Day 12 - Berati to Çorovodë

Happy Birthday to me! I had a sleep in this morning & finally dragged my body out of bed at 7:30am! I had breakfast at my hotel, omelette with toast & peach jam, which was very nice. I was cheeky enough to ask for a second coffee as it was all included in my 20 Euros. I also made use of their free internet.

I was at the bus area at 8:45am & quickly spotted a bus with 'Skrapari' on the front & made sure it was heading for Çorovodë. (I'd decided overnight that I would explore Çorovodë first & perhaps Policani on my return?) The bus left for Çorovodë at 9:30am. The route was a very winding & twisty road & at times when we hit oncoming traffic one of us had to reverse!

I arrived in Çorovodë at 11:30am (300 Lek) & headed for the Osumi Hotel & enquired about a room. They wanted 20 Euros which I thought was a little expensive, so I had a coffee & told them I would think about it, as I wasn't entirely sure what my plans were for Çorovodë. I decided to walk around a little more & headed up the steep bank looking for the Turizmi Hotel. I walked all the way to the top & had to ask somebody for directions & soon realised it was back down the hill! As I was a approaching the entrance the owner (who was having a drink nearby) came over & asked what I was looking for. I told him & he informed me he had a room available for 1000 Lek a night. I thought this was fine & agreed to let him show me the room. There was no air conditioning, but the room was huge (it had 3 beds!) & the shower was fine, although I don’t think the carpets have ever been hovered! It seemed a strange hotel, it was huge & I think I was the only guest! The owner appeared to be in the middle of renovating it, the restaurant area (which was also huge) was all blocked off & had a lot of furniture stored in it.

Sign in hotel window for bee's milk in Çorovodë

I had a cold shower in my hotel before heading out to explore the town. I began to realise that Çorovodë is one of the most depressing places I have visited! I know it was Sunday & a cloudy day, but it was like a ghost town with many shops closed & I couldn't really find anywhere to eat. I headed off in the direction of the Ottoman Bridge on the Gjerbesi Rd which was quite a pleasant walk & when I arrived there were some children playing in the river. I took some photographs of the bridge (which is amazing), & decided as it was approaching 3pm it was pointless heading on any further so I headed back into town.

 Çorovodë

Çorovodë (On my way to the Kasabashi Bridge)

The Kasabashi Bridge near Çorovodë

On my return along the Gjerbesi Rd I visited one of the many restaurants, (actually the only one which was open!) The lady owner made it obvious there wasn't a menu, but she was more than happy to cook something for me. She made me some kind of lamb soup, with a large bowl of mixed salad & plenty of bread (she later gave me another bowl of soup & more bread) & charged me only 350 Lek, what a lovely lady!

Whilst I was waiting for my food, I was thinking about my plans for the morning. I would either hike all the way to Gjerbesi & then hike back (spending a night in Gjerbesi in my tent), or I would hike one way to Gjerbesi & stay the night & then the following day I would try & make it to Polican (for the bus out).

After I had eaten & was having a coffee, a group of locals arrived by car & entered the restaurant. I soon got talking with the younger ones & asked for their advice about my plans for tomorrow. They confirmed it was about 15 km to Gjerbesi & that staying the night was a good idea, & trekking to Polican would be about the same distance again. They also told me the route is clearly signposted & each trek should take about five hours.

A red & blue cactus in Çorovodë

Lovely lamb broth!

I walked back through the town, (still thinking it is a bit of a depressing place!) Even the police just hang around moving from one coffee bar to the other! Since arriving on Albanian soil it has been clear that the locals do not see too many western faces as I do get quite a few stares. I found Çorovodë even more so. I decided to head back to my hotel for a much needed rest. I plan to venture out later as England are playing Italy, & I can't miss it! I heard some noises outside my room, so I am clearly not the only one staying here after all!

It was an epic match with extra time & penalties & most of the locals clearly wanted Italy to win & unfortunately they did! It was watched all in good spirit & some of the locals offered their condolences as I left late into the night.

