My first stop on the coast was at the Vjosë-Nartë Delta Protected Area in the Vlorë region
I found a beach bar that were happy for me to park up on their land for the night. It was in a pine forest just a minutes walk from the sea
I dusted off my bike
And cycled to the Narta Lagoon
There were flamingos everywhere
I crossed the boardwalk to a little island in the middle of the lagoon to visit St Mary’s Monastery
And the medieval Byzantine church
Christianity arrived in the lands of modern Albania during the 1st Century. Generally it was Eastern Orthodoxy in the south and Catholicism in the North. During the Ottoman period, a large proportion of people converted to Islam (often forced).
Under the communist regime there was systematic dereligionisation in Albania and in 1967 they declared Albania the only non-religious country in the world, banning all forms of religious practice in public. Many places of religious worship were destroyed.
Albania is still a secular state. Now, people identify as Muslim (60%) or Christian (17%) and talk of their family’s historical ties with these faiths, but many don’t consider their faith as a big factor in their lives and generally religious practices here are minimal.
I got back in time for sunset and enjoyed a Greek salad at the beach bar
Lots of places all over Europe offer free parking overnight if you eat at their restaurant. This is a great deal in Albania as a meal out is only around €2
The next day I made a quick stop in the city of Vlorë to buy a memory card for my camera. The first shop I tried didn’t have one but the owner made it his mission to help me. He rang his friends and then other shops around to ask them if they had what I needed and then wrote down directions for the one that did. Mission successful
I stayed at a campsite just outside Vlorë
With this beach on my doorstep
As I was cooking in the evening the daughter of the campsite owners knocked on my door to welcome me and gave me a huge glass of complimentary wine
I went to bed very excited because the next day I was going to drive the Llogara Pass. One of the most scenic coastal roads in the world.
It starts at 1043m up in the mountains
Has the most amazing views along the way
And ends at a beautiful beach
Mountains one side
Sea the other
There was one little beach bar where I sat to use some wifi and have a drink. I asked if they did food and they said no, because it’s out of season they’re only doing drinks
A while later the barman bought me a plate of food that he’d made from his own supplies and wouldn’t accept any money for it. Another very kind Albanian! My 3rd free meal in just a week of being here
