Albania in Autumn Colors (page 2 of 6)

Yeah, that’s it. I remember the site but not the spelling! Which one’s better?

Hey there...

Darn! Usually, photos are more dissected than words! I’ll have to be careful with what I write...

Hi Agnes,

It’s less about dissection and more about priorities. I’m less interested in knowing that the throat is in the shade than in knowing what’s on the plate.

I imagined a massive platter of grilled meats (like the amount a typical Western European carnivore eats in a month), because that’s the kind of over-the-top, pantagruelian dish I remember from neighboring countries. But I wouldn’t have called it *roborative*, so I’m not sure.

Cat

Yes, it’s definitely grilled meats. 😉 Lamb chops, to be more precise!

We often ordered several dishes to share. It’s not an issue there like it can be in France.

What puzzles them is when you don’t order 10 dishes. When you eat, you eat...

What puzzles them is not ordering 10 dishes. When you eat, you eat...

Yeah, in the early days of our Balkan travels, we were amazed at how much food the guests could wolf down. We, who only ate a quarter of that, had to pull over on the side of the road, all doors open, for a little nap just to recover. Those were the days of +6 kg trips (the fact that beer cost less than water played a big part). Back home, it was diet pasta time!

A land of carnivores and beer drinkers—now that speaks to me! 😄

I had the same thought in Slovenia, where their grilled meat platters were absolutely massive...

Has anyone ordered a beer around here? 😉

Valbonë is located at an altitude of about 800 meters. At the end of October, temperatures are very, very chilly (not to say cold...) as soon as the sun goes down and remain so until mid-morning.

So we’re in no rush to set off on our hike!

The chosen walk forms a loop of about twelve kilometers with a little over 600 meters of elevation gain.

It’s hard to find easy or even moderate hikes in the area—that is, less than 500 meters of elevation gain for a total distance under 15 kilometers.

Gaining altitude is pretty much the norm for all the options, and the routes are more often out-and-backs than loops.

With our picnic in our bags and fleeces on our backs, we’re finally ready to go.

We first follow the river and soon come across some remnants of Enver Hoxha’s paranoia in the fields.





Hundreds of thousands of bunkers dot Albania like this, built to protect the country from an invasion that never happened.

Maybe today, if you consider tourists as enemies...

A trail climbs toward the village of Kukaj, and we take it.



The sun is now high enough in the sky to warm our bones and let the russet leaves blaze on the trees.

Hikers are as rare as the doughnuts were plentiful on our breakfast plates.

We easily reach the few houses nestled at the foot of Maja e Thatë, most of which have been turned into guesthouses.





From there, things get tougher.

The slope becomes very steep, putting my heart to the test!

After quite a few stops, we reach the highest point of the hike—a perfect spot for lunch!





We admire the view while munching on our sandwiches, then look for the trail that should let us descend into the valley without backtracking.

We won’t find it thanks to the signs... What a great idea to put them where hikers no longer need them!

A GPS can be really useful in this country.



The trail disappears into the forest, and while my heart no longer needs to panic to supply enough oxygen to my muscle cells, my thighs are making sure I don’t forget them...

Travel is a great way to remind yourself you have a body!

My camera then becomes the perfect excuse for a few more breaks.

Oh, look how beautiful these leaves are!

Oh, the stunning panorama!





After a few more photos, we reach flat ground and then our lodging.

We rest for a while on our balcony before it’s time to recharge at the hotel restaurant.

Bon appétit! !

After an excellent night and another hearty breakfast, we lace up our hiking shoes and set off for a new walk.

We’ll be much less ambitious than yesterday in terms of elevation gain and distance: less than 300 meters to climb over 5 kilometers (a 10 km round trip).

Our goal is the Rrogami waterfall, located at the end of the valley toward Theth.

We’ll start our hike at the parking lot marking the end of the paved road. The trail first follows the riverbed.

The white of the stones contrasts beautifully with the russet trees and the bright blue sky.



A few 4x4s disrupt the serenity of the place—some locals from hamlets not served by paved roads, but also tourists looking to save their steps...

The path now veers toward the houses, old farms that seem mostly uninhabited.









I think in a few years, all these houses will be converted into hotels and rentals, restaurants will spring up, and pools, saunas, and tennis courts will replace the meadows.

Tourism in the Albanian Alps is still at a turning point—between the nothingness of before and the inevitable boom after the overdevelopment of the coastal area.

Until that likely apocalypse happens, I really love this rural atmosphere, especially at this stunning time of year.

We pass by the "restaurant" we spotted for lunch and let the owner know we’ll stop there on our way back.

Then, it’s a leap into the unknown—just like yesterday, the path isn’t well-marked or always easy to read.

