Tirana & the gypsys
Today makes it 72 days since I left the keys to my home on the kitchen table for the property manager to hand over to my tenant & jet off to Europe on whatever it is I’m on. A “holiday” doesn’t seem to encompass what this adventure is shaping up to be.
But, here I am in Tirana Albania at a cafe having a cappuccino, just enjoying a beautifully sunny hot day. I walked down to the man-made lake this morning & sat on a bench to absorb the sun & the atmosphere. The weather in Prague & Vienna had turned cold & rainy, so I’m soaking up this heat like a sponge. I’m trying to stave off eating, as I’m waiting for a certain restaurant to open at six o’clock so I can eat someplace I read about.
I do a lot of that these days…research where I should eat. If I’m able to make my own breakfast, which I love doing, then I try & find something between lunch & dinner time, with one full meal to tide me for the day. I may have a snack here & there or a beer in an interesting pub, but honestly, my main interest has been looking for seasonal, interesting local food, served in thought-provoking settings. Not a bad goal & one that has served me well so far because I feel happy every day.
Saying that, for as much food as I’m eating, I’m not gaining weight & I attribute it to all the walking I’m doing. I’ve walked the equivalent to the distance of the moon & back, I swear. Exeter & Prague were especially walky, easily clocking 20K+ steps a day sez the Apple Watch on my wrist. I was feeling a bit burnt out when I got to Vienna, so I didn’t cram as much into the city as I should have, but I saw enough to get the vibe. The Viennese folks are the most reserved of any breed of human in any place I’ve been to so far. It must take a lot of effort to NOT smile back at people that smile at you. I can’t image being that closed off to not soften at a genuine smile from a stranger on the street, & I’m glad I can’t.
When I read about Albania, one of the things that I had read was that this country was friendly & welcoming to strangers. So far I don’t necessarily find that true. No one has particularly warmed to me or been friendly. Even the waiter is the restaurants, & yes…men are doing most of the jobs here…have not been overly hospitable. Last night I went to a restaurant a little early for dinner…17:30…& I asked for a table for one. The restaurant had a nice outdoor seating area that was very big…easily seating 80 - 100 guests. There were only four tables taken with people, so when the host started to usher me to the very back of the restaurant I asked if I could instead sit near the street to people watch & he said, “NO…one person cannot take up those spaces”. Clearly, not accommodating & dim to the marketing ploy of making the place look full attracts more people. The Albanian men are a bit intimidating looking with dark hair & scruffy beards…always looking like they could use a wash & a shave. They aren’t small either, but usually have some girth, & not an overly jovial lot. There is also a fair number of gypsy or transient beggars around, with the children being particularly aggressive. I caught a whiff of something quite pungent & whipped my head in the direction I thought it was coming from. There were two boys, aged about 7-8 years old, absolutely filthy & scratching at themselves, standing a few feet away & when the breeze blew their scent to me I almost gagged. Like rotting human flesh. I’ve seen these two boys working the crowd for money twice now in different places & I’m scared of them. They are very aggressive & absolutely no fear in either. There are many others laying on the street with a hat out for coins, shouting something at people walking by. It reminds me a little of Buenos Aires that way. The gypsy kids were particularly ruthless there as well.
I mean, it’s only day two, so I should cut the place some slack. Also, I’m in the largest city in the country, & that usually means people aren’t as friendly (think Toronto vs Swift Current). My cousin is also in Albania, the southern part of the country, with her family & she encouraged me to spend time in different parts. So far, it looks like the bus is the way to get around, so I’ll look into going south, along the “Albanian Riviera”. I would give anything to dip my toes in the Agean Sea.
Enough for today…
