Roadtrip to Ulza

Our neighbor Mike invited us on a road trip up the Matit River valley to have lunch at a place called "Fredi's" by the shore of the reservoir. We would need to take the road to Kukes and then turn at the road leading to Burrell and Peshkopi, following a nice two lane,well sometimes 1-1/12 lanes depending on oncoming traffic.The weather again was not going to cooperate with us; it was cloudy/hazy backing up into the surrounding mountains.

The water is a beautiful blue-green behind the dam, with trees right to the water line; the current is barely visible and except for one man rowing a boat, the lake is empty. Complimenting the quietness of the lake is a visible absence of traffic and noise; windows down enjoying the view we follow the lines of the lake. Across the water, high on a hill is a large home with fruit trees and a garden; how do they get there, we see no roads or a way to cross the water...boats?

In the distance we see a line across the lake; make that a sliver of wood on metal wires; a suspension footbridge to be explored by us.

On closer inspection, maintenance has not been by to check the condition of the footbridge in some time!Mike just walks across like it was a Sunday stroll in Alexandria, while I watch bouncing and swaying on the other end. I can honestly say I was not comfortable walking on the bridge.When Mike returns he relates that there are two trails on the opposite side of the lake, one to the left and one to the right.

We stay on the road heading for a place to turn around and find our lunch stop, however, we cross a bridge and continue towards Burrell.

Looking back we see a small hill top village with modern buildings...we are curious and turn around, thus finding the village of Ulza and a rather large hydroelectric facility(read big dam!).The dam was constructed/completed in 1957 and it too has a large reservoir behind it, although the reservoir is low(not much rain this summer and fall).

A quick (not too many blocks/streets in Ulza) drive through the village reveals a new plaza with buildings, a modern Catholic Church and boats docked on the reservoir.The tour of Ulza was fast, even by our standards; we do slow on leaving to ask a local if we can take her picture. She is an elderly woman who is wearing traditional garments from this part of Albania. We ask her daughter to take the photographs and she smiles covers her mouth and tells her mother(I think it is mom), who breaks out into her own smile, adjusts her head covering and poses like a professional...so tiny and so proud; a quick thank you and we are off.

When we first entered Ulza, Mike caught sight of an old building he wanted to photograph, we missed it on the way into town, however, we did find it on the way out and the owner found us!!! Mike explains with his camera while the owner shakes his head and drives off; not far though, just around the corner where he can watch us(good judge of character!!).

Just down from the big dam, the river runs free until it is once again backed up behind the dam we spotted as we entered the valley.

Nature is also at work here, vines and trees overtaking a very old structure on the opposite side of the river. The vines appear to be holding the building together, or perhaps squeezing it until it collapses...not sure, I do know that nature will eventually prevail.

Back on the highway and finally to Fredi's, located on the side of the reservoir. Madlyn and Mike enjoy perfectly prepared trout and white wine; Madlyn and I have salad and we all have french fries; they apparently could not catch the pig as my meat dish never arrived, too bad I was hungry. Oh well, the food we did receive was excellent, well worth the short(read good day trip) drive from Tirana.

A last glance at my favorite bridge!

Valbone-The End of The Road

Last year about this time we took a four-wheel drive trip to Thethi and discovered a wonderful valley high in the Albanian Alps.While in Thethi, we were informed that it was possible to hike (about 4 hours for an able-bodied young climber and 6-8 plus hours for others, read me!) over the mountain pass to see Valbone. Valbone is the other "crown-jewel" in the Albanian Alps.

I was not too inclined to hike (although we did get new back packs) over the pass, however, we really wanted to go to Valbone; the question to be answered was car or ferry. Since this was our first trip to Valbone, we opted to drive from Tirana to the Albania-Kosovo border in Morine; head for Prizren and take the road to Gjakove, through Korenice and Ponoshec to a Kosovo-Albania border crossing also named Morine!It was Madlyn's first trip through the "tunnel" and also her first visit to Kosovo. Once back into Albania, we made a drive through visit to Tropoje before heading off in the direction of Bajram Curri. The entrance into Bajram Curri was controlled from our direction by a single lane bridge over a beautiful blue river(Valbone).

