Country Archive
Travels through the Ionian Riviera-it's who you know in Albania and Montenegro
Date: 11/01/2005
According to legend, the Albanian city of Butrint (or Buthrotum-its ancient name) was founded by Helenus, son of King Priam, after the fall of Troy. Aeneas is said to have been entertained here and, according to Virgil, described this city as "Troy in Miniature." Legends aside, what is certain is that the Illyrians were occupying the Butrint site from about the eighth century B.C.
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Legends of Albania-the "Land of the Snowy Peaks"
Date: 10/01/2005
Until my recent visit to the country, all I knew about Albania was a story that my father told me about how his grandfather was outraged when Mussolini annexed Albania. Not because invading another country is a bad thing to do, but because Il Duce had "just ruined the best wild boar hunting in Europe." My great-grandfather may have had some of his priorities slightly skewed, but he and his generation were drawn to Albania, not only for its hunting facilities, but by its coast a popular holiday destination at the time. On one trip, my grandfather returned to Scotland with two live wild boar. He gave one to Edinburgh Zoo and kept one as a "pet." It lived in a large wood in northeast Scotland until shot by a neighboring farmer. I remember its gravestone: it simply read "Pig."
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Four "must sees" 1. The UNESCO listed ancient ruins and a Roman city at Butrint on the Greek border (20 miles south of Saranda). 2. Ottoman houses in Gjirokaster and the road between Gjirokaster and Saranda. 3. The Ionian coast road from Saranda to Vlore. 4. The north eastern highlands (or Korab "Alps") around Mount Korabit and north of Lake Ohrid, Kukes. |
Son of the Eagle
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Chaos Theory in Albania
Date: 05/30/2005"I am convinced that driving habits in a country reflect the general state of the economy--and nowhere more so than in Tirana, the capital city of Albania..."
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