Gjirokastër | An Incredible Day - Day 155

 

This giant rock is located in the center of the town of Përmet. There are stairs on the backside, and the view from the top is fantastic! The rock is approximately 20 m (60 ft) tall.

On my way out the door to explore Përmet this morning, I notice this sign. It makes me smile as I reflect on the play on words. Sure, the first step is to physically wake up. But when I see this sign, I believe the most essential part is to wake up mentally and emotionally. This opens the door to making your dreams come true. I reflect on days in the past when I spent my days asleep and am glad to be living differently now.

Përmet is known for a local sweet treat called Gliko which tastes like a confit of fruit. The city is not a typical tourist stop, although several beautification projects are underway. The town is surrounded by mountains and has traditional Albanian architecture - multi-level concrete and brick boxes.

On the north side of the big rock (i.e., the backside from the photo above), I find another abandoned QZ Bunker. I enjoy seeing these as they are part of Albanian history. I can't help but think what an incredible waste of resources. It is a testament to dumb decisions people make when they live in fear. Love has no place for bunkers like this.

This is a version of the bunker only has one window. I climb inside and notice there is barely enough room for me to stand up. Below is all I can see from the inside. Who would want to spend their time inside one of these?

On the River Vjosë is a beach composed of river stones like in Nice, France. The view north along the river with the mountains in the background is scenic.

We leave town around 10 am for Gjirokaster, Albania. As we approach the city from the north, we pass Liqueni i Viroit (Lake Viroit). Oh wow! Look at how calm the water is. We need to stop here, I tell Jerome. The beautiful lake is like a mirror this morning, and the northeast view is fantastic!

Then I turn and take a photo looking northwest, on the other side of the lake. Albania is incredible! This is precisely what I was looking for when I came here.

After checking in to the guesthouse, I leave with Jerome to explore the city of Gjirokastër. Not far from the guesthouse, I notice an old man and what appears to be his granddaughter walking hand-in-hand.

Gjirokastër is a medieval city in the mountains overlooking the Drino River Valley. The city has a diverse past, with approximately 29,000 people.

After a 10-minute walk uphill, I reach the old Bazaar of Gjirokastër. The area sits below Gjirokastër Castle (visible in the photo's background). The old Bazaar has many craft shops and local artists and has functioned this way for hundreds of years. "Do you want to go to the Castle or the bunker?" asks Jerome as we stand at the crossroads of the Bazaar. Let's go to visit the Communist bunker. The sun is high, which will allow us to take better pictures later when we are outside later, I reply. 

We head down the street from the crossroads, a five-minute walk to an administrative building below the Castle. "The tour will cost 200 Lek (1.70 euros), and I will go with you," says the young woman in English. After paying, she leads us around the building to a locked entrance.

"This is the main entrance to the bunker. On the right is the ventilation shaft. The bunker has four doors, with the exterior one being concrete. The other three are metal," our guide says. This bunker took 10 years to build and is located in the mountain below Gjirokastër Castle. Most town folks had no idea this existed during the Communist Regime. However, in the late 1990s, people discovered the site and looted most of the things inside.

The bunker was built as a safe house for 200 people. It was designed to allow the most important government officials to survive two months following a nuclear attack. There are 60 rooms. The most essential officials had their own rooms, which also served as offices. The remainder of the population shared rooms. Unfortunately, the site was built with only three bathrooms which were state-of-the-art at the time. 

Rations were stored to provide enough food for the stay and were rotated out every 6-months, since no one could predict when an attack might occur.

The inside of the facility is exactly how I would have expected it to look. A combination of square concrete structures and metal reinforcements. This facility has   > 1 km (0.6 mi) of tunnels. 

Being in this facility is incredible and a reminder of the excessive waste of the Communist Regimes fueled by fear and paranoia. The facility was never used except for scheduled preparatory drills.

Nearly all the rooms are empty now, except for a few. The facility even had its own generator for electricity. The generator was stolen long ago and is no longer present.

The First Secretary was the most important Communist Official. He had a larger room painted green to show his importance and status.

 In the deepest part of the bunker is a large room designed to be used as a conference room.

In the other corner of the compound, opposite the side of the compound from First Secretary, is the Mayor's Room. The Mayor was the second most important person.

We finally pass by the ventilation room. When this was built, this rusty metal contraption was state-of-the-art and provided clean air for everyone inside.

The tour lasts a little over 40 minutes. During the tour, I learned that three other entrances led to the compound's center, but the guide had never used them. Enver Hoxha was born in Gjirokastër, so it is obvious why this site was chosen as the Communist stronghold.

After the tour of the Communist Bunker, I walk with Jerome up to Gjirokastër Castle. "That was crazy! What a complete was of money and resources," says Jerome. I know, and the damn thing was never used, I say.