Bajram Curri is the administrative center of the Tropoje district and is rather bland compared to the surrounding countryside. Oh, did I mention how clean the area was of litter and garbage; you do not see this eyesore as you travel through the Tropoje district and especially the Valbone River Valley, where they proudly "re-cycle" and it is posted for all to see as you enter the Valbone River Valley road! Speaking of the Valbone River Valley road; well, it is a major construction project to complete the road to the "end" (about 25 kilometers); fully graded; flood control protected; and asphalt on a hard packed gravel bed. The potential the road completion project means for the valley residents, is in my opinion limitless; the door is open to tourism in a major way with the completion of the road.

We are of course cruising along the gravel valley road at about 25-30 kilometers per hour (15-18 miles per hour) stopping every five to ten minutes to peer into the chasm below where the blue-green water roars past the chalky white boulders. It is not a lot cooler in the afternoon on the road than Bajram Curri below; the air though, it tingles your nose it is so fresh. The mountains are beginning to surround us and press against our "space"; you do not look at the mountains, you strain to see straight up the sides as they tower over the valley.

We are going to the "end" of the Valbone River Valley road; a road that suddenly ends at a huge rock cage berm...beyond is white rock and a large 4x4 taking hikers to the jump off point for the climb over the mountains into the valley of Thethi.
I pull into the river rock to turn around and head for the Rilindja (Rebirth) Hotel and Guesthouse; which we passed on our way to the end of the road, and which is our home while we are in Valbone! The hotel will cost 34Euro per night; this gets us a double room with bath and an awesome breakfast in the morning and the special delight of engaging conversation with Catherine Bohne (catherine@journeytovalbona.com); the partner of owner Alfred Selimaj. Catherine is from Brooklyn and the former owner of a book store in Brooklyn; she has been in Albania about two years( you will need to travel to Valbone to hear Catherine's serendipitous story of how she found herself/destiny to be in Albania...it is worth the drive!).

Upon arrival at the hotel, we meet some of the staff from the Albanian State Police Human Resources Sector on Admissions. The Leader (real rank) of the sector is one of the most enlightened individuals I have met while in Albania; he also is from the Valbone Valley and quizzes me to make sure I see and do all I can while in Valbone. The group is off for coffee and a tour and we are eager for dinner; we agree to see each other later in the evening at the hotel.
Dinner is served on the deck; Korca Dark Beer(ice cold, thumbs up)for me, a Merlot for Madlyn as we await our meal. Madlyn has fresh caught trout (the fish pond is just off the deck and would be the scene of my dog, yes Gracie, trying to grab a fresh caught as it lay flopping in the grass, fortunately the fish and dog both escaped the encounter!) and I have pork filets. Both are excellent and as we enjoy the company of Catherine, she produces a surprise of Fli (cream/crepe dessert) that has fresh mountain Thyme honey drizzled over the top; this is wonderful and I mean wonderful, what a treat for us. We also enjoy the "floor show"; our waiter in an ongoing attempt to keep the cows from eating the front lawn, chases them with a stick...never catches them!

We are off to bed early tonight; windows open the cool evening breeze; the laughter from the covered patio; and Fli for all of the Albanian State Police guests. Up early the next morning to watch the staff fish for trout in the pond; when asked about netting the fish, the reply concerns the pleasure of "catching" the trout! Our breakfast is eggs and sausage; with fresh bread, mountain berry jam; Thyme honey and fresh butter and of course coffee for Madlyn.

A short walk down the Valbone River bank; past washed out boulders, stacked upon each other; uprooted trees and blue-green water flowing down towards the valley floor. The river is asleep as we walk on the bank; however, as far I can see down the sides of the Valbone,the power of the melting snow drives the river over its' banks and it destroys/re-arranges all in it's path...it must be a sight to see in the Spring.

