I'm really impressed by Tirana. After the hard times it has been through it has emerged as an attractive, lively, pleasant city. Lots of green spaces, birds in the trees, chirping merrily, so different from the aggressive cawing of the crows in Prishtina. There are nice cafes, many of them with gardens. All in all, it seems like a relaxed, pleasant Mediterranean city. And for the moment, the weather is mostly just pleasantly warm and springlike. No doubt, as summer progresses, it will become horribly hot.
There are nice places to eat as well. As well as traditional Albanian food, there is a strong Italian influence, and lots of seafood. There is a downside; I have been suffering horribly from food poisoning the past few days. But overall it's really good to be here. One of the pleasantest places in the Balkans.
I am full of admiration for the multi-talented young man from the British embassy who plays guitar and piano for a really rather good rock band on Saturday evenings, and then plays the organ in the Catholic cathedral on Sunday mornings. Remarkable. He speaks Albanian as well.
Of course, there are negative aspects. The politics (the reason I'm here) are dirty. Respect for laws is as and when people find it convenient. That can be seen in the behaviour of state institutions, political parties, and driving habits. Law is a very low currency here, perhaps unsurprisingly given the country's past experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment