Michael and Kejda’s Albania Trips

Kestjella Bar – Restaurant – Pizzari (Castle Bar & Restaurant & Pizzaria)

Bylis, Albania

Other photos of Bylis on the web:

http://shqiperia.com/foto/galeria/bylis

http://www.guida-shqiptare.net/albfoto/thumbnails.php?album=102

Headed North on what would turn out to be perhaps the most amazing day of the trip. We took in so much in so little a time.

Leaving Saranda

Ksamil Beach, Albania

Jul 30, 2006 – 17 Photos

Kejda and I spent the afternoon at Ksamili Beach, a place she visited many times with her parents as a child.  About 15 minutes south of Saranda, this is a much quieter beach (and slightly cleaner) beach than what is available in Saranda harbor.

We both swam across the waterway to the island in the Google Earth screenshot above.  The water was warm and gentle and save for a lone cow rummaging through a dumpster on the way out, this is one of the nicest beaches in Albania we saw.

Google Map

The view from Kejda's apartment. Welcome to Tirana.

Jet lagged, we awoke to our first day in Tirana (after checking into a hotel the previous evening).  Spent the day walking around, meeting the family, eating at Kolonat (the Albanian McDonald’s rip-off) and getting our bearings.

My introduction to Kejda’s father was when he picked us up at the hotel, and walked into the middle of a shouting match between Kejda and the hotel’s owner, who was over-charging us for the room. There was some mighty fury and I admit to being sort of scared, not really knowing much of anything about the city or its people.

Eventually things settled down just enough for us to get out of there, though the yelling continued even as we were getting into the car.