tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-184654192024-03-23T19:33:41.930+01:00Our Man in TiranaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger344125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-50725144028705040562008-01-28T20:38:00.001+01:002014-05-29T04:40:15.514+02:00Welcome<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welcome to <span style="font-style: italic;">Our Man in Tirana</span>. I moved to Tirana, capital of Albania, in October 2005 and left in October 2007. This blog is a mix of photographs, reports, links, impressions and, undoubtedly, prejudices relating to the city and the country.<br />
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Since I am no longer in Tirana I am no longer updating this blog. However, there are over 300 posts covering this two year period and I hope that they are still of some interest.<br />
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So if you are curious about Albania or if you are planning to visit I hope this blog will be of value.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-36245071054662240262008-01-22T14:29:00.000+01:002008-01-22T23:51:20.531+01:00Mark Mardell in AlbaniaMark Mardell, the BBC's European editor, has made his first visit to Albania and is blogging about the country on the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2008/01/is_there_a_european_islam_1.html">BBC website</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-9567071268675395402007-10-24T16:23:00.001+02:002007-10-24T16:36:21.098+02:00Whimper<div style="text-align: justify;">And now the end is near<br />and so i face nanananana...<br /><br />Never did like that crappy song.<br /><br />But it's true nevertheless.<br /><br />Tomorrow in the wee hours of the morning we will be heading for the airport for the last time. I suppose it was too much to expect that I could have kept this going while getting ready to leave. So apologies for the lack of postings over the last weeks. This is post number 380 something so I suppose one post every two days is not a bad average.<br /><br />There were probably 380 more in my head or scribbled down on scraps of paper, but many of them are perhaps best left there.<br /><br />I suppose I should be penning - or typing - my final thoughts and reflections on two years in Tirana, but right now I don't have any. Maybe in a month or two though I might come back with something.<br /><br />Thanks to all of you who have read this blog - especially those of you who have become regulars. Thanks also for linking and thanks to all who left comments.<br /><br />As for the other stars of the blog, Bella now has her own personal hand made dog crate, and by tomorrow evening she will be stepping out of it into the crisp autumn weather of Wisconsin. I might post some photographs here later.<br /><br />Dougal will be spending this weekend with some of our neighbours before moving in with a friend called Tommy on Monday. At the moment this is a temporary arrangement while we continue to find a permanent solution. But at least he will not be going back on the streets and we hope that temporary might be come permanent eventually.<br /><br />If another blog appears I will make it known here.<br /><br />Goodbye.<br /><br />PS I had another bash at Hotel California at Flares on Friday night and I was rubbish.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-78138060354011461952007-10-06T00:08:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:31:44.493+01:00Hotel California<div style="text-align: justify;">When we first arrived it seemed that I heard it everywhere. Now, as we get ready to leave I'm hearing it everywhere again. In the last three days I've heard it three times - on Wednesday in Juvenilja, on Thursday somewhere I can't remember, on Friday at an open air festival in Mother Tereza Square. The latter was a kind of ersatz reggae version - pleasingly different.<br /><br />I tried it once myself at Flares on karaoke night, but I couldn't hit the high notes. Maybe I ought to give it one more go.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-21220316628366352772007-10-01T14:23:00.001+02:002013-01-27T01:37:40.142+01:00Miss Globe 2007<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8ItecaUtmE0t6aSSgXaooHKQmc-VxWmgiDmf1LWvlqDB7eLSC1vohaJwrlqG2CtFwVM66_kIrZpJFm_HbrRcz0DKU5E_8WBEeACy5y67RcoErLQO_0MbyBW-ZTM1myoI8f95RQ/s1600-h/globe.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116350076832751954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuInQDTQ7hk64cA6u-tepof0v0v5ncdArJ8eugD02H6xd3G67lMYglPn8jD08ROeRBRcrj990ry6mRkiun-CS2dWrK9XaRJSddlbBxKGptDLZbxazwPrpFWZF_OTmPudwov7M5AA/s1600/globe.gif" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>On Saturday, we were at the Rogner meeting with an expat friend who was leaving Tirana. It was breakfast time, and as our friend was finishing his tea the breakfast room started to fill up with over-dressed (or under-dressed) young women wearing blue sashes.</div>
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These were the contestants for the Miss Globe 2007 beauty pageant being held in Tirana tonight at the Palace of Congresses.</div>