We have decided (after conversation with Catherine) to follow the road out through Bajram Curri to Fierze, and then Puke and on to SH1 (the road back to Tirana). This decision will involve a 4-6 hour drive through the mountains of north-central Albania; on a road that will vary in places, dirt to two well paved lanes and all in between!All of the road is doable and you do not need a 4x4 all the way.

We pass the docking ferry at Breglume and after a long switch-back climb we are on top of a massive dam/resevoir that reaches all the way back to Kukes.

Let me explain the ensuing drive that we enjoyed as we crossed through the north-central mountains of Albania; hundreds upon hundreds of switch backs and sharp turns; animals around the blind corner, laying on the road;small villages tucked between the mountains; some farms appeared to be glued to the side of the hills; and a spectacular view of the stored water spreading out before us like many fingers.

We are searching for a restaurant outside of Darhde called the Alpin Hotel & Restaurant to stop for lunch. Catherine has told us that the food is good and the view is great; well, the food was not so good (thumbs down), the view incredible and a special guest for lunch. A small fawn come to our table and Gracie and she just stared at each other, neither knowing what to do about the other;the fawn, eventually walked away from our table.

Back on the road through Puke and finally the intersection with SH1 and a straight shot to Tirana.
Valbone is a must if you plan to visit Albania; along with Thethi, jewels in the rough in Albania. Remember if you visit, "pack it in and pack it out" because they recycle in Valbone. Whether you decide to drive or take the ferry, the destination is worth the journey; bring your imagination and a good book (so quiet there); and also bring a camera...wow.

Yep, the "end of the road", behind Madlyn and the car is the mountain that separates Valbone from Thethi, but,that is another story and a different adventure.

Perast, Montenegro

This past weekend we decided to brave the border crossing between Albania-Montenegro at Moriqan and head for the Bay of Kotor.The border was busy heading North into Montenegro, however, the line to enter Albania was over two kilometers in length...little did we know we were witnessing our own future! The drive was spectacular as we drove through the countryside to our first sight of Ulchin down below, red tiled roofs, contrasting with the intense blue-green Adriatic.

We continue past the tourists in Bar and finally arrive at Petrovac for lunch by the sea. A little pizza, salad and a Nik Gold Beer and all is well in my world! Petrovac is packed with beach umbrellas as far as the eye can see; jet skis, boats and tour cruisers cross the bay. We eat a quick lunch and then are on the road past Budva and soon the turn to the tunnel that takes us down to the castle fortress of Kotor.

We are not stopping in Kotor as we are anxious to get to Perast for the annual festival held each year on July 22.

The festival begins at dusk to commemorate the construction of the island for Our Lady of the Rock Catholic Church; the flotilla of small boats carry rocks and trees to the island(yep, the island was created by sinking ships full of stones to the bottom of the bay, thus establishing a foundation upon which the church was built).

Perast has undergone quite a transformation since we last visited in April 2010. We are staying at the Hotel Conte, right on the water, with a view directly into the mouth of the fjord. The Hotel Conte is modern, with wi-fi and cable(if you want to waste your time indoors); a beautiful restaurant and bar and incredible seating by the Bay.

Because of the festival, parking for vehicles is limited and so is access to our hotel. We are shuttled (via battery operated carts; with Segways for support staff)to our hotel; a quick check-in, tour of our room and then we are back outside for the festival. The skiffs and row boats have made the pass in front of the hotel and have turned towards the island of Our Lady of the Rock. The lead boat has a priest and a small quartet singing local folk songs; there is a lot of waving and picture taking from the boats and from the shore.

The small convoy makes the island and we head off to the other end of town (a very short walk!).Perast has a rich maritime history and was once a sea going power to be reckoned with in the Bay of Kotor and into the Adriatic. There is an excellent Sea Museum and statues to local heroes Captain Matinovic and Admiral Zmajevic(who commanded the Russian fleet in the defeat of the Swedish Navy in the Baltic Sea).

The town is now home to many tourists from all over Europe; Montenegrins on vacation, folks from England and France, etc. The night is warm, sultry in fact with a slight breeze skipping off of the Bay; we will sleep with our second floor window wide open to the Bay...we will pay for that decision very early in the morning.

