Off I head again.

After taking what seemed to me like enough rest and time to accommodate with Albania at Tauschias place, i head of fro Berat, a beautiful conserved city. It was conserved this way back in the days of communism, as a natural size museum.

The bus journey is long and tiering, as always. but cheap. The roads are real bad and shaky again (they shook of a side mirror from the bus...) the roadsides are full of garbage, once again...

I arrive in Berat where i soon smell the strong flavors of freshly fround coffee! I stop in a small shop where i can not resist buying some Turkish coffee. It is still warm and smells through the hot sealed package. I buy a small pack for personal use but this immediately makes me think of the good old days working with Benz at LESO in Lausanne. When he prepared this delicious coffee on hard mornings. And as i was passing the post office, i send it of to him, no doubts this was meant to happen. I hope it got there!

I then taste a local burek, delicious, simple, cheap. And find a room in a private house for a very reasonable price. I talk to the chick at the info center about Albania, she shows me pictures from Albania from the sky. It seems to be a beautiful country with many hidden surprising places. As i then walk through the city, i meet a hotel owner who invites me over to taste his wifes coffee and his home made vine. Surprisingly good and not too strong. The first vine i taste in Albania is a very good surprise! He then shows me around his garden and his 30 pigeons from different origins. I have to say goodbye and go around to make pictures in the evening light. Not so concluding sooting session. I eat, meet a bunch of Check who wonder what i do alone and then an Albanian kid who grew up in England and has been away for 8 years. He is 12 and speaks very wisely for his age, he is very surprised by Albania, did not expect it that way. All the houses under construction, all the garbage... He prefers England.

I walk around the local giro a bit, young Albanians want to be taken in picture, i don't manage to do a reasonably good shot. still have to work on the flash use.

I go home, feeling a bit dizzy from all those people on the streets. I feel very tiered and a little lonely in my dark room...

Berat