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High heel boots and mini-skirts - or in a couple of cases micro-skirts, or possibly just belts - have never struck me as obvious breakfast attire, but the girls seemed happy enough tottering and wobbling around with their tea and toast. I'm not sure why they were wearing their sashes - perhaps in case they forgot which country they came from.<br />
As we were leaving they were boarding a large coach which I had seen a number of times around the city in the last few days for their next trip. I'm not sure how some of them made it up the steps, or how they managed to sit down, but perhaps these are the kinds of skills you learn at beauty pageant school.<br />
I had never previously heard of Miss Globe but a search on Google found the <a href="http://www.missglobe-international.org/">relevant website.</a> It seems it was started years ago by some dodgy looking American called Charlie See and is now licenced to an Albanian company, Deliart, run by Petri Bozo. (No English language jokes about his name please.)<br />
According to the website there are 51 contestants so there are a few holes in this globe. Some come from fairly unlikely places - Mongolia and Pakistan stand out - while others seem to prefer an air of mystery - <a href="http://www.missglobe-international.org/Miss2007/Participants/Romania.html">Miss Romania</a> has supplied neither photograph nor information.<br />
<a href="http://www.missglobe-international.org/Miss2007/Participants/England.html">Miss England</a> provided one of the lengthier entries explaining how she would like to be like Princess Diana - presumably by doing charitable works rather than hanging around with drunken playboys in Parisian underpasses.<br />
It all sounds a bit corny - among the requirements listed on the website for the 'girls' are 'high hill' shoes, not to be confused with the 'sportive dress and shoes (needed for mountain climbing)'. Appearances can be deceptive but they didn't look to me like mountain climbing types - dancing seems to be the preferred activity judging from the participants' biographies.<br />
Along the way there are various parades, presentations and day trips - including a chance to visit the 'Hydro Energetic System of Vau i Dejes'. Still, people do seem to be taking it seriously. There are receptions and meeting lined up with various mayors, ministers and their deputies, and with the Prime Minister of Kosovo and President Topi.<br />
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Personally, I'm backing <a href="http://www.missglobe-international.org/Miss2007/Participants/Venezuela.html">Miss Venezuela</a>, (on the left) Julia ThaĆs Mendoza Quintero. As we try to find a home for Dougal and look out on the multiplying dogs in the street, anyone whose ambition (apart from becoming a famous international model, which goes without saying) is to set up an animal rescue foundation gets my vote, although the expressed ambition of Horka Lada, Miss Czech Republic, (on the right) 'to be a good people' would presumably also involve being nice to animals.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFmRBB5dBdlmz4YjUKX1cukAp3OpK9s_eUieyJ9NDbHNdmHE9Z_lTRabzyJcbY7i39jgynE6JJDzf1y_Zo-nXbl0vQsDNSIiXaV8cp372hAyYSXo8d7d_dy3NvHs30LXzxogk8A/s1600-h/venezuela.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116354552188674402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0J_LghLC9L8odih3Ny6Gut_82deLyi7VJfo19gagl0QngjRigbVHXg-fUeqh0gofsCvUH0gPDBnqwIu0v4Ar9zjAw6sGbziOxMCG5Tqjt8lcT6aBwL9pS7KWuTkVUNscUCc3F8Q/s200/venezuela.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDL77CW6hkE3cRcNdyAILagI856KHS_LObv_XIYubN4plHYLiwCNB8SZ9fCPSptfm7wnMnz5mHgJljEUpWKAulx2RGdRf8IQxY7qMO1IJ-3EWOUmmPaUeUmz5-3AqaKsTJeVCaUA/s1600-h/CzechRepublic.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116356734032060786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDL77CW6hkE3cRcNdyAILagI856KHS_LObv_XIYubN4plHYLiwCNB8SZ9fCPSptfm7wnMnz5mHgJljEUpWKAulx2RGdRf8IQxY7qMO1IJ-3EWOUmmPaUeUmz5-3AqaKsTJeVCaUA/s200/CzechRepublic.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-20997483385366366192007-09-27T17:18:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:37:21.462+01:00The Real Thing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURvk-JsaHc-2Wb4ohutOo5b1PY-nhZVH2da6O6wdxXqlTKdIbwDis3vTogrpKMexxneXgJCkXbK_TGXkes5GLrwoVf-Nbp0P7NV8vHwyqqiR9HUvNRxTUXHaJZAjq8K9MFuI7AA/s1600-h/IMG_4935.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhURvk-JsaHc-2Wb4ohutOo5b1PY-nhZVH2da6O6wdxXqlTKdIbwDis3vTogrpKMexxneXgJCkXbK_TGXkes5GLrwoVf-Nbp0P7NV8vHwyqqiR9HUvNRxTUXHaJZAjq8K9MFuI7AA/s400/IMG_4935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114904635654054210" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-23073683937416540552007-09-26T12:20:00.001+02:002008-01-22T23:33:40.000+01:00World Tourism Day<div style="text-align: justify;">Apparently it's World Tourism Day and European Heritage Day. I only know this because the Ministry of Tourism, Culture Youth and Sports is organising a series of events to mark these.