Two of the most interesting destinations on this two-week trip were definitely Gjirokastër, in Albania, and Corfu, in Greece. I loved it in Gjirokastër, and wish I had stayed for a night or two, instead of just visiting for a few hours. It has tons of good ingredients, like a giant castle, an old Ottoman town and houses, dozens of confiscated WWI and WWII Italian and German cannons, a captured American spy plane, a war tunnel where the electricity didn’t work during our visit, unique architecture, a bazaar, tasty local food, and great views!
If I were to recommend plans for a short trip to Albania, I’d say to fly into Corfu, Greece, seeing that town for at least a few hours (including both fortresses for the views), and then taking the ferry over to Sarande. Albania is much less expensive than Greece, especially for lodging, so you don’t need to stay overnight in Corfu. Then again, Corfu has more character and is more charming given its long history and older buildings. Sarande was only really built up over the past 25 years, and while modern and clean on the promenade, it is mostly just big concrete apartment buildings otherwise. Enjoy a private sunny beach or two in the Sarande area, and take two day trips, one including the Butrint ruins, and another to Gjirokastër. One of those trips should include Ksamil and the Blue Eye as well, which are worthwhile. Three or four nights should suffice. I encountered many Americans in Corfu, but very few just a short ferry ride away in Sarande, and those that don’t visit Albania too are missing out. Of course, even more time would be better, allowing for visiting Tirana and using it as a base for exploration elsewhere in the region. Durrës does not warrant an overnight stay. I’ve heard good things about Berat, but I didn’t visit there.
Side note: Former Albanian communist era dictator Enver Hoxha was from Gjirokastër.
On my final day before flying back to Prague, I took a ferry from Sarande in Albania over to the island of Corfu in Greece. Ryanair has a direct flight from Corfu to Prague, which was handy so that I didn’t need to take a several-hour scary bus ride back to Tirana. Speaking of scary drives, a couple I met earlier on the trip texted me toward the end of their time in Albania and said that they encountered a serious highway accident and saw a motionless man in a badly damaged car. The police and ambulance were still not at the scene yet. I’m really glad I chose not to rent a car!
I spent only a few hours in Corfu, but they were very worthwhile. It’s a lovely old city, with great views provided from the fortresses. A few hours can suffice if moving quickly, but a full day would be better. More if swimming or doing excursions.
Today’s final Albania tidbits:
– Most restaurants I visited in Albania had what I’d consider to be perfect service. Sit where you want, and the server will instantly show up, normally with a smile and a welcome. They somehow know exactly when you’re ready to order, and they don’t bother you while you’re eating. It’s the perfect middle ground between suffocating American service and practiced indifference in much of Europe. Again, the English is amazing, and they seem genuinely pleased when you say that you enjoyed the meal.
– Can you believe that I didn’t have a post on the Albanian language? I didn’t spend much time on it, learning just some of the pronunciations, most of which are straightforward. I learned hello and thanks, along with osmosis words that one sees everywhere, like “lavazh” for car wash (there must be more per capita in Albania than anywhere else) and the chuckle-worthy “shitet” for things for sale. For pronunciation, the only letters and letter combos I noted as unusual are: Dh (th), Ë (Ə – it’s a “schwa”sound), Gj (dju), Q (soft t’), X (ds), Xh (dj), and Y (ü like in German). “Mirëdita” is good day, and “Faleminderit” is thank you. A five-syllable “thanks” is the longest I can recall of any language for which I am familiar with the associated word or phrase.
– During World War II a plane carrying numerous Americans crashed in Albania. Albanians rescued the Americans and helped them escape the Nazi-occupied territory. It’s a harrowing tale, and one I’d never heard before.
After returning to Prague, a couple of days later I went to Metalfest in Plzen (birthplace of the pilsner beer), finally getting to enjoy two Dutch symphonic metal bands I’ve been wanting to see in concert for almost 20 years: Epica and Within Temptation. An American friend living in Czechia joined me, as he and I both listened to hard rock and metal from the 1980s while growing up. The shows were great, and half-liter beers were on offer for $3.22!
Today’s DadGPT joke:
I once got into an argument with a broken elevator. It was wrong on so many levels.
Today’s tasty treat video:
I recently learned about a trend going on which I had somehow missed, and that is something called Dubai chocolate. Once I knew to look for it, I saw it everywhere! Including in convenience and grocery stores in Albania and Greece.
Today’s Epictetus:
Never depend on the admiration of others for self-satisfaction. It is a fact of life that other people, even people who love you, will not necessarily agree with your ideas, understand you always, or share your enthusiasms.
Major Meander 
That whole area reminds me of a combination of Split, Zadar, and Rovinj! Dubai chocolate is a thing? I’m so glad you got to see those bands, and look forward to hearing what that experience was like. What beautiful and unique places!
That’s true! I think you’d like the region. I was particularly surprised how interesting the history is, paired with how very little I knew about Albania before the visit.
Metalfest Pilsen was fantastic!! Perhaps a new tradition?? It was funny seeing all the black-shirted metalheads in our hotel lobby.