Italia 2017 - Albania Chilling

After our incredibly busy day Wednesday, Thursday we had the need to chill. We also had a long way to dive because we were going back north which was a substantial drive. We decided to go to a place on the coast where Migen told us that the shoreline was completely different what we'd seen before.

It was a foggy day when we left Gjirokaster 

Giving the fortress a forbidding look

The fog clung to the mountains

 Before finally clearing up

We went through Migen's hometown again and we stopped at his apartment so he could drop off some clothes

Migen singing the "I'm a tour guide" blues

Me singing the "Argg I only remember two chords" blues

Then of to Divjake National Park

During the drive we ran into the usual sets of dichotomies we see here

Such as the 'colorful newer building'

 

Followed by the prior century mode of transportation

And the large mosque

Whereas the coastline to the south is mountainous and rocky, here it is a shallow tidal area

One of the more interesting things I've noticed in Albania is gas stations

Gas stations you say?

Yes

They are not just places for gas. They are sites to be turned into developments and often flamboyant ones at that. Especially when you see them off in the countryside. Rarely is their 'just a gas station'. They have restaurants, hotels, office buildings attached. So here is a montage of gas stations that I took just on the few hours of driving from Gjirokaster to Divjake.

Photographic sleuth in action

At last after the sun went down (which is pretty damn early here now - around 4:30 PM), we arrived at our last stop of the trip, Kruja. We grabbed some dinner and before going to bed took some pictures from our hotel room of where we'll be on Friday.