<p>In Tirana, most of the events are taking place at the National Art Gallery on Thursday 29th. There is a exhibition of photographs running all day, and in the evening there is the 'Albanian Tourism Destination Mini-Fair'.</p></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iR2a0RuYN6DIeiHdmAKbabkGhgJLtSornYo6mZr5y2-7ik0EfOPD2Tjm80GCWyGtGOK8gDWUVEk6qeAvA1JsNli_kFVAVHZfijKA4OSxAOaZxdx47AtwCD-y5JYk1orvvz_LlQ/s1600-h/INV+English+WTD.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8iR2a0RuYN6DIeiHdmAKbabkGhgJLtSornYo6mZr5y2-7ik0EfOPD2Tjm80GCWyGtGOK8gDWUVEk6qeAvA1JsNli_kFVAVHZfijKA4OSxAOaZxdx47AtwCD-y5JYk1orvvz_LlQ/s400/INV+English+WTD.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114458388551999794" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-79231828527870296262007-09-25T16:19:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:39:43.757+01:00Crash (Again)<div style="text-align: justify;">Middle of the day. No other traffic. Dead straight road. Boy in Mercedes decides to play with his brakes. Tyres squeal. Boy loses control. Car slides. Car hits parked lorry. Result: Mercedes 0 - Lorry 1.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/RvkZ14wooSI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/BC0BLhQfW8A/s1600-h/IMG_5462.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/RvkZ14wooSI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/BC0BLhQfW8A/s400/IMG_5462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114147265416044834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Wdwn1EJ0WTO8VrmTlrF_-4kBop6SDE9jczT1XiWCNz-tqDEkBrjgbcycVJH7bo88VmZjKWVw6Xohl1SGVzFv6MgP01sERusxJlxkSGGD19DrvMk8FXEskLNrNspoQx6EWx-wtQ/s1600-h/IMG_5465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Wdwn1EJ0WTO8VrmTlrF_-4kBop6SDE9jczT1XiWCNz-tqDEkBrjgbcycVJH7bo88VmZjKWVw6Xohl1SGVzFv6MgP01sERusxJlxkSGGD19DrvMk8FXEskLNrNspoQx6EWx-wtQ/s400/IMG_5465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5114147132272058642" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-10384171130445269392007-09-23T00:46:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:34:24.119+01:00Big in Albania<div style="text-align: justify;">Ask me how much I knew about Albania before coming here and my list would be a short one: Enver Hoxha, bunkers and Sir Norman Wisdom. I have no idea when or how I acquired this extensive body of knowledge, but the association of Norman Wisdom with Albania was by far the most interesting part of it.<p>I remember watching Norman Wisdom's old films on British television. My parents were fans of his wholesome, slapstick comedy, but apparently missed the ideological significance of Pitkin's relationship with Mr Grimsdale. Pitkin, the downtrodden and oppressed representative of the workers, triumphed every time over his capitalist oppressor, Mr Grimsdale - and he got the girl. It took a theorist of Hoxha's insight and profundity to discern this deeper political message.</p><p>It always seemed tremendously unlikely, yet the story of Sir Norman's fame in Albania has been reported in worthy sources like the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1251406.stm">BBC</a>, the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/netnotes/article/0,,1326209,00.html">Guardian</a> and the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/30/wwide30.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/10/30/ixworld.html">Daily Telegraph</a>. According to the Guardian, when Wisdom visited Tirana in 1995 the then President and current Prime Minister Sali Berisha was there to greet him. The BBC story, reporting his return to the city in 2001, claimed he was a bigger draw than David Beckham, in the country at the same time with the England football team.</p><p>Another story from the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?grid=T6&xml=/travel/2002/07/31/etalbania28.xml"> Telegraph</a> covers his visit in 2002 with British comedian, Tony Hawks. Together they performed a song, 'Big in Albania', written by Tim Rice. Hawks had taken a bet that he could get a song into the top 20 somewhere in the world and calculated that Sir Norman's status in Albania might help him into the local charts.</p><p>Despite all of this, I have never come across any indication of Wisdom's popularity in the country. While Albanian filmmaker and writer Fatmir Terziu has written about Sir Norman on <a href="http://fatmir-terziu.blogspot.com/2007/07/sir-norman-wisdom-proletarian-hero.html">his blog</a>, I have never met anyone here who knows anything about him. I assume that this is because most of the Albanians I know tend to be in their twenties, while those who watched Sir Norman's films during the bleak years of communism would be much older.</p><p>Have any of my Albanian readers ever heard of Norman Wisdom? Do any of you remember going to see any of his films? Maybe it's time for the Millenium to run a Norman Wisdom retrospective. Or perhaps one of the many unnamed streets in the city could become Rr. Norman Wisdom (or would that be <span style="font-style: italic;">Uisdom?</span>), or Rr. Pitkin.