Shkodër (Albania) | Time to Move - Day 151

Today is a beautiful day. The rain and clouds have yielded to the sunshine, which feels good. This street, Rrura G'juhadol, is one of the prettiest in Shkodër and is near my Airbnb. I love the amber marble streets.

In yesterday's post, I forgot to include a map of Lezhe (Leez-a-chay) 's location. The Lagoon of Patok is located southwest of Lezhe.

The first thing I do this morning is head back to the cafe I visited yesterday for breakfast. I still owe them about 120 Lek (1 euro) from yesterday. They couldn't change my 5,000 Lek bill, so they told me to return and pay later. This is an excellent example of how friendly the Albanians are and why I ate breakfast here again today.

Today, I need to make a plan and set my reservations for the next part of my trip. I am considering taking the bus up to Prizren, Kosovo. I remember Jerome really liked the city. However, I glance at the weather and notice the temperature will drop near freezing at night. I think I can manage it alright, as the highs are still around 18 C (64 F). However, when I checked the bus schedule, there was only one daily bus from Shkodër to Prizren. It is at 5 pm and arrives at 830 pm. I am not a fan of arriving in a new city after dark, so I am investigating other options. 

I am fascinated by this sculpture near the Christian Church in Shkodër. The man is shackled to the floor, and he looks above for mercy, not recognizing that he is responsible for his current situation. I admired the sculpture for some time before I decided to photograph it. I think it is an excellent representation of how at times in the past, I've felt like a prisoner because I wasn't listening to my heart. It's a reminder that these self-imposed shackles have no place in my life these days.

My options for the next phase are either to head north back to Montenegro or go further south into Albania. I left quite a bit on the table in Montenegro to press south into Albania before the weather turned. I considered visiting many cities on my way back up north in December. This turned out to be a good decision as I am finding that many things are closing in Albania. 

I remember Jerome went to Tirana, Albania, a few days ago. I wonder what he thinks of Tirana. It is only a couple hours south of me. So I reach out to him via WhatsApp. Where are your staying in Tirana? And how was it? I am thinking of heading down to Tirana? A few minutes later, he responds, "The hostel I stayed at the first couple of nights wasn't good, but the Blue Door Hostel is much better. When are you arriving in Tirana?" After some back and forth, I learned Jerome plans to rent a car and head to southern Albania. 

We both have similar places we want to visit in Albania, so I offer to split the rental cost with him, as long as he doesn't mind having company. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll wait here in Tirana, and we can discuss details when you get here," he writes back. This will be a fun twist to my adventure in Albania. Everything fell into place quickly. It is a good omen, and I look forward to re-joining Jermome tomorrow. 

The Ebu Beker Mosque, which I photographed my first night in Shkodër, is visible at the end of the pedestrian street.

I head out for dinner and catch the moon rising behind the city hall building. 

For several months now, I've been photographing the colors of fall and noticing how I was always several steps ahead. Winter has been nipping at my heels the last few days. The nights are much cooler now, and the days are short. Sunset is early nowadays. Ever since daylight savings ended about ten days ago, it gets dark around 430 pm. Additionally, the surrounding mountains block out the sun sooner. Sometimes, it is 345 pm when the sun dips behind the mountains. My days are really short now, and the cold is coming. I now always take my jacket with me when I leave my accommodation in the late afternoons. Many of the evenings are quite cool.