Durres, Albania, Sunday, 27th of January 2013

Train is the slowest and cheapest way of public transport to from Tirana Durres – Albania’s biggest seaport.

These two gentlemen sitting opposite to us looked very carefully at us as, they seemed to consider if we were from another planet

On the last station before Durres our locomotive got some technical problem and we were stuck

Finally after one hour of waiting a new locomotive arrived from Durres to take us the last part of the way

When we arrived to Durres we walked from the station to the first coffee shop sea promenade - view from the coffee shop at the sea promenade

A monument probably from communist times

Well suited for some youngsters dangerous showing off

We continued our walk north of the city along the coast

On our way back to the bus station we visited the famous Durres amphitheater

When we finally were back in Tirana after a long and sunny day it was dark

Tirana, Albania, Saturday, 26th of January 2013

A small park opposite my flat is very popular among pensioner’s playing cards, chess, domino etc.

A small vegetables and fruit marked next to the park

On a busy Tirana Street

There is a lot of hosing blocks being built on the hills south of Tirana

Also an Saturdays construction workers are on their job

Suddenly, when you go around the corner from one of the construction sites, you are in the country side

Back in Tirana

Tirana, Albania, Sunday, 20th of January 2013

Skanderbeg's statue. Gjergj Kastrioti (1405-68), also known as Skanderbeg in English and Skenderbej in Albanian, is the only historical figure whom all Albanians agree was a national hero. He managed to create an independent Albanian princedom and keep it free for 25 long years.

Et'hem Bey Mosque. Construction of the ‘Xhamia e Haxhi Ethem Beut’ mosque started in 1794 and was finished in 1821 by Et’hem Bey

"The Albanians" mosaic on the facade of the National Historical Museum

Visit to Karavasta Lagoon, Albania 9 December 2012.

The Karavasta Lagoon is the largest lagoon in Albania and one of the largest in the Mediterranean Sea. It is separated from the Adriatic Sea by a large strip of sand. The lagoon is part of the Divjake-Karavasta National Park. It host a small population of the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a massive member of the pelican family. It breeds from southeastern Europe to India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. The nest is a crude heap of vegetation.

The canal that link the Lagoon with the sea, view towards the Lagoon

The canal that link the Lagoon with the sea, view towards the sea

We visited a local restaurant

The had their own small zoo, with an eagle

Mandarin duck

Water buffalo calf

The sea outside the Lagoon

Not everything on the beach was neat and tidy

And some kind of feeling like being at Klondike

Some locals were fishing