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-77154988079531570542007-09-20T12:57:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:34:53.724+01:00House of Books<div style="text-align: justify;">Albanian blogger Elvis Palku had an interesting announcement on <a href="http://eplaku.blogspot.com/2007/09/online-albanian-bookstore.html">his blog</a> yesterday. He has set up an <a href="http://www.shtepiaelibrit.com/libra/">online bookshop</a> making Albanian language books published here available for Albanians everywhere. There is also a <a href="http://www.shtepiaelibrit.com/blog/">dedicated blog</a> with regular news on the project.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-69478522443983493062007-09-18T14:59:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:35:44.829+01:00Hope<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru_MnyzkIkI/AAAAAAAAAuY/uJERuWDh2ZI/s1600-h/DSC00003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru_MnyzkIkI/AAAAAAAAAuY/uJERuWDh2ZI/s400/DSC00003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111529086113817154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCyUyAw6YWaAgGgSPK5RNvDi20Y4Tnmo7oosMd-yhPEgczgibOiFkjZnBpJdHkshg4-Er7EfhCxvYDJhD62mt2PzUO5VxZ9LNVqpTHMPhwbJGzqnKj1yvro7Wb5L9FoSyuh1EFw/s1600-h/DSC00002-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCyUyAw6YWaAgGgSPK5RNvDi20Y4Tnmo7oosMd-yhPEgczgibOiFkjZnBpJdHkshg4-Er7EfhCxvYDJhD62mt2PzUO5VxZ9LNVqpTHMPhwbJGzqnKj1yvro7Wb5L9FoSyuh1EFw/s400/DSC00002-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111528944379896370" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-86184799264585765962007-09-17T12:39:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:37:58.731+01:00Butrint<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSu0pCdA9AQDT8pbQr5r7brvFdj28__L_pS8ftIkBTrSowjX22LjL1kKSy694xFCkIdD4nuFfffHX2ISO3juFuQFEKucyevATIUhp-Kd4iHEF3m2PROT5A6dJ0aHoSs22L7Z4iA/s1600-h/IMG_5318.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSu0pCdA9AQDT8pbQr5r7brvFdj28__L_pS8ftIkBTrSowjX22LjL1kKSy694xFCkIdD4nuFfffHX2ISO3juFuQFEKucyevATIUhp-Kd4iHEF3m2PROT5A6dJ0aHoSs22L7Z4iA/s400/IMG_5318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111123301898658338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HSBi_cuZhZxBddKMmEa5WKL0bAX8zHhH86LKH-bB2TrGkbK4xHohtYVGDked69waKVv6gBvXe7Kxf2HTpGysjoX4THTkVbKeFW9zasrQYlrqIGDH7Ztam0TWbmd6UyiWwm6BWw/s1600-h/IMG_5320.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HSBi_cuZhZxBddKMmEa5WKL0bAX8zHhH86LKH-bB2TrGkbK4xHohtYVGDked69waKVv6gBvXe7Kxf2HTpGysjoX4THTkVbKeFW9zasrQYlrqIGDH7Ztam0TWbmd6UyiWwm6BWw/s400/IMG_5320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111123104330162706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdE17IqHDMH7HL9Szn0zCPKz0G3wdTLDlGg-S5KUaajrMYA2-ruVfodqUy6AiYRkGuSeGolob8rA56Wu5Y4iXi9djyVSyij_48Jk2vO8-Gz0pZd9i70azo8I-76qRu4lIW049TeA/s1600-h/IMG_5332.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdE17IqHDMH7HL9Szn0zCPKz0G3wdTLDlGg-S5KUaajrMYA2-ruVfodqUy6AiYRkGuSeGolob8rA56Wu5Y4iXi9djyVSyij_48Jk2vO8-Gz0pZd9i70azo8I-76qRu4lIW049TeA/s400/IMG_5332.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111122936826438146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztNb8jHCkVbZ2OU7ZDTc_jVBvpEmr-8k_Q235UUTB0RTc8ndwXeeIoDkxprByt3Eljh6BMl29KFw9XiFNtWnTzzs2gKGcjewrh2spyBHfc4kAzk3yMM-xe-mcuMJV_vq8E5ks6g/s1600-h/IMG_5334.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgztNb8jHCkVbZ2OU7ZDTc_jVBvpEmr-8k_Q235UUTB0RTc8ndwXeeIoDkxprByt3Eljh6BMl29KFw9XiFNtWnTzzs2gKGcjewrh2spyBHfc4kAzk3yMM-xe-mcuMJV_vq8E5ks6g/s400/IMG_5334.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111122739257942514" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru5a2yzkIeI/AAAAAAAAAto/uKskcnVLyrw/s1600-h/IMG_5350.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru5a2yzkIeI/AAAAAAAAAto/uKskcnVLyrw/s400/IMG_5350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111122524509577698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TUXJZTNXU9TkJemywjiqP1ZzbxDfmduS4dqDqUTfzfWUGkbWDEpz8DMzucSpabB3sv216VHYElsgylK1NAeHixS6i52JWTfV_oYzjmKZ-EjBrDEh4Ahyw6QseF5cjKm_JKmoJA/s1600-h/IMG_5363.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TUXJZTNXU9TkJemywjiqP1ZzbxDfmduS4dqDqUTfzfWUGkbWDEpz8DMzucSpabB3sv216VHYElsgylK1NAeHixS6i52JWTfV_oYzjmKZ-EjBrDEh4Ahyw6QseF5cjKm_JKmoJA/s400/IMG_5363.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111122339825983954" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru5aWyzkIcI/AAAAAAAAAtY/VVM4D5FqL5s/s1600-h/IMG_5374.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru5aWyzkIcI/AAAAAAAAAtY/VVM4D5FqL5s/s400/IMG_5374.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111121974753763778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPnGZz9YEBCOflS9DSLMP2gG5UP12B3k2NnFuo5r5S-qqNfTbIXPLKgv2sF4XfzsOuc3zSLFS-xXJk7Sear8npBM2pS0k242l2mqOFYAGYDA8uSUkxv-hpVM0Bx_B8Q1TcS5TiQ/s1600-h/IMG_5378.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmPnGZz9YEBCOflS9DSLMP2gG5UP12B3k2NnFuo5r5S-qqNfTbIXPLKgv2sF4XfzsOuc3zSLFS-xXJk7Sear8npBM2pS0k242l2mqOFYAGYDA8uSUkxv-hpVM0Bx_B8Q1TcS5TiQ/s400/IMG_5378.