Article

2009-08-09 Europe

Loyal reader Mizzou Mafia spent a couple weeks in the country of Albania in June, and I asked him to sent in some real-time intelligence. Here are some his photos, along with his observations. Great pics that show us that Americans are welcome in Albania and that it's a beautiful country. Apologies for the size, it's a Rantburg limitation.

Many thanks, Mizzou!

Top left -- Here are some apartment complexes in downtown Tirana. All the old communist era buildings have been given funky facelifts as part of a "beautification" project by the mayor, who is the top draw on the socialist party ticket.

Top right -- Time for wedding pictures in Skoder, which is a town in the north near the Montenegrin border. The castle in Skoder dates all the way back to the Illyrian period.

Middle left -- Democratic Party supports outside their Tirana headquarters. Note the American flag in the back with the flag of the party. Being an American in Albania is as close to being a rock star as I'll ever be. You meet one person, and 10 of his friends will join you for a meal just to get to talk to you.

Middle right -- The Albanian and American flags fly side by side. Is this some kind of joint Albanian-U.S. venture? No, just a normal gas station.

Bottom left -- The American flag helps as a mark of quality for a lot of businesses.

I don't know if it's still so, but in 1994 it was the same in Poland, where american was used as an adjective denoting perfection in a particular class of objects, eg. an american sofa was well-made, attractive and exceedingly comfortable.

This café has no connection to the U.S., other than the flag and the mystique it creates for Albanians. It has no connection to Boston, other than the owner likes the city.

Bottom right -- One of the most interesting aspects of Albania is the 50-year legacy of the communist dictatorship of Enver Hoxha, a man so twisted that he broke with Stalin because he wasn't enough of a pure communist. Hoxha was paranoid about foreign invasion, and had 10s of thousands of these pillboxes built all around the country. Every male Albanian knew which one they were supposed to report to in time of war. These suckers were built to take tank shells, so they'll still be around hundreds of years from now. They're difficult to destroy, so Albanians paint them funky colors, put wood hats of them, etc.

The pics:

Gorgeous! Thank you, Mizzou Mafia!

Posted by Steve White 2009-08-09 00:50|| || Front Page|| [14 views ] Top

#1 I can't believe no one's commented yet. I found this a very interesting report! I only wish I could click the pictures to see bigger images with more detail.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2009-08-09 20:15|| 2009-08-09 20:15|| Front Page Top

#2 Could bigger versions be posted in the O Club? I don't know much about such things.

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2009-08-09 23:20|| 2009-08-09 23:20|| Front Page Top

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