Journey's end, Kruja. Albania May 22

All good things must come to an end, so the saying goes. We pulled into the town of Kruja, for our last night. Not disappointed, splendid setting for the hotel, it was a shame it was only one night as it had a super welcoming roof top swimming pool and terrace.

Tirana from where I would fly home from the following night was out there somewhere about a dozen miles away.

No rest for the wicked, no swimming or beer just yet, that damn castle calls!!!!

Through the old market

The walk there was quite pretty, it took us through small streets lined with shops selling tat.

Including a 1964 released album by that great Albanian singer and actor Trini Lopez; well at least that is a genuine article amongst the "antiquities"

I do have a love of "trench art", though these shells would be too heavy for me to get back to the UK and well maybe, "Here is one I made yesterday" was my first thought

Genuine vintage watches? Brand new straps. I did pop into this shop though looking for vintage B/W photograph books from times gone by, the guy only had one, but it was tattered and worn out and he wanted and wouldn't budge from 60 euros. We couldn't even agree on 50 euros, with the pocket watch thrown in as a gesture of goodwill. Ho hum.

All aimed at us the tourist. Excuse me? I am not a tacky tourist: I am a tasty traveller, and don't you forget it. I did buy a fridge magnet though, foregoing the Mother Teresa and Enver Hoxha mugs.

Emerging from the streets at the entrance to the fortress, Dritan our guide babbling on about history and stuff, to anyone that was actually paying attention when........

.....this old guy pops up strumming away and singing for his supper, obviously annoying our leader who started talking louder, which only encouraged Trini Lopez to sing louder, Dritan started shouting, Trini started cater-walling. It was all quite amusing really. They didn't quite come to blows but Dritan kind of like I think told the guy to "shut the fuck up".

The commotion brought in a 3rd party, in the form of the ticket seller to the fortress, who kindly explained to Dritan and us that the guy was in fact not Mr. Lopez, but a local hero who fought in the armed resistance to Enver Hoxha and his govt.

Well, talk about humble pie being eaten by the plate full!!! I think he was showered with dosh beyond his wildest dreams, after quietening down and singing a more relaxed hymn of the resistance. Bravo.

We walked up to the castle
It was shit
We walked back down.
The wandering minstrel
Had wandered off.

Any plans?
Beer
Swim
Beer
Food, with beer.

Yup, that's the bucket list ticked off then. Next day, one of my companions wanted to visit the caves of the mystic Sari Saltik, but she didn't want to go alone. Lucky I had my nicely polished suit of armour with me.

The Caves of Sari Saltik

Neither of us fancied a hike so the hotel hailed a taxi, which duly arrived in the form of an old Austin Allegro. They were not safe 40 years ago!!!!

We looked at each other, we looked at the taxi, we looked at each other, we looked at the driver, a guy of indiscriminate age, summed up, old; very old, we looked at each other. With a fuck it! it's cheap! we climbed in.

The drive up a windy mountain road was fun, never mind no ABS, traction control or power steering our chariot didn't even have seat belts, nor a driver who knew which side of the road he was supposed to be driving on.

Today I learnt that ladies swore, as all I could hear from the back was, oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck jesus oh fuck jesus fuck fuck. You get the picture!

The town of Kruje way below us, with our kindly driver waiting for us off we trotted

Situated on a cliff of Kruja Mountain, the Temple of Sari Salltiku marks the beginning of the history of temples in Albania.
The legend is dedicated to the Dervishes of Holy Sacrament, who fought to end the practice of the ritual sacrificing of young girls.
Sari Salliku Temple is the second largest pilgrimage in Albania visited by pilgrims, citizens, and tourists of all religious beliefs. The peak of the pilgrimage season takes place from August 14th to September 14th.

Source

"THE SANCTUARY WAS DESTROYED IN 1967 FROM THE REGION PAID AND REBUILT BY THE PEOPLE OF KRUJE IN 1991"

Some babblings about Saltik from his followers.

Nope not sure who is buried here

A dark and bleak "cave", (crack in the wall) is where I guess folk come to do what folk of their ilk do.

So now lets go, I offered to take the back seat back down the mountain, it was declined. Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck jesus oh fuck jesus fuck fuck. You get the picture!