Cardinal Richelieu Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I realise it wouldn't be everyone's first choice of holiday destination, but after spending a couple of weeks in another ex-Communist country (Romania) last year I'm eager to visit there - not least to see the 500,000 concrete bunkers dotted around the country - a throwback to the paranoid delusions of the isolationist leader Enver Hoxha. I'd also like to get the train there - possibly even through the Channel Tunnel (and maybe fly back). However, I can only take 2 weeks off work, so the maximum time I can be away is 16 days - I don't even know if it would be possible in this time. So does anyone else have similar experience, i.e. travelling to the other side of Europe by train? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florentine_Pogen Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 http://www.seat61.com/Albania.htm#.U3HTsnYVvCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Legend F_P. Exactly the sort of thing I wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florentine_Pogen Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Legend F_P. Exactly the sort of thing I wanted. Je vous en prie, Votre Eminence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 I was in Albania with Linfield in the early 1980's when they played 17 Nentori and, although it has changed since then, I'll PM you with details. Never seen so many push bikes in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 You can get a ferry from Corfu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Cheers lads. I've been telling a few people at work about my plans and I'm met with a mixture of confusion (never heard of it, or thought it was in Africa) and dark warnings how they all have guns out there (which is also true for USA, Canada, Switzerland etc). Look forward to the PM AFJ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperCaleyGoBallistic Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Would love to go. It's on my to do list. There's a Mediterranean coastline as well without the tourists that go with it in Greece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shahid khan Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Spent a few days in Albania in 2012. Flew to Dubrovnik then onto Shkodder via Montenegro. Very strange place, winding roads so planes couldn't land or take off and as mentioned above loads of wee bunkers. Went with a tour and the guide was very knowledgeable and some of the tales he was telling about the dictatorship ruling was bizzare to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Spent a few days in Albania in 2012. Flew to Dubrovnik then onto Shkodder via Montenegro. Very strange place, winding roads so planes couldn't land or take off and as mentioned above loads of wee bunkers. Went with a tour and the guide was very knowledgeable and some of the tales he was telling about the dictatorship ruling was bizzare to say the least. Cheers. The book I read was about the dictator Hoxha who was so paranoid about getting assassinated that he scoured the country for a lookalike. When one was found, the army abducted him, murdered his family, gave him plastic surgery and he was good to go. Sadly, whenever the regime was overthrown, he was basically chucked out on the street and unable to fend for himself - not forgetting the fact that he looked exactly like the hated dictator. Given their suspicions of higher authority and general suspicion, the poor guy wouldn't have lasted long. Away from Hoxha, there's plenty of other crazy goings on there, not least how in rural parts, the women can essential become men if they take a vow of chastity, and the fact that 2/3rds of the country lost money into pyramid schemes that caused the economy to collapse and riots killing more than 2,000 people. In some respects, Albania was quite like NK, refusing all outside contact and on 24 hour watch for invasions. All in all, a fascinating place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tight minge Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Albania is a cracking place with really friendly people. Obviously quite run down, but worth the trip. The mountain area going to Macedonia is amazing and really unspoilt (apart form the odd concrete bunker). So parts of Albania are not safe though, but along the coast and most tourist areas are fine. You will see a big diference between Romania and Albania, with Romania being, on the whole much more developed. I'd throw in Bosnia for a holiday, the lakes and mountains there are brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cardinal Richelieu Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Aye, I was surprised how "advanced" Romania was, especially since my sister visited not long after the fall of Caucescu and told me how backward it was. Everywhere you went there was free wi-fi, even when I was sitting on a beach on the Black Sea with nary a building in sight. What also struck me was that despite the number of stray dogs, there wasn't any dog shit in sight. Not sure who or how they cleared it all up, but it was certainly a very clean country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tight minge Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Well don't expect any of that in Albania. Albania is great though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Aye, I was surprised how "advanced" Romania was, especially since my sister visited not long after the fall of Caucescu and told me how backward it was. Everywhere you went there was free wi-fi, even when I was sitting on a beach on the Black Sea with nary a building in sight. What also struck me was that despite the number of stray dogs, there wasn't any dog shit in sight. Not sure who or how they cleared it all up, but it was certainly a very clean country. I was in Bulgaria in the Eighties and touched for a wee bird from Glasgow, (Hi Melanie from Lyoncross Road/Way if you're reading this). We spent the night on the beach (fcuk knows why as I had a fairly nice room?) and at sun-up three bus loads of gypsy/peasant women arrived. They got off the bus and marched along the beach with plastic bags, picking up all the rubbish by hand, even cigarette butts. The place was spotless within the hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanetti Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Aye, I was surprised how "advanced" Romania was, especially since my sister visited not long after the fall of Caucescu and told me how backward it was. Everywhere you went there was free wi-fi, even when I was sitting on a beach on the Black Sea with nary a building in sight. What also struck me was that despite the number of stray dogs, there wasn't any dog shit in sight. Not sure who or how they cleared it all up, but it was certainly a very clean country. Romania actually has one of, if not the best internet services in Europe. This is because it was also one of the last countries to get it, so they were able to put in better, faster technology which other places which had it for longer weren't able to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Apparently they are trying to develop tourism in Albania, which makes sense really given it's location. I'd love to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhumper Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Never been to Albania but loved Macedonia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tight minge Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Apparently they are trying to develop tourism in Albania, which makes sense really given it's location. I'd love to go. The Italians have been going to Albania for cheap holidays in Albania for many years, the Albanians just need to be more 'appealing' There are plenty of unspoilt beaches along the coast. The whole Adrian region is quite beautiful and Albania the most underdeveloped. Driving through Albania is a fucking nightmare though but still a great place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mansantoa Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Anyone been to Durres? Will be there at some point in September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costas Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 i went with motherwell 5 years ago cracking place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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