our plan to visit the island of Mljet was unfortunately buried. We are in front of the big tourist-season move, and much is still closed and ferry services are still in hibernation.
Despite the fact that we travel outside the tourist-season, we are not the only ones visited Dubrovnik. Large crowds of Croats, but also German and English will be funneled through the old town. We give up a tour of the city wall (cost us too much) and also on the almost intrusive calls in a Restaurant to take place. We picnic by the sea and then set on the way forward along the coast.
Dubrovnik.
We decide to spend another night on Croatian soil, and a follow guide to a campsite. When we find after a long journey still no campground, we place ourselves on a night in the Wild "and fill in a cemetery well our water containers. Happiness is but once again we hold and we still find a campsite by the sea. The campsite is actually still closed, the toilet and the shower need to be cleaned, and so we can stay for free.
free camping on the beach.
The next day passes to the Montenegrin border. As we know, unfortunately, to my horror, that we lack a green card. We need to finish for 15 € a 14-day insurance for Montenegro. And then we must still pay for 10 € an ecology tax. Fortunately, not knowing that our bus is already over 15 years ...
In Montenegro welcomes us gray rainy weather. Nevertheless, we go visit in the Bay of Kotor and a pirate town right on the water before we board the citadels of Kotor. Here we express ourselves to the 2 € entrance fee, because we're a construction site on the way to the old building. We are not the only ones who give themselves the Dombesuch (3 € entrance fee). Other tourists take pictures easily through the door.
the citadels of Kotor.
goes for the night then in the Montenegrin mountains. Close to mountain road and through several hairpin bends on its way higher and higher. It offers us a wonderful view over the Bay of Kotor and the Mediterranean. At about 800 meters above sea flattens the area from then on. We have renewed hope for a flat place to sleep.
In a small Village in which only seems to by a house light through the window, we go into a field. The door of the lighted house to go and a short time later, we sit in the warm room of an elderly couple over coffee and Raki. We communicate as much as possible with hand signals and inform it about the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
The next morning's coffee and of course for a bitter Meli. After a farewell photo we will drive up the mountain and we have breakfast at a bend in the road overlooking the valley.
farewell photo of the old couple (note Meli's red nose).
Since our Tomtom has no cards in the system of Montenegro, we are dependent on our rough map of Europe and have to tap into the national park and promptly missed the Albanian border. But suddenly we overtook a car, the warning lights lit up and showed us a hand at the next exit down out. One guy said he had a camp nearby and offers boat trips on the Skadarsko Lake. We are to follow him umbedingt and look at all times. The campsite was more then a parking space without infrastructure, but at least free. In the restaurant we were covered with information about the Grenzsee, which also extends far into Albania. Meli is a bunch of flowers and basil in a Potty gifted (in two or three months, he was huge). The 50 € boat tour we beat out to eat but super fine fish.
Skadarsko jezero (Grenzsee to Albania) - Meli with a flower gift.
The next day we drive through small, bumpy mountain roads along the lake through the National Park. Meli out with her belly-GPS and sometimes we wonder whether we are on track to Albania. Suddenly we are in a stroke of cars in front of the Montenegrin Customs and are waiting for some time already through. On the Albanian customs we wait in vain. No 10 € entrance fee wie im Reiseführer beschrieben, keinen Stempel in den Pass, nicht ein mal ein Häuschen mit einem Zöllner. Dafür natürlich gleich schon die ersten kleinen Einmannbunker, die wir von unserem Besuch vor 5 Jahren schon kennen.
Eidechse im Nationalpark. - Zoll nach Albanien.
In Shkodra parken wir den Bus und schlendern durch die Strassen, wechseln auf Anweisung in der Touriinformation auf der Strasse Euros in Lek und bemerken die vielen Geldautomaten erst danach. Wir beschliessen nach der Besichtigung der riesigen Bruganlage von Shkodra (wirklich sehr eindrücklich) noch weiter in den Norden zu fahren. Raphi will in die albanischen Alps to Theth, Meli is the description in the guidebook that you need a 4WD is not scary. The road from Shkodra out is full of potholes and it is slow. Meli is sure he has not to go to Theth as the road is located on the map thicker than those after Theth.
castle of Shkodra.
We stay somewhat hidden behind some bushes 20 meters off the road. As soon as we have kept it starts to rain. It rains all the next day and we decide to spend a day on the bus and wait for better weather. Shepherd with sheep pass by us and we talk with them broken Italian (which we learn here from the television). Our offered sausage and cheese plate squashed the old shepherd alone without offering his cousin, even a bit that put us into a bit surprised.
As the weather the next day even better, we decide to call off the trip in the Alps and go back to Shkodra, where we shop. Meli purchased from a butcher kebab. They are in Albania without sausage casing for dinner.
On the way to Lezha we see a number of flooded gardens and are happy not to a mud road to Theth to be on the road. We want the grave of Skanderbeg (the Albanian national hero) To visit when we come for the first time with the Albanian police in contact. A policeman runs wildly gesticulating with his throat in his hand and his pipe in his mouth to us. What he wants to tell us to recognize we can not. Pfrrrrrrrtpfrrrrrrrtpfrrrrrt just does not understand even the guide. The grave is then, but we catch a glimpse through the door on the Albanian hero.
flood - tomb of Skanderbeg
We spend the night at the edge of the National Parks Kuna Vaini, a lagoon area, which serves as a wintering area for many birds, we next Day visit. The departure is delayed then something because our bus is almost impossible to get out of the mud is. Thanks to the help of a nice Albanians but then it is possible. We go for a ride to a restaurant along the beach (is unfortunately still around a lot of waste, but Martin Lerch we will meet later said, that will all gone cleared for the bathing season) and let us then from the woman who Restaurant guides the most expensive fish turn on in Albania.
The sea is still cold - drop at the beach - our bus behind a bunker.
On the way to Tirana we make a detour after Durrës, where we visit right after a night on the town beach. Raphi can shave the Berbers and the car gets a Lavazh. Now it shines like new.
When Lavazh.
The road travels to Tirana then wonderful. Two lanes and no potholes, and we reach the capital in a short time. We immediately recognize some points from our last visit. The city has also changed significantly. The horn is indeed still the main means of communication while driving, but it seems to us that the city is dressed up a little more and you can see it here and there a new, very modern cafe. Much is still under construction or renovation. Some sites look almost more like five years ago.
Skanderbeg statue in Tirana.
take us by telephone with Martin Lerch, we know from our last visit, contact and meet him later at a restaurant. We will be he and his wife Migena invited for dinner and stay overnight in the parking lot in front of the house. Knowing that lies ahead for us in the morning a pleasant shower.
Together with her son, Nile, we ride on Saturday with sunshine in the mountains to Tirana. We walk through olive groves, past donkeys and turtles, and finally to steep mountain trails to a limestone cave, which we equipped with our flashlights can explore on your own. So close is a rare occurrence of stalagmites and stalactites, but some are unfortunately marked by stupid tourists with their names.
Towards Shpella E Pullumbasit (Black Cave) - The Cave - The cave explorers after the cave tour.
We spend several days at Migena, Martin and Nils. Meli Migena and cook for us and we use the Internet to mail order again and so you will also benefit from this detailed blog.