The hotel has an ant problem!

Day 11 - Elbasani to Berati

In the morning I left my very sweaty room in my hotel & headed for the bus station. When I arrived I ordered a coffee at the cafe inside (very friendly staff), & just sat around until my 6am bus to Berati arrived. I was actually amazed at the amount of people around the station & market area as it was still only 5:30am, Albanians certainly do rise early! I was soon approached by a friendly old man who advised me that the bus was actually due to arrive at 6:30am. The kind old man then suggested we go to the nearby byrek take away place (behind the bus station). I ordered what I can only describe as filo pastry stuffed in a bread bun! It was quite tasty & very filling if not a little greasy, but for 40 lek you can’t complain!

Early morning at Elbasani bus station

Early morning at Elbasani bus station

My bus arrived & we left on time, (it had a sign for 'Kucove' at the front). As we were leaving the outskirts of town, along Nentori Rd (at a roundabout with a large monument) I did notice a lot of minibuses parked, & thought perhaps this is where I would have caught a minibus to Berati? We drove through a place called Peqin where I spotted the walls of the local castle. When we reached Ura Vaigurore I was told by the bus driver to jump off with another passenger (after paying a fee of 300 lek) We both then crossed the road & jumped into a waiting minibus. It was good I had someone with me, as I noticed there were plenty of taxi drivers hanging around & they all asked if I wanted a taxi to Berati. (Ura Vaigurore is at a junction which one way goes to Kucove & the other to Berati.) When I arrived in Berati I paid the minibus driver 100 lek & the driver clearly had no intentions of handing me back any change!

I made my way to 'Berati Hotel' (near the Leaden Mosque) & was greeted by a lady who spoke very good English. She informed me the only room she had left was 20 Euros a night. I thought this was a little expensive & so decided to look for somewhere cheaper. I crossed the road to the hotel called 'Tomori' & was suitably told they were fully booked. I decided I couldn't be bothered to look around anymore & headed back to 'Berati Hotel' but was then told my room would not be ready until 2pm (It was about 10am). Apparently 'check-out' is 12am & they needed two hours to clean my room! I decided to check in & order some breakfast (omelette & Greek salad), which was very good & reasonably priced. I left my backpack in the hotel kitchen & headed off to explore Berati.

I walked as far as the football stadium (east) & explored some of the side streets. I then visited the restaurant called 'Pasarela' (upstairs) & ordered a cool beer & soaked up the amazing views overlooking the Mosque & Cathedral. After my beer I headed up the cobbled street to the castle (100 lek entrance fee), & I had a good look around. The old buildings had bags of character & the views overlooking Berati were certainly worth 100 lek. Yet again, I hardly saw any other tourists.

The Orthodox Cathedral at Berati

The Leaden Mosque in Berati -1555 (Photograph taken from the restaurant - 'Pasarela')

The white houses of Berati

The white houses of Berati, (leading to the castle)

Inside the fortress walls of Berati

The Holy Trinity Church - 13th century, (within the fortress walls)

Views from the castle looking over Berati

I headed back down the cobbled street & visited the museum but when I arrived I noticed the sign saying 'Closed from 1 till 4'. I then decided to head towards Gorica Bridge & hike up to see St Michael church, unfortunately when I arrived the gate was locked. I then crossed Gorica Bridge to reach the other side of the bank, but it soon became apparent it was just a big dumping ground for rubbish, so I headed back! I made my way back towards my hotel & purchased some very lovely byreks, & then just sat outside & watched the world go by for a while.

When I arrived back at my hotel at 4pm I finally saw my room for the very first time. It was very smart, & came with a very nice balcony. It was great to blast out the air conditioning after spending the previous night in an oven!

I went out for a walk in the evening around Berati, & as ever there were hoards of locals walking up & down enjoying the remainder of the day. I headed back to my hotel & ordered some food (nothing special) & watched the Spain v France football match.

I plan to sleep in tomorrow & then catch the local bus to Corovoda, (I haven't decided if I should jump off at Policani?)