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111121824429908402" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru5aFCzkIaI/AAAAAAAAAtI/D6KrUWSp6cM/s1600-h/IMG_5380.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Ru5aFCzkIaI/AAAAAAAAAtI/D6KrUWSp6cM/s400/IMG_5380.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111121669811085730" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-85758993883532594152007-09-13T10:31:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:38:06.872+01:00Albania 0 - Holland 1<div style="text-align: justify;">Bad result. Albania should have had at least a draw. If one of the two early efforts that were cleared off the line had gone in who knows what might have happened.<p>I don't know what was wrong with the first disallowed goal, though the second one was definitely offside.</p><p>I know some people have been blaming the referee - we all do and I've done it myself many times - but the biggest culprit on the night was the Albanian number 5, Cana. He went in with the head - twice - pushing past the referee on the second occasion to get to his man. You use the head, you get sent off - there's nothing controversial about that. (You can read Cana's excuses <a href="http://www.futbolli.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3650">here</a>.)</p><p>So Albania, who had defended exceptionally well up to that point were left to face the last crucial minutes against a fired up Holland one man short in the midefield.</p><p>Equal billing for idiot of the night goes to the fool who threw the firecracker at Melchiot. Should the referee have restarted the game and played the last 100 seconds of extra time? Yes. Was there any possibility that he would do so after a fan had thrown a firecracker at a players? No.</p><p>It's a shame for the rest of the Albanian team that all their hard work was wasted in the end and for the fans who turned out to back the team.</p><p>Sorry for the lack of photographs. By the time there was anything to take pictures of it was too dark for my very basic camera to cope with.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-16241842336898095442007-09-12T10:20:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:38:31.530+01:00Where Are the Orange Hordes?<div style="text-align: justify;">I had expected that the Dutch fans would have started arriving yesterday for Holland's game against Albania tonight, so I went out to find them. All I found was a group of seven drinking Heineken (home from home) at Taiwan yesterday afternoon. I went out again last night, but if they were in Tirana they were evidently staying in their hotel bars. I'm heading out again in an hour with my camera to see if I can track a few down today.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-4218911250426061482007-09-11T15:44:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:39:43.758+01:00Crash - Bang<div style="text-align: justify;">It's been a bad month on the roads. <a href="http://www.birn.eu.com/en/102/15/4146/">BIRN reports</a> that 46 drivers were killed in traffic accidents during August. (In 2005 there were 308 fatalities in total. The statistics for 2001 indicate that 22% of that year's casualties were drivers of vehicles. This would suggest that the figure of 46 for August includes all fatalities, not just drivers.)</div><p style="text-align: justify;">It's a frightening number of deaths in such a small country, but watching how people drive in one sense I'm surprised it's not a lot higher. Driving back from Saranda we saw plenty of accidents and plenty more near accidents. One of these nearly involved us thanks to a moron who tried to overtake us on a blind bend. If you are reading this driver of Nissan SUV, CD 41-17 your bosses at EU-CAFAO will be getting the official complaint shortly.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.birn.eu.com/en/102/15/4111/">BIRN also reports</a> on a spot of bother down south where villagers from Lazarat attacked a police station in Gjirokaster after some local criminal was shot dead by a special police unit, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RENEA">RENEA</a>. Very wisely the local cops stayed on the roof until things calmed down. There is also a <a href="http://nuvu.tv/News/ViewNewsItem.aspx?rootVideoPanelType=1&newsItemId=32102">video report</a> of the incident from VisionPlus.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I think we will give this village a miss on a farewell tour. And congratulations to the police. I'm all in favour of shooting armed criminals and terrorists.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-5955199340261388102007-09-10T11:26:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:40:10.687+01:00Saranda<div style="text-align: justify;">Just a few pictures of Saranda, which was a disappointment having heard so much about it. We arrived on 1 September and everyone appeared to have gone home with very few people about and a lot of places nearly empty or closed.<p>Like much of Albania there seemed to be a lot of uncontrolled building going on. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the whole of the hillside around the bay is covered.