ALBANIA
Country Overview:
“Tirana is perhaps not a top 10 travel destination, but still a fun and interesting European capital”
I really enjoyed my time in Tirana. It’s a funky little capital with lots of murals, colorful buildings, and a desire to develop while dealing with and acknowledging its tumultuous history. I didn’t find a lot of traditional Albanian food restaurants, though there were plenty of gyros and sweets. One of the things I found surprising was that so many Albanians speak Italian, and many menus are often written in both Albanian and Italian. I wouldn’t necessarily come back to visit Tirana, but I’m glad I took the time to visit. I also celebrated my 31st birthday here and it was definitely a night to remember.
Piramida
Piramida is an unforgettable and culturally-significant building from 1987, completed not long before the fall of communism. It was intended as a museum to honor the country’s despotic dictator Enver Hoxha who ruled from 1944-85, but naturally, these plans were torn up after 1990. Now it’s at the crux of a debate on how to deal with the period after the Second World War when Albania suffered 45 years of isolation.
The white “thing” is an ultra-modern installation located in front of the National Art Gallery. It was designed by Suo Fujimoto and dedicated to Albania by the Luma Foundation to promote art in the country.