Day 10 - Pogradeci to Elbasani

I had my morning coffee opposite the Orthodox Cathedral, (which is actually a nice spot to relax & watch the world go by). I then walked over to where all the minibuses were located & realised most seemed to be going to Korça. One of the drivers suggested I walk around the corner (which would be Kajo Karafili Rd I think?) & I should be able to find a minibus for Elbasani. Soon enough I was approached by a driver & I threw my backpack in the back of the minibus. I could see I was the only passenger & so crossed the road for another coffee (where the 'shoe shiners' work). I was invited to join a crowd already sat & we all had a chat which was great fun.

After my second coffee I crossed back over the road towards my waiting minibus, whereby another driver came over & asked me to take my backpack to his minibus! I finally ended up leaving Pogradeci at about 7:45am. There was initially only myself & two ladies but we did pickup other passengers along the way. I arrived in Elbasani at about 9:30am. When I jumped off the minibus some of the passengers seemed a little surprised, I got the impression they were wondering why I wanted to visit Elbasani? I gave the driver a 500 lek note, but he then asked for another 200 lek. A young student guy offered his help & so I assume this was the correct price?

The young student guy seemed to want to help me around in Elbasani. He's English was quite good, he said he was grateful just to be able to speak with somebody from England (as he would like to visit one day). He escorted me to the Skampa Hotel which is where I'd planned to stay. They were only wanting 10 Euros (I later realised this did not include air conditioning!). After I settled in & had a cold shower I went downstairs to the bar where I'd arranged to meet the young student guy for a drink. He had an hour to kill whilst he had to wait for his next bus to Tirana where he was studying. We chatted about where I'd been already in Albania & were I was planning on going next. We exchanged email addresses & later said our goodbyes.

I was keen to exchange some English currency & so popped into the local Tirana Bank, but the girl behind the counter told me they didn't accept English currency! When I informed her I had exchanged some sterling in the Tirana Bank in Saranda a week ago without any problems she did not have an answer? A little perplexed I just walked out. A few yards further along the road I spotted another bank & so I tried again. They were more than happy to oblige! The girl behind the counter was very charming & we had a good old laugh about it all, she insisted I go out & enjoy all my lek in Albania!

The Clock Tower in Elbasani -1899

With a pocket full of lek I then headed for the restaurant called 'Aurora' (mentioned in my guidebook as a great place to eat). I made my way to the upstairs terrace before being told if I wanted to eat I would have to sit downstairs! I decided to leave & head for 'Real Scampis' where I was greeted by IIir Kamani (I know this as he later presented me with his business card!) IIir was the waiter & I told him I wanted to try something local to Elbasani. He recommended 'Tave Kosi' which is a kind of soufflé with lamb underneath (served with a Greek salad). It was lovely, although I did think the Greek salad was a little bland. The meal cost 1150 lek in total (with a coke) which was a little expensive, however the restaurant was quite posh! IIir was very keen to offer his services as a tour guide, & informed me he charges 20 Euros an hour, which seemed a lot to me. I declined his offer as I was happy just to take a look around Elbasani myself.

'Tave Kosi' in Elbasani

After my wonderful lunch I ventured into the 'Old town' & took some photographs of the old buildings & the very old mosque & church. I later headed to the bus station to find out about a bus to Berati in the morning. I happened to spot a bus with a Berati sign with some locals standing next to it, so I enquired. A very friendly young local gave me the times for the morning. The first one leaves at 6am (which I think I will get), & if not the one after this will be at 8am, apparently the journey only takes 2 hours.

The Old Town of Elbasani

St Mary's Church in the Old Town of Elbasani

A fast food shop in Elbasani

I later grabbed an ice-cream (ice-cream in Albania is amazing!) Afterwards I popped into one of the many casino/café bars & was a little shocked when I entered. It was like walking into Fred Flintstones house! The décor was a 'cave like' transformation using plastic moulding. (The ice-cream shop & café are along the Qemal Stafa Rd, east of the clock tower, a little way past the statue of Kristoforidhi.)