</p><p>The beach wasn't nearly as nice as those we visited last year south of Vlora, though the beach at Ksamili to the south was very pleasant and we saw plenty of other more secluded beaches to the north of Saranda along the coast road that looked good too. Didn't have time to stop though.</p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXweXJB4TwFo7PDJ4AjC0zQ3a7gpMUwAM0GmwFk_UZz9seKeCrJ7qHC0WJMA417_qs6PzHSSo9U4kRmk9fzoeMAvrGv6AW6pMxn_RyMXhD-9L9i4DkbYHQxne_1GQOWsnh3rN_A/s1600-h/IMG_5294.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXweXJB4TwFo7PDJ4AjC0zQ3a7gpMUwAM0GmwFk_UZz9seKeCrJ7qHC0WJMA417_qs6PzHSSo9U4kRmk9fzoeMAvrGv6AW6pMxn_RyMXhD-9L9i4DkbYHQxne_1GQOWsnh3rN_A/s400/IMG_5294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108508417369371362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHdaJwVF-ucUiTut0Y7bIOCGAkaqUbqpU95l_ETBjuOU5hjkzfDOpahvBJbT7Ov92qXBPsIbbs1wNTpsU3NwqC0bhtRoQXRZFFi3vYidpuWiKW51VHOE72U1fZD3JCRvrQeNeIA/s1600-h/IMG_5299.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHdaJwVF-ucUiTut0Y7bIOCGAkaqUbqpU95l_ETBjuOU5hjkzfDOpahvBJbT7Ov92qXBPsIbbs1wNTpsU3NwqC0bhtRoQXRZFFi3vYidpuWiKW51VHOE72U1fZD3JCRvrQeNeIA/s400/IMG_5299.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108508288520352466" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/RuURDe1k8sI/AAAAAAAAAsw/KK8KaFz_gTw/s1600-h/IMG_5295.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/RuURDe1k8sI/AAAAAAAAAsw/KK8KaFz_gTw/s400/IMG_5295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108508103836758722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir9zLbJ028x7A_kobkKrgTEN_wOS1JJ8Hom0e-F_i5hUIE4DGkMw2UOYya0GilR6Hpy4qPazTM74tRmCSrpQKV3PBABxk5fF5KXEEOsBRzpQy3SRgRmEP_fr1YytJnlm71icwzg/s1600-h/IMG_5306.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjir9zLbJ028x7A_kobkKrgTEN_wOS1JJ8Hom0e-F_i5hUIE4DGkMw2UOYya0GilR6Hpy4qPazTM74tRmCSrpQKV3PBABxk5fF5KXEEOsBRzpQy3SRgRmEP_fr1YytJnlm71icwzg/s400/IMG_5306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108507859023622834" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEofFDuV0kvaCdS5GIcVZIq-sf8AHgkb8iySzo7V9LdOtI8lS4-dqZOXPEDFsC4adZCnu6jkjJTtIMSKuAbnFgHzqxCXVoIIFZNTCddFtuGODpVKaLGESOGadbKKdhFAtx6Xj1bQ/s1600-h/IMG_5300-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEofFDuV0kvaCdS5GIcVZIq-sf8AHgkb8iySzo7V9LdOtI8lS4-dqZOXPEDFsC4adZCnu6jkjJTtIMSKuAbnFgHzqxCXVoIIFZNTCddFtuGODpVKaLGESOGadbKKdhFAtx6Xj1bQ/s400/IMG_5300-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108507751649440418" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-17039480119704527202007-09-07T15:22:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:40:37.582+01:00Fish<div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks to Venera for introducing us to yet another fine restaurant in Tirana. On Wednesday we were at <span style="font-style: italic;">Grepi i Arte, </span>which is tucked away on a small, nameless street between Bulevardi Gjerg Fishta and R. Myslym Shyri.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">The restaurant is bright and spacious and tastefully decorated. More importantly the food is excellent as is the service. The owner, Niko, has made a real effort and it seems to be paying off, since the restaurant was well filled on Wednesday night and I'm told it is also very busy at lunchtimes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Well worth a visit if you are in Tirana. Pass the Elda petrol station on Gjergj Fishta heading away from Taiwan, then take the first right followed by the first left. The restaurant is about 50 metres away on the right. If you want to make a reservation - or if you get lost trying to find it - you can call them on 068 207 7804.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3Z0YQNXIxknX3H8XGlRAdE4gbXpaMaE24SQuUALRQhgdJN2H8aU6oCNp1xAwC9tqqHtbai6tFBbHep5zwz41iu6o6b8PJCt_XRNvIzJ-v6-sQZRZfDfCblRvwoX6xn5ubjRX0Q/s1600-h/DSC00092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3Z0YQNXIxknX3H8XGlRAdE4gbXpaMaE24SQuUALRQhgdJN2H8aU6oCNp1xAwC9tqqHtbai6tFBbHep5zwz41iu6o6b8PJCt_XRNvIzJ-v6-sQZRZfDfCblRvwoX6xn5ubjRX0Q/s400/DSC00092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107455042280288914" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">look for the blue neon</span></span><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN5dH-y_pXi-xiew54fsagm7KilSJaYMhz7NNTCrYgkOhpns0vL6BgCzswif6D6d8AIGZlcGdKPWwCSO5VZw-DeKu7mrb07WuU-_E9h1ax3Hy_EumgtfEYYi76zzkqT0hB23w5w/s1600-h/DSC00091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaN5dH-y_pXi-xiew54fsagm7KilSJaYMhz7NNTCrYgkOhpns0vL6BgCzswif6D6d8AIGZlcGdKPWwCSO5VZw-DeKu7mrb07WuU-_E9h1ax3Hy_EumgtfEYYi76zzkqT0hB23w5w/s400/DSC00091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107454883366498946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" >Niko, the owner, with a big fish<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/RuFS_e1k8nI/AAAAAAAAAsI/7RTLeDV_enI/s1600-h/DSC00090.