Përmet (Albania) | An Adventure on Wheels - Day 154

Between Berat and Përmet, Jerome and I passed this beautiful little gazebo that overlooks Osumi Canyon.

The destination today is the little city of Pērmet. This little city has a population of around 10,000 and is near the hot springs of Lixhat e Bënjës. 

Petrit is waiting for us when we descend to load the car. Can we see your garden? I ask. Petrit leads us back to where he has several olives, pomegranate, orange, and persimmon trees growing. In the garden, there are also tomato and bean plants. It is quite a large garden.

Petrit continues to chat. "Berat is an old city. All the young people are leaving it these days. My son is at a University in Germany. To help him, we have taken out a loan at the bank. But he helps us with Booking.com and reservations for the Bed and Breakfast," he says. It doesn't matter where people live. Parents always want their children to have more than they do. The conversation with Petrit reminds me of when I lived in Lander, Wyoming. Young adults were hard to find in that town too. Many moved away to pursue better opportunities, which I understand. Unfortunately, Petrit's point this morning is that it is hard on a city when young people leave. It leaves a big void.

After Petrit gives us another bag of fresh fruit and we head out. It is a beautiful day. When we pass this diverse valley, I tell Jerome to stop. There are several types of agriculture in this little valley. From the vantage point, I can see vineyards, olive trees, hay fields, a variety of small medical herbal plants, and greenhouses where tomatoes and peppers are grown. Agriculture is much different here. The fields are much smaller and feel more sustainable than in North America, where they use large tractors and farm thousands of hectares. The view from up here is also pretty.

A short while later, we traverse Osumi Canyon. The grey and yellow canyon walls descend several hundred feet below the road.

After stopping several times and trying different angles, I realize that the angle of the sun and the shadows are not on my side.

Finally, at the designated turnout, the view improves, though the long shadows still frustrate me. Nevertheless, I enjoy the beautiful scenery and note that this was worth the detour. 

We are no longer on a major road, but the route is well-paved, and the drive is enjoyable. I tell Jerome that Mimi, a local guide at the hostel in Tirana, told me to stick to major roads because the others are not so good in Albania. "How bad can it be? The rental car guy recommended this route," he replies. I say if he recommended it, we will be alright. We pull over and check the route one last time. Our little brown Skoda is pictured below.

The weather is fantastic! Soon after restarting, the road turns to gravel. "It's only a little bit. Then the road gets better. See the orange on Google Maps, then it turns blue," says Jerome.

Then the road heads up a steep hill, and Jerome stops the car. "Are there any alternative routes? I think I've had enough," Jerome says. We spend the next 15 minutes contemplating our options, 1) continue on this road for 20+ km (14.5 mi), 2) double back to another unpaved road, or 3) go all the way back to Berat and take the major road south (1.5 hrs back to Berat). This is our best option. If you take it slow, we can avoid getting a flat, I say. He agrees, and we start climbing the mountain trail.

I take this picture and show it to Jerome. "It looks like you are praying!" he says, laughing. Well, in case you forgot, we are in a tiny Skoda car, not an SUV or pickup, I reply while laughing. 

The views are stunning, but the going is slow. Jerome never makes it out of first gear as we climb up and up. Fortunately, the rocks are round, not angular, so I think we will be ok.

We continue on the route. Fortunately, there is no other traffic, as some climbs are very steep. I laugh each time I think we are doing this in a car!

The panoramic view is incredible from up here. I tell Jerome to stop the car so he can enjoy it too. It takes us 1.5 hours to traverse the mountains and drive 25 km (16 mi). Did you ever take the car out of 1st gear? I ask. Jerome laughs, "Nope." The Skoda did great! Once we rejoin the pavement, I give Jerome a high-five. We made it, and you did great! I say. The paved road follows the River Vjosë. No surprise we are still surrounded by mountains.

We finally arrive at the hot springs, actually more like warm springs. The sign tells me the water is 22-28 C (72-82 F). Nevertheless, we drove all this way, so I take advantage of it and enter a couple of the pools. My favorite is the one behind the bridge where the waterfall is under the arch.

The beautiful bridge was built by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Archaeological remains from this site date back to 7,000 BC.

When the sun drops behind the mountains, I check in with Jerome. "Yeah, I'm ready to go," he says. So, we head back to the car and return to the city of Permët, which we passed on the way here. By the time we arrive, it is dark, so we find a local traditional restaurant for dinner. I order the Tavë Dheu (right) and wild cabbage (left). Tavë Dheu is the Albanian National dish that is baked. It has pork with ricotta and feta cheese. It is fantastic! The wild cabbage reminds me of eating collard greens. I am thrilled to have them! Dinner cost me 960 Lek (8 euros). What a day!!!