The word is a very exciting place

 Ok, so remember a few posts ago when I said that Albania hadn't quite got its tourist infrastructure in yet? Well the trip to Apollonia was a bit frustrating. So I got to the Bus station in Berat, to find that the Furgon I was expecting to catch had already gone because it was full. So I got into the next one, and then frustratingly, another one filled with a load of people before leaving. I'd already paid the driver, so I had to wait for our one to fill, before we could go. Something had happened on the road we were supposed to go on (no idea what) so we ended up being diverted a long way round before joining the route we were supposed to take, so we got to Fier ridiculously late. Now I'd tried to find what bus could get me to Apollonia, but struggled to find any information online about it, so I asked in the bus station, and they said there was a bus every two hours, but it had gone about 5 minutes previously. So I decided to walk for a bit, and see if I could pick up th...

From Tirana, I headed to Berat, which interestingly, was the place in Albania most people online had been talking about. And I will be honest, it will not disappoint you! Its a charming, picturesque town with such a chilled vibe, the place was almost horizontal. Its surrounded by snow topped mountains, with a river that lazily snakes its way through the lowlands. Berat's main focus, is it's castle, but feel free to wander through the old town and over the bridge on the riverbank, its a really attractive place. This was the stunning view that greeted me as I walked from the bus station. There is a bus that runs from the main bus station through the town, but after being stuck in a slightly cramped Furgon I was happy for the walk, and I was rewarded with a beautiful wander across the bridge and into the old town. It's mainly dated from the Ottoman era, and you will understand where it gets it's nickname "Town of a thousand windows". It also has this beautifully ...

 Durrës still has quite a few of its old fortifications, built by the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians & Ottomans, and you can explore the walls that run through the centre of the city just up from the seafront. The round tower has a nice little café, and also has a small photography exhibition on the floor above. I then had a lovely little wander through the hills that Durres sits on, and explored an area full of the little bunkers I had been seeing everywhere. They were all grown over and you couldn't really go inside them, but it gave me an idea of just how many there were scattered across the country.  This was a lovely view looking down the hill into Durrës. You can see the mist and drizzle! I mean if the crash barrier doesn't stop you going over the edge, the concrete bunker certainly will, and would probably do more damage to you car! I had enough time to wander along the sea front, and looking at some of the art & sculpture along the way. And this appears to be th...

 Durrës is one of the highlight of Albania. It is the second city, and it is brimming with history, culture and things to do. Its a semi easy day trip to do from Tirana, you can catch a Furgon (bus or minibus) from the North bus station in Tirana. There's no connection by train, the Albanian train network is a mess and barely functions, with the main line that doesn't reach Tirana only having trains 3 days a week. I wouldn't even bother trying to use it. (Side note, there is a large amount of investment going into the Albanian Railway as we speak, but its unknown when and how the system will be fully running and functional again. I don't think I've ever head of a worse running rail service in anywhere I have been) Furgons leave the North station frequently, although some run on a timetable, and some run when the bus is full. It's an odd concept, especially if you, like me live in places where the bus goes at a specific time regardless of whether its full or not,...