Last Updated on June 24, 2019 by PowersToTravel
We drove west from Tirana towards Durres, excited to experience our grand tour of Albania. Would it be full of plazas and strip malls? Would we see slums?
We had read that Albania was still not as modern as the rest of Europe, and had been clawing its way back from the end of Communism there since 1991. Albania was a mystery to us, and we were anxious to see it.
The road itself turned out to be a modern black-top highway. At times it was four lanes and divided, and at others it was two lanes. As we sped along at perhaps 50 miles per hour, we saw a variety of stores and businesses along the highway.
The area immediately west of Tirana was clearly the furniture capital of Albania. Mobileri is the Albanian word for furniture.
Later we would laugh at the furniture stores. Albania is struggling to get on the radar of modern international businesses, anxious for big box stores, and inexpensive electronics. After the fall of Communism, few foreign businesses would open in Albania and the Albanians were left to struggle with expensive poor-quality Chinese imports. Even now, to them, an advertisement of Chinese goods is avoided.
So it was with amusement that we later passed these furniture stores on our way back and thought, wow! They can’t seem to get a cost effective refrigerator, but they can shop in 10 or 15 different super furniture stores. I wonder why so many.
Along the way Kledi began to educate us about some of peculiarities of Albania. We learned that there are more than 1000 gas stations in the country, most of them privately owned. Traditionally, the owner would name it after one of his daughters. We stopped in one of the big chain gas stations, and found it to be more modern and sleek than any other business in Albania.
What was striking by their absence were Supermarkets. We had requested that we stop for some Diet Coke, and Kledi did stop, double-parking, in front of a convenience store. But along the 45 minute drive on one of the busiest roads of the country, we never passed a supermarket. In fact, we never saw a single supermarket in the entire country. Kledi took us to convenience stores, fresh farmer markets, and gas stations, but never a supermarket.
The road was full of adventure. Cars, trucks, donkey carts competed for the highway, and stores, horses and farm stands competed at the edges. This part of Albania was not pretty, but it was entertaining. We relaxed in our private station wagon while Kledi artfully threaded us through the traffic.
Diabetic Travel Tips
You’ll find plenty of juice and snacks at the gas stations.
Check out this article of mine too:
Albania Travel Blog – Itinerary, Impressions and Diabetic Travel Tips
