Tirana

Walking around Tirana with the first cold breeze blowing from the mountains of the Balkans gives though a feeling of freshness that pervades the body. It is cold and warm at the same time. Groups of young are strolling on the streets and packing the tarraces of cafès in this sunny Saturday of November. Many of them you would still see them sitting at the same table if you passed a couple of hours later; this is what is seems to be a cafè culture, no much different from what happens in other Balcanic countries, especially Greece included. But what gets always my attention is that if in the country of the Parthenon you would see tall glasses with typical Frappè, in Albania you would have rather Italian expresso lovers and drinkers, with all its variations, from cappuccinos, to caffè latte and the likes. I would challenge anyone in Italy to sit at a bar for two hours having one espresso only. Well, versus the fast and quick Italian habit of the caffeine shot in a millisecond, on this part of the Adriatic sea you mix the same product with the chatting and time consuming habit that you find in Greece also. Proximity to two countries, a bridge between South Europe and South East Europe. Who travelled here knows the differences; results of decades of terrifying and horrendous Communist regime under Mr Hoxa.