After just 7 days, Tirana has proven to be a winning city to hang in for almost three months. That was NOT our original plan, but the theft of our bike forced us to reconsider our options. Lake Ohrid? Skopje? Serbia? Romania? Off the table this year. But our Plan B is still a good one. We got here a few days earlier than expected (from Italy), so had a short term (3 day) stay, and got a brief overview of the city. When we moved into our 30 day location, we were pleasantly surprised, and Kat has made it a home. She’s been wanting to settle in somewhere for a while, and, as luck would have it, our hosts/ owners also own a unit immediately next door, and when we saw it, Kat really liked it. Between the two units we were able to stay in one (almost) location until the beginning of September, so Kat is a happy girl. The owners worked with us on price (it’s high season) and we were blessed that they were very generous in making it happen. There are several other Albanian cities of interest, and worth checking out, and since we can remain in Albania for one year, it opens up a lot of options.

Anyway, the city: lots and lots of restaurants, and at one time Albania had more coffee shops per capita than anywhere in Europe. I don’t think they’re number one any more, but seriously, you can’t go more than a few blocks before you run into one coffee shop after another. And most are packed, with people hanging out, being sociable, or working. It’s quite cool, and the prices are very reasonable, as is the cost of food compared to Italy where we just left. Not Asia cheap, mind you, but well within reason.

Street stands selling fresh fruit and veggies are everywhere, and it’s EASY to eat healthy. Take a look at my picture which shows what I bought for $2 USD. Likewise fresh fish. Even though we are inland, about 100 miles from the coast, there are fish vendors everywhere, along with butcher shops. Very old school. Major supermarkets DO have good assortments and variety, but some things are better bought at specialty shops.

Walking the streets is a treat and there’s a lot to see with construction everywhere, and clever architecture in their high-rises, along with street art. We’ve barely tapped into the “things to do” list so far, but we have the luxury of time. The people are very kind and English speaking and English writing is everywhere! It’s nice to go into a grocery store and understand 90% of the products on the shelves! There is a vibrancy here, an energy, that is exciting, but not overwhelming. I look at it like a big, small town.

I met up with a fellow nomad, Scott, for coffee (surprise!) an American who was motivated to go traveling after seeing a video of Kat and me that was done in Turkey several years ago! He retired recently and was inspired by our travels and how affordable it was, so he has been to several Albanian towns already, and we know many of the same people along the way! It’s an interesting life we lead: after six plus years I feel more estranged from old friends back “home,” since I don’t consider it home anymore, and those fellow travelers have filled in that void. We can speak with the same mindset, learn and share, and no one feels intimidated or put off by someone traveling more or less than us