Me in a funky bar in Elbasani!

I decided to stay in my hotel for the evening (I plan to be up at 5am) & watch the football & use their Wi-Fi in the lobby. The hotel restaurant (called 'Colour') only served cake & drinks, but a young waiter suggested he could order some kebabs for me. (I had to order two as they would not deliver one.) After over an hour of waiting I decided to order a large slice of cake & a coffee. I never did find out what had happened to my kebabs!

Before heading to bed, I had a look around the building which was part of my hotel & realised it incorporated many other businesses including Scampa TV! I also discovered the main drag outside the building appears to be used as a speed track by the young locals!

Day 9 - Korça to Pogradeci

I left my hotel at 6:15am hoping to catch a bus to Pogradeci (along Kico Greco Rd). I wasn't walking very long before I was soon bombarded with mini bus drivers shouting 'Tirana Tirana'! I found a nearby café & sat down for a while & had a coffee. I paid the coffee shop owner with a 500 lek note as I wanted some change for the minibus, however he then proceeded to give me back two very dilapidated 200 lek notes! I continued to walk along Kico Greco Rd again where the minibuses were parked & before too long I was approached by a driver asking where I wanted to go. I jumped on board the minibus & joined the other passengers. After a few minutes of waiting we set off, although it was clear we were only driving around the block to look for some more passengers! (I am used to this now!) Once we were back where we started, we picked up another passenger & then we finally left for good! It took less than an hour to arrive in Pogradeci, I handed the driver one of my rubbish 200 lek notes, no questions were asked & no change was given!

After jumping off the minibus, I decided to walk down by the lake & watch some of the local fishermen at work for a while. I then set about trying to find the hotel called 'TEA' (as mentioned in my guide book). But after approximately forty minutes of walking around in circles, I gave up & settled for Hotel Enkelana (2000 lek), which had great Wi Fi & a very smart room including breakfast.

Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci

After settling in my hotel I headed off to find something to eat & decided to try the restaurant called 'Tradaita' (near my hotel on Fan Noli Rd). I was shown a menu in English & liked the look of 'Barbecue Lake Trout' (500 lek). The lady owner then produced the equivalent menu in Albanian which seemed to help her with understanding what I was pointing at on the English menu (they were all numbered). After about a twenty minute wait, she returned & asked me to point to what I wanted again! Finally after another twenty minutes I had a plate of liver delivered! I was a little confused & it clearly looked as if the two menus did not match one another. The lady owner seemed more than happy to start all over again which was nice. (Liver would have been fine, but I really fancied trout!)

After my fish breakfast I decided to walk along the Lake heading in the direction of the train station, (hoping it was up & running, although I was sure I would be disappointed). I knew it was quite far but thought I would enjoy the sights along the way. It was very amusing seeing the locals selling fish along the side of the road. They stand next to their tanks full of fish whilst dangling an eel in one hand and a fish in another to any passing traffic! I dropped a couple of coins into one of the tanks & asked if I could take a photograph!

Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci (Straddles the mountainous border between south-western Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes.)

A young local selling his catch along Lake Ohrid

During my hike I spotted giant haystacks in the fields which looked very picturesque with the cows grazing. I also spotted a campsite along the way which would have made a great place to stay for a few days. Eventually I arrived at the train station which clearly had not been used for some time! I grabbed a couple of cold drinks from one of the nearby shops & decided to head back to Pogradeci.

Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci

Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci

Pogradeci Train Station (no longer!)

A bunker along Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci

A bunker along Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci

Cleaning carpets on the jetty of Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci

Lake Ohrid in Pogradeci

I continued to walk alongside the lake & past my hotel but soon realised the beach was becoming very crowded. I then decided to head inland & visit a take away place opposite my hotel, I had a 'Pite me Oofte' (pita bread with some kind of meat), It was actually quite disgusting! I later sat down & had a beer along the centre of Fan Noli Rd whilst chilling out & reading my book. I later tried another fast food place & this time it was ok (Gjiro).