Once we arrive at the Castle entrance, I pay 400 Lek (3.40 euros) to enter. I am not sure what to expect here. I know the Castle has a beautiful clock tower that I could see below. However, my jaw drops wide open once I round the corner into the main hall. I tell Jerome, I don't know if I am more in awe of the giant archways and the architecture or the enormous war machines on display in the hall. 

Gjirokastër Castle has a diverse history and has been occupied since the 4th Century BC. The video link shows the beautiful Castle and surrounding area very well. Once the stronghold of Ali Pasha, the castle is quite a site. Ali Pasha was of Albanian descent. He turned against the Ottoman Empire and made this Castle his. Later in the 1930s, the Castle was retrofitted. A prison was constructed of concrete to hold criminals. It is a UNESCO site with perhaps the best views of any UNESCO site.

This is the prison built within the castle wall in the 1930s. It was later used by the Nazis and Communists to hold political prisoners.

The beautiful clock tower was built by Ali Pasha in the 18th Century. According to the sign, the bell was so loud that it could be heard in neighboring counties and far away cities like Berat.

After exploring the Castle, I descend back down to the old Bazaar. I ask Jerome, Do you think we have enough time to make it to the aqueduct or bridge that Ali Pasha built? "It's 340 pm. "It will take about an hour to walk there round trip. But, let's give it a try," he says. On the way up the steep incline, we pass a small restaurant. A young man says, "Ali Pasha's bridge is this way. There is nothing to see at the aqueduct. It is only ruins that are left. It's a 25-minute walk up to the bridge but very steep. Maybe after that, you come back and eat here?" he says. 

We press on and arrive too late at the bridge. It is magnificent to see in person, but the light is too flat to capture it adequately. When we pass back by the restaurant, Julio taps his heart and says, "Maybe you come back later?" Yes, maybe we will. I thank him for the information.

Once I am cleaned up, it is time to go eat. Jerome is in the habit of checking Trip Advisor for restaurant recommendations. It is a helpful tool, but I frequently prefer to wander and let my feet, my stomach, and the smells find restaurants these days. Nevertheless, I research Trip Advisor while he finishes cleaning up. Hey Jerome, Julio's restaurant is number 2 on Trip Advisor, with 1,100 reviews. We need to go back, I say. "I'm good with that. They were really kind and friendly," he replies.

So we head back up the hill past the Castle to Taverna Traditionale Kardshi, a traditional Albanian restaurant. It is evident it is well past tourist season, the streets are empty, and many businesses are closed.

We arrive, find a table, and place our order. "It is too bad Julio isn't here," says Jerome. He'll be here later, I'm sure, I say. After looking at the menu, I suggest we do a family-style meal and recommend ordering two dishes to share. We start with the stuffed eggplant with crème fraîche and fried feta.  

Then fried riceballs and a House Salad to go with our 1 liter of red wine.

Then I see Julio and wave him down. "You are here, my friends. I get you something special," he says. Jerome and I look at each other. We are both full. Thank you, but we are ok, I say. "I bring you something small to go with wine and bread," Julio says, insisting. He surveys our table, and from the piled dishes, he knows exactly what we ordered. A few minutes later, he returns with a plate of pickled eggplant and a spinach byrek. As well as two shot glasses of Rakija. Rakija is a local drink made in the Balkans. Some say it is like Schnapps, but I think it is closer to moonshine. I find it inconsistent. I've had some good and really bad Rakija. Tonight it is delicious.

After we finish the plates, Julio brings us another plate. This one has two small golden pieces of warm cake. "This is traditional cake. You eat with your hands, no forks. Another Rakija? I have one with you," he says. The cake is unbelievably moist with just the right amount of sweetness. "What's in the cake?" asks Jerome. After a few minutes, Julio returns with his mom, "Flour, eggs, oil, honey, sugar," she says. It was fantastic! Thank you so much, I say. 

We settle the bill a few minutes later, 2,400 Lek (20.5 euros). Unbelievable, it cost us roughly 10 euros each, I say to Jerome. "Yeah, and the wine was a big portion at 800 Lek (6.83 euros). We thank Julio for the great hospitality and food and return for the night. 

I frequently have days with experiences that stand out compared to other days while traveling. Today was a treasure. The natural beauty surrounding the historic sites was exceptional, unlike anything I had seen on my travels. Everything about Gjirokastër took me by surprise. Jerome and I talked about what a fantastic experience this was. I prefer to do just enough research to identify whether a city is worth exploring so that I can discover its story on my own. Occasionally, I leave some things undiscovered or "still on the table," as I like to say. In other situations, I have experiences like today where I am completely humbled and blown away multiple times during the day.