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/RuFS_e1k8nI/AAAAAAAAAsI/7RTLeDV_enI/s400/DSC00090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107454702977872498" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">take your pick</span></span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-39888548507964950822007-09-06T14:10:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:41:25.773+01:00Mother Tereza<div style="text-align: justify;">Ten years after Mother Tereza's death, Albania is holding a ten day <a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gXNdGJ_zSj1sj3EoXzeCUoN1290w">celebration of her life</a>, with a series of <a href="http://www.birn.eu.com/en/102/15/4069/">public events</a> across the city. Large posters have appeared across the city marking the anniversary.<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvxZRKpaJ_Wzgh73vb1HP72z-9wm-ewUa7AWibvFH-qBAysZeV9AR7nc-rxxFYR7HrTJfZCB3N6ZGJupBTv5XJ91D3seSVh8TMMgu0Ci-XZ-1fN3OIRNURBWc-4wG3bL5tMOCtw/s1600-h/IMG_5411.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvxZRKpaJ_Wzgh73vb1HP72z-9wm-ewUa7AWibvFH-qBAysZeV9AR7nc-rxxFYR7HrTJfZCB3N6ZGJupBTv5XJ91D3seSVh8TMMgu0Ci-XZ-1fN3OIRNURBWc-4wG3bL5tMOCtw/s400/IMG_5411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107067223913329234" border="0" /></a></p></div><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejePIN204ujlb7SxG2fcTtxKNpUxseK1FEMQnXwHEi9UT-CI7LwW9vH6F5Hld4xambWT6PPDPGRCQuSZDLPgcssgR9QI368PQGzsk8L99lO2GTD6fk96fOlmZ2g_l5b7ZIxdpPQ/s1600-h/IMG_5410.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejePIN204ujlb7SxG2fcTtxKNpUxseK1FEMQnXwHEi9UT-CI7LwW9vH6F5Hld4xambWT6PPDPGRCQuSZDLPgcssgR9QI368PQGzsk8L99lO2GTD6fk96fOlmZ2g_l5b7ZIxdpPQ/s400/IMG_5410.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107064999120269890" border="0" /></a></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sHzUUJLDr73iyub8eg_XZfBcQmIze1MHzLpotZpZ3KNGnIMUw13Ck6RWcQIgyxJILNx5Msmu-iuyAswqeJA1dOjrlqPcX_omsqIIKrntmKNs_xPg1ceu104pKA4fuROQZbcdFA/s1600-h/IMG_5407.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sHzUUJLDr73iyub8eg_XZfBcQmIze1MHzLpotZpZ3KNGnIMUw13Ck6RWcQIgyxJILNx5Msmu-iuyAswqeJA1dOjrlqPcX_omsqIIKrntmKNs_xPg1ceu104pKA4fuROQZbcdFA/s400/IMG_5407.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107064801551774258" border="0" /></a></p><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-62049630861721539822007-09-06T09:55:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:52:07.245+01:00In The News<div style="text-align: justify;">The latest article from IPS looks at the <a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39059">weakness of civil society</a> in Albania.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">On RFE/RL Ismael Kadare <a href="http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/08/4ff8f90f-8b33-4ed1-9d0f-1ca4978c0931.html">discusses Kosovo</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">TOL joins the ranks of those discussing <a href="http://www.tol.cz/look/TOL/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=4&NrIssue=233&NrSection=2&NrArticle=18966">Albania's power crisis</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">BIRN reports on EU frustrations with the Albanian government's handling of <a href="http://www.birn.eu.com/en/101/15/4006/">police reform</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">BIRN is also anticipating <a href="http://www.birn.eu.com/en/102/15/4049/">fireworks in parliament</a> as MP's returned to work this week.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Apparently <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/05/europe/EU-GEN-Albania-Earthquake.php">we had an earthquake yesterday</a> but since it was at 7.08am I knew nothing about it. It would take more than 4.7 on the Richter scale to wake me up at that time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Saimir Strati, having already produced a mosaic portrait of Leonardo made from nails, has now produced a <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/05/europe/EU-GEN-Albania-Earthquake.php">mosaic of a horse</a> made from half a million toothpicks.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-7935382350787544552007-09-05T11:57:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:44:55.904+01:00Butrint<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm still working on the photographs. In the meantime the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/documentary_archive/6958223.stm">BBC</a> have been in Butrint and produced a radio programme as part of their <span style="font-style: italic;">Heritage: The Balkans</span> series on the World Service. You can <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/worldservice/meta/dps/2007/09/070904_balkans4?size=au&bgc=003399&lang=en-ws&nbram=1&nbwm=1">stream</a> the programme anytime or it is available as a <a href="http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/docarchive/docarchive_20070905-0001.mp3">download</a> for the next week.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-90437885230626317172007-09-05T11:03:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:46:00.122+01:00Autumn<div style="text-align: justify;">After too many weeks of hot days and humid nights we had a terrific thunderstorm last night complete with driving rain. This morning the sky was grey but bright, the temperature seemed to have dropped by 10 degrees, and the air was clean and clear.