The Orthodox Cathedral in Pogradeci

In the evening I left my hotel (the front entrance, facing the lake) & headed for the restaurant called 'Pista Enkelana' (part of my hotel I assume!) I ordered 'Role pule me kajma' (a large rubber sausage!) & 'Salce pikante' (sour cream & peppers). The food wasn't great & the beer was a little expensive, however there was a live band playing all night & Portugal v Czech Republic on a big screen! Later some of the locals began to dance in front of the big screen which was very entertaining at first & then became a little annoying as most of us were trying to watch the match!

Up early in the morning again for a bus to Elbasani hopefully!

Day 8 - Korça (incl Mborja)

There was no rush to get out of bed this morning as I had already decided to spend two nights in Korça. For my breakfast I visited the restaurant 'Shtepia Voskopojare' (behind the Cathedral) & tried Korça's speciality of 'Kernaca' (spicy sausages). I ordered six & they were delivered on a plate garnished with onions & they were absolutely delicious (300 lek). Much better than the ones I had earlier in Përmeti.

'Kernaca' at Shtepia Voskopojare restaurant

After my breakfast I headed to the market area of town, & this time it was great to see it in full swing. It was amazing to see all the weird & wonderful things being sold, especially all the shoes all stood to attention! I ventured towards the back of the market where all the fruit & vegetable stalls were located & had a bit of banter with some of the stall holders! I then headed indoors to the amazing cheese & honey market. I was given a few free samples to try, the cheese was amazing.

Market area of Korça

Market area of Korça

Market area of Korça

Market area of Korça & friendly stall holders!

The indoor cheese market in Korça

After visiting the market I then decided to head south (past the Birra Korca Brewery) & towards the village of Mborja to take a look at the 13th century St Mary’s Church. When I arrived there were a few Italians already taking some photographs & they had already asked the local shop keeper for the key, so we all sat in the sun while we waited. There were some elderly locals outside playing cards which made for an interesting photograph with the church in the background. When we were finally let inside we were all quite amazed with the interior & the vibrant frescoes, especially the gruesome one that greet you as enter!

13th Century St Mary's Church in Mborja

Frescos inside the 13th Century St Mary's Church in Mborja

Frescos inside the 13th Century St Mary's Church in Mborja

Later the Italians left in their 4x4 & I continued to keep walking through the village. Eventually I started to climb up through the mountains (heading east) & following a small stream that had tiny waterfalls along the way. On my travels I met a couple of locals on horseback who had obviously been into the forest to chop some wood, as the horses were laden with logs & a chain saw! After about an hour I came across someone's 'makeshift' house (bedding inside), that looked abandoned. I continued to walk for a further hour & a half still following the length of the stream before deciding to head back. It was a great afternoon's hike.

A friendly goat! (Hiking east away from the village of Mborja into the mountains)

Morava Mountains in Korça

Morava Mountains in Korça

Morava Mountains in Korça

When I arrived back in Korça (about 3pm), I was really hungry so I visited the small takeaway place to the left of my hotel on Midhi Kostani Rd & ordered a 'Gjiro' (150 lek), which basically is a donor kebab with chips. The place seemed very popular as the owner was kept busy with a constant stream of customers. I was still hungry afterwards & so I headed along Gjergj Kastrioti Rd & visited another takeaway place (opposite my hotel) & I had my best byrek yet (& a slice of pizza!) All served by a very nice lady.

I have caught the sun a little too much today, so will need to try & keep out of it for a few days. I decided not to bother going out in the evening & have an early night.

Day 7 - Përmeti to Korça

I was up early again (6am) & left my hotel & walked along the main high street as far as the restaurant 'Familjar', where all the buses appear to hang out. I was soon told that the bus for Korça would be leaving at 7am, & so I had plenty of time to have a coffee at one of the nearby cafes. I soon realised the bus was actually a coach rather than a 'furgon' (minibus). We left just after 7am, the fare was 800 lek, which I thought was really expensive. I assumed this was because I was paying for the luxury of a coach.

