It’s an Adventure!

Beginning in April of 2022, my partner and I set sail on a transatlantic cruise from Florida, USA, to Barcelona, Spain, with plans of slow-traveling and backpacking through Europe while writing.

April, 2023 – I am writing this from Sarandë, Albania. Yes, folks, it’s true. However, we almost didn’t make it out of Italy. For one, we enjoyed our time there so much, we wanted to stay longer, but also because my trusty travel guru, Mr. Rogers, mistakenly booked a morning flight from Genoa, thinking it was an evening flight. In his defense, this is the first such error he has made in a full year of European travel. Working as a professional travel agent in my previous life, I will attest to how challenging travel planning can be be.

I will NEVER forget the look on his face when, as we were enjoying our morning coffee, the text message dinged on his phone “….your flight departs in 90 minutes”. Did you even know there were seven shades of pale? I didn’t either. But I witnessed every hue pass over his face in the manner of seconds. 

Alas, all we could do was look at one another and laugh…

No, no, I’m not implying he resembles a gorilla.

Ok, maybe he wore a similar expression, and he didn’t laugh as much as I did at first. But he soon came to appreciate the folly of the situation. I mean, what else can you do? 

Make the best of it. Life is an ADVENTURE, right?

And so, we giggled. Like the hero he is, Mr. Rogers took charge and rearranged our rail and air flights. We scooped up our laptops and we were off, arriving in Albania with minimal financial loss. We even stayed overnight in a hostel in Pisa, Italy, which was a first time for us, and quite a pleasant experience! 

Now, keep in mind Albania is an up-and-coming country. They’ve only been out of the clutches of communism for approximately 20 years. Albanians are delightful and proud people with deep-rooted traditions, family values, and are eager to help out visitors. Mostly. Our bus driver from the capital city of Tirana to our first stop in the seaside town of Vlore wasn’t the friendliest guy. But when your job is driving a van/bus/thing with no shocks, broken wookie seats, and headlights that go out periodically and require a terse slap to the dashboard to come back on … well…

We hopped a second bus to Sarandë the next morning, steeling ourselves for another exciting journey. We weren’t disappointed. Traversing through Llogara National Park totally blew our minds. The vistas were breathtaking! Steep grades and skinny switchback roads took us up and over pine-swept craggy mountains where we gazed out at snowy crevasses on one side, and down upon the ocean waves far below on the other. Wow.

(The only thing missing was chickens flapping in cages, if you recall the movie Romancing the Stone with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. Enough said). 

Villages, resorts, and occasional quaint cafes dotted the roadside. Stopping for a break to stretch our legs, we opted for a rejuvenating cappuccino and observing fearless drivers navigating the roads while we discussed if we had the nerve to rent a car during our stay here. Hm…

Three and half hours later we arrived at our destination, filled with no small amount of joy that we survived. We like to remind ourselves that this is a part of everyday life here in Albania, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to experience it alongside the locals and learn in the process. Here in Sarandë, if it’s not in season, you don’t buy it and you don’t order it in restaurants. Fresh food is the motto here…

There are many things to do here. Roman ruins, castles, wineries, boat tours, and gorgeous beaches with clear water and sandy coves, and dozens of hiking opportunities.

The beachfront is comparable to any popular resort in the world. The son of the Crown Prince of Saudi docked his new 45-million-dollar yacht the other day, and the Greek island of Corfu is right across the bay. In another few months, it will be the high season and this little resort town will be saturated with local and international tourists alike.  

We will be gone by that time, off to our next big adventure, which Mr. Rogers is now in the process of planning (I’m giving him a big hug and kiss and telling him I love him).