Hmm...this was the view that greeted us when the ship docked at Durres... |
It turned out to be an interesting day, with a quick glimpse of the history of the Illyrians in Kruje, the communist mindset through the Art Gallery in Tirana and ancient history in the amphitheatre in Durres. We had been prepped on the ancient history of Albania the day before by an antiquarian collector in our group - a brief history of the Illyrian ancestors of the Albanians and their coinage.
We had arranged for a local guide, Dorian Disha, to pick up our group of eleven. He was full of information about his country and culture - his infectious enthusiasm made us more engaged in what at first seemed like a not too exciting port. Our first stop was Kruje, about an hour away from Durres, the port where we landed. We went right to the Skanderbeg Museum inside the ruins of the castle at the top of hill which commanded a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside.
An interesting aside - we drove through the small town of Fushe-Kruje on the way to Kruje and found that there was at least one place where George W. Bush was loved - they have his statue and the square named after him.
George W. Bush Square in Fushe-Kruje |
We walked through this old market to get to the museum |
Some of the interesting merchandise on sale - a collector's heaven |
The Toptani villa |
Our guide, Dorian Disha, demonstrating how the grain grinder works |
The olive press |
The men's sitting room upstairs |
Turkish steam bath |
Cobbled pathway to the Bazaar Mosque |
Bazaar Mosque built in 1779 |
Detail inside the mosque |
Ancient tree outside the mosque |
An unusual mother and baby picture |
Panoramic view from the terrace beside the Mosque |
Skanderbeg Museum, named after one of Albania's national heroes, was worth a walkthrough. Our collector friend was thrilled to find some of the Illyrian coins he owned in the museum. |
The ruins of the castle outside the museum |
Next stop: Tirana
Thank you for well written summary of your visit and great photos. We will visit Albania by cruise ship next month.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. Have a great cruise. Hope everything works out for you.
ReplyDelete