Tuesday 11June

 Departure from Heathrow and flight to Tirana pretty straightforward and we descend into the heat soon after midday. There is quite a delay to collect bags and we have an anxious few minutes unable to locate our taxi driver who seems to have already left without us. We are already missing access to our phones. Eventually reunited we are driven through busy traffic to our Hotel Vila 60 in Tirana. A hot bustling Eastern European city. 

We find an authentically Albanian BBQ joint for meatballs and Kosovan sausage. We order a large beer and are somewhat horrified to be served a whole litre. I can barely lift the glass! But it certainly hits the spot! 

We then wandered around Skanderberg Square with its impressive minaret and opera building. We climb the Clock Tower for views and then eat fresh cherries and figs from the market in the shade. 

We have supper at Era Vila sitting up on a terrace. Pleasant meze dishes, a blend of Italian and Greek we think. And our first bottle of Albanian wine. Most palatable.