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We’re now at the end of our first week in the Balkans, and today is sadly our last full day in Albania – tomorrow we’ll be heading on into North Macedonia.  

On Sunday, when we were in Tirana, there were a few things further out from the city centre that we didn’t quite get time to see, so we’ve opted to return to Tirana today to finish things off.

The first stop was actually recommended to us by Jane during the bus tour to Gjirokastër – there’s an artificial lake in the middle of a large park, which is said to be a good place for nice walks.  The park is known as the Grand Park of Tirana, and 710 acres in area.  

We set the coordinates on dad’s phone, and again try to wing it with the parking (it’s been working well for us so far!). Just beside one of the main entrances for the park, is a handwritten sign for parking, and this brings us into a sort of gravel waste land.  The car park is being manned by an elderly short and stout man wearing a baseball cap, with more than just a passing resemblance to my own grandfather!  We struggle with the language barrier, but eventually come to understand that the rate for parking is 200 lek.  We round it up a bit, and he’s absolutely made up.  It seems small random acts of kindness go a long way here in Albania!

As we enter into the park itself, a very snazzy tourist train whizzes past.  It’s a much more blockier train that you’d usually see in this situation – and looks like a cross between the pope mobile and a milk float.

‘It’d be nice to take a ride in it’, we utter, but alas the opportunity doesn’t present itself.

We follow a long winding path through the trees, and ready for a drink, we’re very happy to see the sight of sun parasols bearing the Aperol Spritz logo.  Sadly no savoury food options until later in the day though, so it’s a Fanta Exotic and ice cream for me.  

After this, it’s a difficult predicament, as we decide whether we should return from whence we came, or complete the lap of the lake.  In the words of Magnus Magnusson – I’ve started, so I’ll finish!  Needless to say the other side of the lap was caked in sunshine with no tree cover to hide under.  It’s lovely seeing runners and young families out enjoying nature!

From Tirana Park, we then swing by a mural of a sporting legend.  Quite why there’s a painted mural of the Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi on the side of a block of student flats, I’m not sure!  Following some brief research, the decoration was added by fellow Argentinian Maximiliano Bagnasco for Tirana mural fest in 2023 to “celebrate the football star and make Albanians happy.”  Ok, I guess that makes perfect sense now!

Even still, I’ll admit the whole thing is a work of art!

As we know from yesterday, there are mountains most of the way around Tirana, and one of these mountains, Mount Dajti is being pushed as a hub for adventure activities (like paragliding, zip lining, horse riding etc).  It’s pretty remote, so they’ve built a cable car all the way up the mountain from the edge of the city.

We arrive at the lower terminus to get our tickets – it’s 1500 (€15) each way.  The journey is 4.354 km and takes around 15 minutes in each direction.  There’s not much of a queue to get in one of the cars. 

The ride is serene and the duration gives ample time to appreciate the beautiful views of the city.  Today is quite hazy, so we can just about make out some of the taller buildings through the haze.  

At the top, the car arrives into the terminus.  We’ve been in a few of these before and you always think it’s coming in way too fast, but somehow manages to slow enough for us to disembark.  

We make our way downstairs to a small bar area, then set sights on a restaurant for lunch.  Fortunately there is one in a wooden chalet style building.  I go for a traditional pasta dish – but it’s basically a fancier version of super noodles with slabs of beef – pretty much the same buttery taste and all!  Let’s call them super duper noodles!

There are some good photo ops at the top – not least a heart shaped flowery thing with a swing in the middle. 

But it’s now a holiday tradition to have a round of crazy golf, and this course is the best of the best.  With challenging gradients and bunkers to rival a championship golf course (albeit at a smaller scale), the holes are incredibly technical and unforgiving.  It’s just Dad and I playing, but aside from a couple of wobbly moments in the middle, I have him covered pretty much from start to finish.  That’s payback for Siem Reap!  Two hole-in-ones as well, but no free beers this time (not that I drink them!)

We’re quite pressed for time actually, as the cable car stops at 6pm, and we anticipate a large queue to get back down before it’s too late.  Speaking of which, I wonder how many people get stuck up here every evening, not realising that it stops early.  How do people get back down if they miss the last car?  

No such dramas for us, after a slight wait, we’re on our way back.  It’s almost a military operation from the staff trying to maximise the amount of people in each cable car.  The guy directing operations looks like a younger Mel Gibson.  Maybe he’s going method for an upcoming film set high in the Tirana mountains?  Maybe not!

We share the gondola going back with a family of 4 who are wearing matching bright orange polos.  Looks like an organised golf trip or something.  I tell you, if they saw some of the shots I was playing in the crazy golf, they would be blown away!

After arriving back at the lower station, we hop in the car and drive to our favourite car park in Tirana (the only one we know how to find!)  Plan is to do a quick bit of window shopping, and walk through the city for a bit to build an appetite for tea.

The setting sun has now cast a golden shadow over the clock tower.  This was one of the things that was closed when we were last here on Sunday.  It would have been nice to go up, but sadly it’s too late again today!  Skanderbeg Square is now in total shade, but the lighting does look pretty cool for the big Albanian flag. There’s a lovely buzz about the place.

The House of Leaves is also closed – this was a secret spying station during communist times, hidden behind a leafy facade, few would have suspected this sort of activity going on in this simple building.  

One of the things we haven’t yet seen is the Pazari i Ri Bazaar.  It’s one of the more bizarre Bazaars that I’ve ever seen.  As well as the usual food and souvenir market stalls (of which there are many), is one with antiques – stuff like gas masks, old fashioned cameras and binoculars, stamp and coins etc.  There’s a photo of Adolf Hitler, and a pile of old used passports.  I get told off for trying to take a photo ☹️.  I wonder what they’re trying to hide!

Round the corner from the Bazaar, we clock some people eating a plate of mixed grill meats.  We’d originally planned to eat in the Castle area, but plans are always there to be changed, and that’ll do just nicely!

While we’re tucking into the food, a couple of young kids and a young mother come by begging for money.  It’s so sad to see people living with this, but I don’t have any cash to give them.  I pray God will bless them and provide them for a better future.  

It does make me think how fortunate I am to live the life I live.  

After dinner, we walk back to the car taking one last trek through Skanderbeg Square, now in darkness with the statue of the eponymous hero illuminated with artificial lighting.  I can’t remember if I said it on Sunday, but this is surely the best kept secret in the Balkans and probably even Western Europe.  This place had far exceeded the low expectations I had, and I can see it only getting better over the next few years!

It’s about 1 hour back to Durrës, with some ropey moments on the road (par for the course here), and tucked up in bed here for the last time.  Tomorrow we head to Ohrid.