In the morning we plan to head back to Kotor for a tour of the historic fortress and the surviving old town inside the walls of the fortress. Oh, the walls around Kotor are in some places 20 meters high and the wall surrounding the town is twice as long(4.5km) as the wall of Dubrovnik.

In case you do not recognize this vessel, it is a common sized Mediterranean Cruise ship that calls on Kotor almost daily in the summer. Now, remember that terrific view from our second floor window; well it served as a funnel to channel the sound of the horn of the ship into our apartment as it turned around the island and headed towards Kotor...better than any stinkin alarm clock, believe me!!!

Underneath the walls of the fortress is an area for a local farmers/craft market that definitely attracts the people from the cruise ships. We pass through, trying to locate one of the old gates located on the South end of the fortress to enter and start exploring the old city.

The street is paved with well worn stones; some are grooved from human and animal foot traffic, others are colored off red, pale white and grey; some are cracked and some are new; a testament to the multiple times the fortress has been rebuilt as a result of earthquake damage.

There are many churches and old structures barely hanging on within the walls of the old city; in some parts of the city extensive historic remodeling has occurred and is obvious from the color of the new stones.

The old city is alive with tourists and is home to many fashionable stores and some great restaurants. High above us can be seen the upper walls of the fortress. One can climb the 1300 steps to the top of the fortress; we pass today as a storm is coming in and it is getting darker by the hour.

Inside St. Marys Catholic Church we meet the docent who explains the restoration work to church and allows me to take a photograph(without flash) of a 14th century frescoe, that is partially hidden behind the large front door of the church.

We exit the fortress through the main gate opening onto the main thoroughfare of Kotor and directly across from a very large cruise ship. Okay, I am ready to hit Dobrota and Ellas Restaurant for lunch. We ate there last year from a recommendation from the Bradt tour book. It was great last year, so why not take a chance at two great meals...not so good this year, although the view is beautiful as the storm creeps in over the Bay of Kotor and lets loose with a little thunder and lightening, and of course very large rain drops just in time for lunch.

After lunch we are looking for the Banja Monastery which is located near Risan ( a town founded around 400 BCE by the Greeks). The monastery is really a Convent and so as we make the turn from the main road and climb up the hill, I am not sure what to expect when we get to the Monastery/Convent. Well, we get a whole bunch of wet chickens and a beautiful garden.

A nun sees us looking at the garden and invites inside the walls of the convent...I should have kept an eye on the good Sister as she walks up to the bell tower (I am standing directly below it)and begins to manipulate the bells and as bells do they expressed themselves in a clear and metallic manor, much to my surprise and much to Madlyn's delight as she watches me jump from the sudden peeling of the bells!

It is very peaceful within the walls of the Convent(if you don't count the heavy metal playing Sister!); bee hives in one corner; fruit and nut trees; and a grape arbor covering a good portion of the back open area of the Convent. A nice stop, a pause to reflect and appreciate the simple beauty and peace we have shared.

The storm has intensified, so it is back to the apartment to get dry and get ready for dinner at the Hotel Conte Restaurant. Dinner is just what we wanted; an excellent table; an attentive waiter; good wine; wonderful sea food for Madlyn and pepper steak(med-rare!!) for me and fries too! A little dessert and we are walking it off by strolling along the seawall of Perast.

Yes, the L'Austral is as long as the island on which Our Lady of the Rock resides.
The next morning we leave early for the trip back to Albania; we are anticipating delays from the vacationing crowds at the Montenegrin coastal towns...we are wise to leave when we do! One stop at the Hotel Adriatica for a coffee; overlooking the island of Sventi Stefan, it is "picture perfect".

The drive home is slow due to heavy summer traffic and the narrowness of the road heading south towards Albania. We will experience a nearly 3 hour delay in crossing the border from Montenegro to Albania; however, we are not checked as the Albanians have decided to open the border and allow unrestricted access due to the heavy traffic(perfectly legal!!).
Once across the border, we make excellent time in getting back to Tirana.

