Italia 2017 - Albania - Kruje and Finale

On our last day in Albania we took in the National Museum at the site of the great fortress of the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg and went to the heights over looking it and the valley in which Tirane lays.

The morning was nice and our hotel had a lovely view

 Talking with Migen we decided to skip yet another fortress and make for the museum. This was a good choice

Making our way up the old road to the fortress hill. Narrow it was easily defended. Now the locals attack the invaders with tourist shop after tourist shop.

Looking back to our hotel and the town

The National Museum gave a great overview into the critical years when Skanderbeg defied the Ottomans and kept them from reaching the Adriatic and attacking Italy. I kind of wish we had done this first. There are all kinds of statures and frescoes of this story but unfortunately they don't allow pictures.

This one they did and it is representative

Note the faces

Pretty grim right?

Albanian history from the late Middle Ages on is pretty grim but when you see an entire museum where every face, every representation has a grim, determined face, perhaps this says something about the national self-image and why smiles are rare and precious when you get them.

The views from the outside of the museum were pretty wonderful

We then went to a second museum that was a restoration of a well-to-do resident of Kruje from the 18th century. We were told this person was most likely on good terms with Ottomans and the house reflects that Turkish style.The curator was very good and she allowed us to take pictures even though that was supposedly not allowed.

There was all kinds of interesting wood work - dowry chests, doors, furniture

Interesting wall coverings

And this interesting wooden ceiling

Then it was heading up to the top of the mountain

And we once again saw all kinds of things that reminded us of the dichotomies of Albania

Color

Half built buildings

And things that work despite not working

This picture captures a vignette 

A car was parked in front of ours

The parking attendant tried to move it but the battery was dead

But this happens enough evidently that they had a battery charger right on hand!

Thenne last twisty, turning mountain road

The fall colors were spectacular

This mountain is sacred to the special branch of Islam that is in Albania, the Sufi order of Bektashism and we saw a shrine and burial site of a saint.

Wife atop the Mountain looking at Kruje below and  far toward the Adriatic

 

So we are ready to leave Albania and return to Italy for our Roman Finale to this trip

But before we go, this has not been the best trip for us in terms of the...

...SIGNS OF THE WORLD...

Feature

However, on this our last day in Albania, providence allowed us to see Albania through the eyes of its signage

We DO NOT appreciate thugs who throttle our flowers!

Any pets capable of walking like humans may not enter!

Tree dropping zone

SEE YOU IN ROME!