as a reminder of a much more sinister, not too distant past. A high security prison for 30 years, many a political dissident lost their life here between 1945 and the early 70s.
Gjirokaster, old town @ 7am
All this to say that Albania is very much a country in transition. There’s a lingering sadness in the farther reaches of the country like Permet whereas those better geographically or politically placed, like Tirana and Ksamil, are full steam ahead.
The first week we spent in Montenegro was all about taking it easy.
Knowing that our two weeks in Albania would be intense, we decided that our first base in this tiny country would be where we’d catch our breath. So we rented a place with a bathtub in an olive grove.
Upon arrival we were surprised to learn that our rental was in fact two independent wooden buildings — one a two level 1 bedroom, the other a studio with the bathtub. The olive grove also came with a couple donkeys thrown in for a good measure. In short, we were almost able to replicate our Santa Fe arrangement — an office separated from the main house. Very hard to find on Airbnb. Especially when you’re not looking.
Never expected to enjoy the company of our four legged friends as much as we did. Here Min captured their visit to our kitchen door.
The following week we made our way to the Bay of Kotor close to the northern tip of Montenegro. This was a much more deliberate destination than Ulcinj. I had it on my radar for a couple years now, but somehow managed to keep it a surprise until Athens.
View from our balcony. The harbor is 1.5km away in a straight line. The walk is closer to 3km.
We picked the place to stay based on the views it offered and had looked forward to it for weeks. When we walked out onto the balcony after arriving we didn’t much care if it had anything else besides internet and a bed. Three days in we still pinch ourselves morning and night.
Same perspective, closer shot, in the evening.
In some ways, Kotor may be the first place we’ve come across in all our travels capable of challenging Santa Fe for its crown.
Known to Romans and perfected by the Venetians, this small city has it all. Sea, mountains, 12th century architecture, twisted roads and off-road trails, hiking, endless vistas, etc. It’s even more sunny than most places in Europe, a low bar from a southwest US perspective, but still.
Kotor, old town
And here’s the old town from above (360), from the perspective of the Venetian fortress.
I’ll get into more details about the surroundings in the ride posts, but if Matera was the most stunning city we’ve seen on this trip thus far, then Kotor is easily the most beautifully situated. Off the charts, really. The city is already on many a cruise ship route and will probably reach a similar tourist saturation as Dubrovnik and Split within the next 5-10 years. Make plans to see it before then. We can confirm that May is a very good month to go. Weather has been very good with plenty of sun every day and temperatures somewhere between 20C and 25C. June may be even better when the waters in the bay warm up to 21+C.
Donkey + olive tree bonus.
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