Construction Day-Orphanage

The day before Father's Day 2011 we ventured back to the Bethany Children's Orphanage to address one more playground equipment project before Gary and Christine leave for Stuttgart and a new assignment.With our small crew of Gary, Christine, Artur, Madlyn and me, we are ready to begin the job! The original playground piece consisted of a small elevated platform for the kids to climb; this was definitely not in synch with the American "bigger is better" concept.We are planning on adding on to each side of the platform with "arms"(this is the story!) that will support swings and rings. I am ahead of myself; first we must engage in de-construction of the platform, and some small excavating for the footings.

Notice the two supervisors and the single worker(no safety equipment, etc.).This said, we are successful in digging four holes and are plumb and level at all corners.

Under Gary's supervision, we make steady progress and the old platform is replaced by a solidly anchored and squared play area that is held together with "lag-bolts" and brackets, (yes, it is over built).

Upon reaching the platform level, we measure to determine need of decking and head over to the neighborhood(Artur, fortunately knows the gentleman, who will play a major part in our success) lumber yard for our wood. At the lumber yard, the request for decking wood results in precision cut wood that is subsequently "planed and jointed" after being cut...really nice wood (the wood is harvested from the north in Puke)! I ask to stop at the hardware store to purchase some framing brackets and 90 degree brackets for the corners (with all the swings, we want to keep the wood from twisting and turning from the motion; oh, we come back here several times, enough where I ask for a frequent shopper card!).

It is definitely strong enough for the kids as Gary establishes his "command" presence from his observation tower. Note the rope to the right of Gary; we had some difficulty running the rope through the drilled hole; from burning the ends to duct tape we did over come all obstacles and the rope is in play.
Gary elects to stay at the site while Artur and I head back to the lumber yard to have the braces cut at 45 degree angles, or so we thought. Gary gets a lot of "under-aged" assistance while we are gone and according to him made faster progress!

Upon arrival at the lumber yard, Artur explains what we would like to do with the braces; a funny look comes over the gentleman's face and he says (basically, bad idea) that he would suggest a less dramatic cut than the proposed 45 degrees. He then proceeds to gives us a lesson in Geometry, drawing with a nail on his floor the positioning of the wood and due to the difference in length of the corresponding braces why his idea works. Okay, geometry was in the 8th grade, you know, about 45 years ago and I have had limited use of it ever since!However, he is convincing and we go with his idea; another stop at the hardware store for more brackets and back to the job. As you look at this; think of me saying, Gary, according to the lumber guy, this is stronger, we will balance the beam on top of the braces; imagine a response, huh, never thought of it that way(uh, oh)!!

Some examination of the braces is necessary, a little discussion and back to digging holes to anchor the legs. The plan is to anchor the beam from the platform and balance the beam on top of the braces...it really sounded doable and the support braces looked to be very solid.

Christine and I balance the beam on the braces while Artur attaches the beam to the platform. Gary has wisely pre-drilled the holes for the swing eye bolts. Christine gives the new swings a test ride; and it works; one down and one to go!The lumber yard guy was right on about the measurements and proper angle; the beam has settled nicely on top of the braces.

Finishing one side of the platform/swing set has given us courage to tackle the other side before leaving for the day. Unlike the first side, the second side has some issue, shall I say. The old adage "measure twice, cut once" becomes measure twice and cut thrice!!!

Some slight alterations needed before the beam is resting on top of the braces.Once firmly attached, the beam is home to two more swings for the children at the orphanage.

We may appear to be laughing, however, we are holding on so as not to fall to the ground; it was a long ten hours, a wonderful gift to the children at the orphanage...priceless.

A group picture with the finished product: Gary (supervisor), Christine (supervisor's supervisor), Madlyn(photographer, get this-get that person!), Artur (Mr. Rachet, he turned almost all of the lag bolts into the beams and braces)and me(not sure of my role).A great group effort; sometimes you just get to do something special for special people. Thanks Gary.