To Travel Is To Live: Albania 7: Tirana

Border crossing from Kosovo back into Albania goes smooth and we are soon on the new highway toward Tirana. Before heading directly to the capital, we make a detour to a seaside resort for lunch. As we reach the outskirts of Tirana, the traffic stalls. With more than a third of the entire population of Albania living here, the first impressions of Tirana are not very favorable, expected for any sprawling metropolis. Once we set out on foot in the central area, however, it is a pleasant stroll through many of the attractions in a compact area. Around the Skanderbeg Square, a partially restored clock tower... well, towers, next to the important Et’hem Bey Mosque. Nearby stand an imposing national theater and the National Historical Museum. The latter covers antiquity through the Ottoman years, to independence and the communist era. We walk leisurely past the former house of Enver Hoxha and the surrounding neighborhood which had been closed to the public in his time and is now a vibrant upscale area called the Block.

On the highway to Tirana: a child manning a cigarette shop. Smoking is still very prevalent in Albania, which is obviously a big problem.

Over-the-water bungalows: No, not Tahiti. A detour to Fushe Kuqe for lunch on Adriatic Sea.

Tirana: Exquisite wall paintings inside Et'hem Mosque, done by Italians in the early 19th century, who converted, according to the caretaker

Tirana: a mosaic mural at the entrance to National Historical Museum, showing Albanian defenders of all eras

National Historical Museum: better late than never - a tribute to Mother Teresa, an ethnic Albanian

National Historical Museum: Toppling of an Enver Hoxha statue as communism ended

National Historical Museum: equal opportunity persecution - Catholic, Muslim and Orthodox clerics under Communism.

Tirana: all in one - the national flag, the Skanderbeg statue, the mosque, the clock tower, and a new optical-illusion inducing building

Tirana: a new shiny Orthodox church, third largest of its kind in Europe

Tirana: a new shiny clock tower next to the new shiny church

Tirana: promise of an eco-friendly city

Tirana: "pyramid" which started as an Enver Hoxha museum, but now non-functional and may be demolished

It may be somewhat unorthodox to end the tour in the capital city rather than start from it. We have seen, experienced and tasted much throughout the country, and the visit here on our last day feels a bit like an epilogue. We ride a glass elevator to the top of “Sky Tower” built by a Chinese company, where there is a rotating lounge to take in a 360-degree view of the city. “Every 45 minutes,” says our guide. Sipping tea while enjoying the view of the capital is a fine way to end the trip to Albania.