On to Durres, Albania

On our second day in Albania we drive to Durres.  As in Italy, there are architectural ruins every where.  Our first stop is at the  Museu Arkeologjik.  This is a work in process, as there are three stories to the building, but only the first floor is ready to be viewed.  Only one small area can be photographed with the rest off limits.  I have never understood why they do this.  I have been in many famous museums where you are allowed to take photos - just without flash.  Then in some small our of the way museum you cannot.  They have the usual Roman/Greek statues and reliefs here. 

Then we go to get coffee.  This is a big thing here.  Migen always wants to stop for coffee in the morning and in the afternoon.  He takes us to a place that has a great view.

Next is the Durres Amphitheatre.  This is smaller than the one in Rome and also they think it is in the shape of an ellipse.  It is only partially excavated.

 This house peeked my interest.  It is just across from the ruins - the uncovered part.  They think there was a third level - see the picture above - so there is some talk about destroying all the houses above and around the amphitheatre to discover the rest of it.  As you can imagine the owners of those fancy houses above are not to keen on that.

I am not sure why, but Migen our guide did not seem properly packed for this trip.  We ended up going to his home town which was not the way to his parents house so he could pick up some clothes.  He had explained to us that he had taken it upon himself to plant some trees in the central courtyard of this poor area, trying to beautify the area.  Some of the local women had taken ownership of the project by planting some flowers and herbs around the trees.  Migen has since moved to another apartment.  So as he went to his parent's 5th floor apartment Mike and I stayed by the car, but decided to get out and take some photos.  Soon some young boys came by to see what we were doing in the neighborhood.  We were obviously out of place!  The boy in the middle spoke English very well so he interpreted for the others.

 Mike trying to show them where New Mexico is in the U.S.

 Soon an older women came by.  She was scolding the boys.  She is one of the women who has planted flowers and herbs in the garden and the boys are standing right in the middle of it and also have been throwing trash in the area.  She was not very happy!

 But I told the boy to tell her that I loved all the flowers and that she was beautiful.  I got this smile - and a sprig of basil.

This boy kept talking to me in Albanian - I guess thinking that the more he said I would finally be able to understand him!  But every time he agreed to a photo - he would turn his head away. 

Then we drove to a nearby town where Migen had his apartment.  He wanted to pick up his drone.  Actually it is not his drone - but one an Albanian friend who now lives in the U.S. gave him to get footage of Albania.  So we saw his apartment which is really quite nice even though the building itself is quite stark.  Migen has three jobs, a tour guide, a radio show host and one other I have forgotten.  So he wanted to show us the radio station.  View from the station window.  A closeup of the statue below.

 Migen sitting a the controls where he has a talk show.  He wants us to do a longer segment on his show later in the week.  Just to talk about being an American tourist in Albania.