We even take a few wrong turns, which lead to some pleasant detours.



After climbing a few rocks, we finally reach the base of the waterfall.

It’s nothing spectacular, but the hike was beautiful, and the view is lovely!





Back on our path, we sit down for a meal.

Grilled pork and a salad will satisfy our hunger.





All washed down with the not-so-virtuous local fruit juice. I think Yuka might see red at this...

We’ll take a more rural route to get back to the car—the pebbles aren’t the most comfortable surface to walk on, even with proper shoes.





The GPS will save us more than once...

Back on the pavement, we decide to go for another drive—this time by car.

Maybe the gorge we crossed to get to Valbonë will be lit up at this hour?

No luck, but no big deal—the important thing is to break away from the daily routine!





Tonight, we’ll try the local specialty: where there’s a river, there’s trout...

Enjoy your meal! !

This country isn’t on my short-term travel list, but I’m curious—so here I am! 😉 Plus, from what I’ve seen in some posters’ updates (😇), it sounds like there’ll be plenty of drinking, great food, and laughs—so, since I’m never one to miss out...

The rest of the itinerary should be more to your taste with cities, villages, and a bit of the Mediterranean. It’s kind of a mix of Turkey and northern Greece, well, that’s what I think anyway.

Now’s the perfect time to plan it. It’s already a little late for the seaside part.

For food, it’s simple but generally pretty good. Maybe not varied enough. For wine, we never bought a bottle. It’s not cheap compared to the rest (but very reasonable compared to France). By the glass, it ranges from terrible to decent...

For the vibe of the travel journal, it’s up to all of you to contribute! !😉

This country isn’t on my short-term wish list, but I’m curious, so here I am 😉 And I can tell from some users’ posts (😇) that there’ll be plenty of drinking, good food, and laughs—so, since I’m not one to miss out...

No idea why, but I’m wondering who these “some users” might be …

For wine, we never bought a bottle. It's not cheap compared to the rest (but very reasonable compared to France). By the glass, it ranges from terrible to decent... 😉

To reassure you, regardless of the bottle price, we also order by the glass. First, because we don’t like the same wines and it lets us try several options, and second, sharing a bottle between two over a meal means no driving afterward! 🏴‍☠️

a bottle between two for a meal, you shouldn’t drive after that! Pirate

Yeah. That’s why I often choose accommodations not too far from the restaurants I’m targeting (walking distance or by public transport). Or even places where the on-site dining is recommended. That way, there’s no need to hold back if we feel like ordering a bottle.

I think the 50 cl bottle concept is really interesting. I don’t understand why this size isn’t offered more often.

Then again, there are countries where "a glass" means half a bottle... It’s surprising the first time.

I think the 50 cl bottle concept is really interesting. I don’t get why this size isn’t offered more often.

The smaller the container, the less well the wine keeps. The margin (the outrageous margin) the restaurant owner makes is lower on a 50 cl bottle. The price of the bottle, the capsule, the cork, and the label are the same. All that’s left is the product—25 cl less, which isn’t much.

I don’t know what effect this phrase would have

25cl less isn’t a big deal

on men (and women) in blue kepis...

Another solution for restaurant owners is to sell wine by the glass in specific quantities instead of by the bottle. (Like a carafe, but quality!)

When I lived in Rouen, my "go-to spot" did this. You could order wines from their cellar (so a limited selection) by the glass, double glass, 50cl, or bottle. No risk of ending up with an open bottle that’s been sitting too long, since the wine list wasn’t pages and pages long...

This travel journal talks a lot about wine... 😠 You’d almost forget to admire the stunning Alpine landscapes in their autumn colors 😉

Thanks for putting us back on the right track! 😉

Okay, before getting back on track, if we're talking wine, I’ve got a couple of fun facts:

- The 50cl format was invented by the Sauternais (Bordeaux) to sell off wines that people no longer wanted in the 75cl format—too expensive. (Try finding a 50cl Burgundy; it’s rare.) You see it a lot in Switzerland, though I’m not sure why.

- It never really took off in restaurants because there wasn’t much difference from the 75cl bottle. Since it’s produced in smaller volumes, restaurateurs paid more for it, so the price on the table wasn’t very appealing for customers. Especially with the rise of the "doggy bag" trend.

And to really show off my knowledge, why 75cl for a bottle? Because it’s 1/6 of a gallon, the favorite measurement for Anglo-Saxons. And a case of this wonderful drink (or plonk, for that matter) equals one gallon! Oh, and it’s also because of the 225L barrel (again, Bordeaux—the Burgundy barrel holds 216L), which equals 50 gallons or 300 bottles. But I feel like I’ve lost everyone now, so let’s get back to Albania! 😉