We set off out of town along the road heading south (the one I had walked along yesterday). The views were amazing as we followed the Vjosa River & climbed over the mountains. Unfortunately a child whom was sat next to me (with his family) was sick on the coach & so we had to stop so the driver could clean up the mess! We had a ten minute stop at Leskoviku & Erseka & a few other shorter stops in between to pickup & drop off passengers. I finally arrived in Korça at 11:45am.

As soon as I jumped off the bus at the bus station I was greeted by young kids asking for money which wasn't a great start. It didn't take me too long to find 'Hani I Elbasanit' (mentioned in my guidebook as a great place to stay), but unfortunately when I arrived I was soon told it was now closed. It was a shame as it looked a really funky place to have stayed!

I crossed the main road & headed for The Grand. As they were wanting 2500 lek (with breakfast) I thought I would see if I could find a little cheaper. I tried next door at Kocibelli & they were only wanting 2000 lek. As I couldn't really be bothered to hunt around anymore I decided to book in. My room was huge with three beds & the shower was incredibly powerful (as mentioned in my guidebook!)

I later left my hotel & headed towards the Cathedral. (I noticed just around the corner from were I was staying were a couple of other hotels that looked as if they would be cheaper.) I walked through the town & eventually ended up on the Fan Noli Rd heading south when I spotted the Birra Korça Brewery which looked a great place & would be worthy of a photograph. There was a large outdoor eating area with waiters (all wearing orange Korça Beer tee shirts) carrying large trays laden with pints of beer coming out of the brewery. I had a look inside (it had amazing character) & ordered 3 x Pork Shish Qebaps (pork marinated & grilled) & fries with a pint of Korça beer. One of the waiters later came to my table with the food & asked for 460 lek (60 lek was for the beer), I was more than happy for him to keep the 500 lek note. I made a comment about his tee-shirt as I thought it would make a really cool souvenir! He informed me that he would ask his boss & suggested a price of perhaps 6 Euros? He later returned with a medium size one, unfortunately he did not have change for a 10 Euro note, so I gave him a 1000 lek note & said ‘Get me another beer & we can call it quits!’ The deal was done!

Korça's Orthodox Cathedral

The Birra Korça Brewery

The Birra Korça Brewery

After my lunch I headed back towards the Cathedral & wandered around the very old (Ottoman) buildings behind it. It was a really nice place to walk around for an hour or so.

Ottoman homes behind the Orthodox Cathedral in Korça

Ottoman homes behind the Orthodox Cathedral in Korça

Ottoman homes behind the Orthodox Cathedral in Korça

I then made my way over to the market area & although everybody had packed up & gone home for the day (it was about 4pm), it was still a fascinating place to walk around with all the very old (& some dilapidated) buildings. There was plenty of evidence that the area was being regenerated (sympathetically), which was nice to see. I was amazed to see a brand new indoor shopping centre in the heart of the old market!

Ottoman homes in the market area of Korça

Ottoman homes in the market area of Korça

I later decided to walk north along the Republika Boulevard (plenty of café bars along the way) as far as the Skenderbeu Stadium. I really wanted a coffee & some cake & soon spotted a pastry shop called 'Dajana' (opposite the stadium) which had an amazing array of cakes & ice-cream to choose from. I took a seat outside & ordered cake, ice-cream & coffee (300 lek). It was all absolutely delicious!

A bargain at 300 lek!

After my treat I headed back to my hotel for a lie down. I plan to pop out again & find a bar with a big TV as England are playing there last qualifying match against Ukraine!

I only went as far as the next door bar to watch the football, as they had a big projector screen outside. There was a large crowd watching & most seemed to want England to win, although I think it was because a  lot had a bet on!

One thing that is noticeably nice in the evening in Korça is the temperature; it is quite a bit cooler which is nice. Something to do with 850m above sea level I think!