<p>I took the chance to go for a walk in the park with the dogs and took in the sweet fermentation of long dead leaves, brittle from the heat, freshly soaked. Local people don't like this kind of weather so I had the park mostly to myself. It even started raining on the way back - just light gentle drizzle refreshing rather than soaking rain.</p><p>I like this weather because it reminds me of home - summer walks in Northern Ireland are never complete without a rain shower.</p><p>At the moment hints of blue sky are starting to appear behind the grey, so I expect it may start to warm up again. But it was nice while it lasted and I hope that the lower temperatures are here to stay.</p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-13553494656948582012007-09-05T00:20:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:46:31.840+01:00Honoured<div style="text-align: justify;">On the menu at Sofra i Ariut: the Laura Bush veal fillet.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Rt3arO1k8hI/AAAAAAAAArY/GEKrqmPw-hU/s1600-h/DSC00075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_L2Cw59TqKWI/Rt3arO1k8hI/AAAAAAAAArY/GEKrqmPw-hU/s400/DSC00075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106477988760056338" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-31651701660177317362007-09-04T10:43:00.001+02:002008-01-22T23:46:58.529+01:00South<div style="text-align: justify;">It took us nearly two years, but we finally made it to Saranda and the south this weekend. More photos - mostly of Butrint - to follow once I have sorted them out.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl209fmW8mgWm87tHfHFiDfo9VDk9h2dhorBfqiXNKF4BdZwuWPeJEHR8-LiYJn0WhR_6T1VbTEzaERPjhyphenhyphentKYDYe1djXw6dZ3c4E5QSrwzs2gRwoR-l_4MD2oER2qdfmNBV3gOw/s1600-h/IMG_5300.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl209fmW8mgWm87tHfHFiDfo9VDk9h2dhorBfqiXNKF4BdZwuWPeJEHR8-LiYJn0WhR_6T1VbTEzaERPjhyphenhyphentKYDYe1djXw6dZ3c4E5QSrwzs2gRwoR-l_4MD2oER2qdfmNBV3gOw/s400/IMG_5300.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106267135930593794" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-75450684856003753432007-08-28T10:16:00.001+02:002008-01-22T23:47:33.770+01:00Washing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzYV4CbefNfXkeLVwdjUFW3BmrL4sur_86RAik-NCqlTh2UzdoglloZdKcU7W5diRPX8E2NdiY3BSkQS5XxnSuHXTn9ESOmdSvPV2wfXw7DXhmxK7rIsbVk0d8VJ9U89XoKFgOA/s1600-h/IMG_5270-3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzYV4CbefNfXkeLVwdjUFW3BmrL4sur_86RAik-NCqlTh2UzdoglloZdKcU7W5diRPX8E2NdiY3BSkQS5XxnSuHXTn9ESOmdSvPV2wfXw7DXhmxK7rIsbVk0d8VJ9U89XoKFgOA/s400/IMG_5270-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103666911189987826" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJVdKviW9FMCzuLOx1UW1BTxqnPMQmf4F1gWOK4Ytr7YJggmWPWQ7MEXpmbAGqe2MI0sXoV9k23bi-3vncrgPIw4zYQ4LGQCdfY18IBm7Qjpb9p7bu4PsO1Zgx76X2xtuBQCrKA/s1600-h/IMG_5271-3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJVdKviW9FMCzuLOx1UW1BTxqnPMQmf4F1gWOK4Ytr7YJggmWPWQ7MEXpmbAGqe2MI0sXoV9k23bi-3vncrgPIw4zYQ4LGQCdfY18IBm7Qjpb9p7bu4PsO1Zgx76X2xtuBQCrKA/s400/IMG_5271-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103666584772473314" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWSD3I8kVZu7QCTlFmpTe_t2U9lx0cY86HHWNqTLUYu94mdKZNvVKxGVV7oUZ5BBQGtbKd2PmzBRdDn8Ag-6UG3jbJGRxuhfuYzIVLDYdP2cIanAWzxm9eXHHPM-ooJwD84qpdw/s1600-h/IMG_5270-2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWSD3I8kVZu7QCTlFmpTe_t2U9lx0cY86HHWNqTLUYu94mdKZNvVKxGVV7oUZ5BBQGtbKd2PmzBRdDn8Ag-6UG3jbJGRxuhfuYzIVLDYdP2cIanAWzxm9eXHHPM-ooJwD84qpdw/s400/IMG_5270-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103666009246855634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgToo9tHbTub1ifoYtM-XJ7uyP1o0YYu155e96VMdYn-NeY9py1vbGMDpjCGF42Wuy3P-ox-YISPr4WOAkz3gXlH-oxoQUTgWRU3m8j03tQ5tyhbnOpSGx7WvmU6nvTZD_pNfR0A/s1600-h/IMG_5273-3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgToo9tHbTub1ifoYtM-XJ7uyP1o0YYu155e96VMdYn-NeY9py1vbGMDpjCGF42Wuy3P-ox-YISPr4WOAkz3gXlH-oxoQUTgWRU3m8j03tQ5tyhbnOpSGx7WvmU6nvTZD_pNfR0A/s400/IMG_5273-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103663470921183682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5Dnh8I46cE5978YbJ_pWIoBjRvj5FpmpTwkbS1ahlY0aUiHxC4Ng-Jd5gYpGDD5kAt_kp10VmBUo8S7cf8qYUanXBwaMzK22Gd3RLe1era_lX3hO1o0CC7eymZDFXcPSStJv0A/s1600-h/IMG_5275-3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk5Dnh8I46cE5978YbJ_pWIoBjRvj5FpmpTwkbS1ahlY0aUiHxC4Ng-Jd5gYpGDD5kAt_kp10VmBUo8S7cf8qYUanXBwaMzK22Gd3RLe1era_lX3hO1o0CC7eymZDFXcPSStJv0A/s400/IMG_5275-3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5103662736481776050" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18465419.post-7037074557746936512007-08-24T09:03:00.000+02:002008-01-22T23:48:02.818+01:00Gjakmarrja<div style="text-align: justify;">The Washington Post has <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/22/AR2007082202862.html">discovered blood feuds</a>.<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5