General Remarks
I generally ate in cafeterias by the university area. Cheap Albanian home cooking. Contact me if you want the exact location. Albanians want cash because they are dodging credit card transaction fees and taxes. Euros are commonly accepted. However there is a liquidity issue where some stores will reject Euro if it is not of an acceptable denomination. The bus to and from the airport does indeed accept credit card.
| Dish | Pronounce | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Byrek | boo-rek | A savory pastry filled with cheese, spinach, or meat. |
| Tavë Kosi | tah-vuh koh-see | A baked dish made with lamb, rice, and yogurt. |
| Fërgesë | fur-guh-suh | A dish made with peppers, tomatoes, and cottage cheese. |
| Qofte | choff-teh | Albanian meatballs typically made with minced meat and spices. |
| Baklava | bah-klah-vah | A sweet dessert made of layers of filo pastry filled with nuts and honey. |
| Speca me Glizë | speh-tsah meh glee-zuh | Peppers stuffed with rice, meat, and spices. |
| Trilece | tree-leh-cheh | A sponge cake soaked in three types of milk, similar to tres leches. |
| Flija | flee-yah | A layered pancake-like dish often served with yogurt or cheese. |
Happenings
While walking through the streets, a man was grilling meat and offered me some with bread. When I tried to pay him, he refused. Very nice man.
I had a encounter with the Albanian mob. Three teenagers approached me, asking if I wanted to get drinks and meet pretty girls. I knew I was in trouble when one of them pulled out a large wad of USD10 bills and offered to buy me drinks.
I frequently heard people greeting me with “nihao” and “konichiwa.” Based Albanians.
On a mountain, I met four Dutch college students. We helped push a rock down a gorge and then went exploring to find a castle. They were nice but seemed a bit naive and immature.
Visited Bunkart1, absolutely insane. Enver Hoxha, an evil man by all accounts, is still somewhat well-regarded in Albania. I spoke with a museum guard who lived through the regime as a child. He didn’t express a clear opinion on Hoxha but mentioned the difficulties of starting an industry from scratch.