Durrës: The Albanian High Life

            It was our third morning in Albania and we were loading up our double-decker bus, which we had christened “Albert” (since on its side was written in large letters, "Albanian Express"). I was a part of the luggage crew, which meant being responsible for getting everyone's suitcases, carry-ons, and garment-bag-enclosed tuxes and dresses in and out of the luggage compartment of the bus in an expedient manner. Our first attempt loading the luggage of 60 people took about 25 minutes and offloading took 10; by the end of our 15-day tour we worked hard enough to shave those numbers down to 10 minutes onloading and 2 minutes and 15 seconds offloading (yes, we were that serious about our job).

            We were sad to leave Korçë since we were beginning to know it well, but before we even had time to reminisce about our experiences there the bus was on its way to our next destination, the city of Durrës. We took the same route we followed on the way to Korçë, passing familiar sights and saying goodbye to them. Beautiful Lake Ohrid faded away as we began the climb back into the Balkan mountains, and we saw the river with its waterfalls one last time before heading for a completely different region of Albania.

Durrës is the Rio de Janeiro of Albania

            Durrës is gorgeous. It is the second largest city in Albania after Tirana and one of the most economically significant. Although the cost of living in this city is among the highest in the country, the wonderful thing for Americans in Albania is that everything is cheap! Because the US dollar is so strong here, we poor college students felt wealthy and were able to live high on the hog. Even in Durrës, a night at a 5-star hotel costs only $100; in the US a comparable hotel would be nearer to $300. The entire Chorale enjoyed a fabulous three-course meal at a 5-star restaurant on the end of the Durrës pier, and the luxury of this fine dining on the sea only set us back $14 a person – a meal like this would easily reach $30 per person in California. So although Albania doesn't attract too many tourists, for those interested in getting a big bang for your buck in a beautiful environment, I couldn't recommend it more! For example, a great cup of coffee in Albania that would blow Starbucks out of the water goes for a dollar, whereas Starbucks would charge you four or five. Ahhhh, my kind of living!

Fine Dining on the Sea

            As an aside, let me mention that while I appreciated many things about the Albanian people, one of the things I particularly noticed was Albanian hospitality. Albanians are always looking out for the interests of their guests; this is especially the case at restaurants and kafe-bars. I find their hospitality particularly intriguing because Albania is a culture in which you don't tip your servers or baristas. Back in the states you can cynically assume the friendliness of someone's customer service is for the sake of your money, (an assumption that I, as a former server at a restaurant, will sheepishly acknowledge as far too often true).  The lack of this monetary motivation in Albania is indicative of genuine concern for your satisfaction on the part of the Albanian wait staff.

            After lunch we visited the ruins of a first century coliseum where the bones of 44 supposed Christian martyrs were found. Legend has it that Titus the evangelist was martyred at this very amphitheater, as Paul in his final letter writes to Timothy, "Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia" (2 Timothy 4:10). Durrës is a city on the Dalmatian coast, so this legend is very plausible. Considering where we were standing and the history of Christian persecution and murder that took place here, some of the songs we sang were especially meaningful and powerful to me. We sang "It Is Well," "Steal Away," and "The Doxology." Is was an incredible feeling to be singing God's praises freely in a location where 2,000 years ago we would have been killed for doing just that.

We stood in the "bleachers" and our conductor stood in the middle of the amphitheater as we sang

            After exploring the fascinating caverns and tunnels at the coliseum, we left to perform yet another concert at the recital hall of the Albanian College of Durrës before heading to the quaint downtown district to experience a traditional Albanian meal. I ordered a plate known as qofta (pronounced chofta), a type of deep-fried sausage with chicken and cheese in the center. While the carnivore in me thought it sounded rather tasty, I actually didn't find it very pleasing to the palate (in fact, I don't think too many of us Americans did!). It might have simply been the fault of poor quality meat, but the dish tasted rather bland and had a tough, rubbery texture. On the positive side, it was only about $2 a person, so I didn’t have to bemoan the waste of my limited funds on an unappealing meal. My how I love the prices in Albania!