AN UNEVENTFUL DAY…

…NOT!!! Today, we took a day trip to the town of Gjirokastër. This city is in southern Albania. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino River. It was an absolutely beautiful drive…but if you’re not use to the mountains…which we mid-westerners are not…it was a very 😳 drive…our driver, 3D, did an outstanding job coming and going but it’s the ones you meet in the curve in addition to climbing higher and higher into the mountains that scares you…

Enjoy the pictures:

The beginning of our ascent.

We made it! The drive is less than an hour…very happy for that.

We only had to drive down these narrow roads to find a park…the streets were made of pavers and very, very narrow.

We made it. And the first stop was a tour Skenduli House. This house was built in the 1700s and partially restored in 1891. We were told that the more fireplaces a house had showed how wealthy the family was….interesting. The upstairs of the house was used during the summer months…the main level was used during the winter months and the bottom level is where they stored their food.

And then on to the bazaar

Such a touching story here..the kids said one more stop and then we will have lunch…as we are about to leave, this lady asked for a picture with us…we did and then she started to cry because her sister died 2 months ago. Her sister left a son, who is having a hard time with his mother’s death and a daughter who is doing ok. The lady said how we just made her think of her family. Bre and Kev shared the Bible’s hope for the future….so very special.❤️

Lunch

Now we are back home enjoying he view

Comments

WHERE?….OOOHHHH!!!

That’s the common reaction I get when I tell people that we are going to the Special Convention in Albania. “ Where is Albania?” I tell them next door to Macedonia and Greece…Then the next common response is “Oooooohhhhh!! History lesson: The Albanians call their country “The Land of the Eagle”. This country faces the Adriatic Sea which lies on the Balkan Peninsula. It is snuggled between Greece and the former Yugoslavia. Albania is known for its natural beauty…from its jagged mountains to its white sandy beaches…I can’t wait!! Although Albania is the official language, there are different dialects. Gheg (in the northern part of Albania) and Tosk (in the southern part of Albania). There’s also a small community of people that speak Romany. Albanians are very expressive people. So we can speak with them with our hands and feet without even knowing the language. As a matter of fact, I can say ‘yes’ and ‘no’without saying a word. ...

OUR JOY IS OVER FLOWING!!

Imagine the emotions running through me as I was doing my morning work out on zoom when an email popped up saying “YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED TO ATTEND ALBANIA 2025 Special Convention”. I couldn’t wait to connect with the rest of the family to hear their excitement!! That wonderful morning was November 8, 2024…..now let’s fast forward…. Flight booked…hotel booked….itinerary for our activities in Albania has been finalized…now what? There is so much to unpack to get ready for this trip but I think it’s best I pack first….(my attempt of cracking a funny).

THE END

..well my lovely followers…my journey to Albania has come to an end…a wonderful end. I asked my supporting cast their thoughts of Albania through their lens…enjoy their expressions. “Welcoming, beautiful, comfortable, lovely”. “Never felt unsafe”. “Felt more like a reunion of seeing friends that they hadn’t seen in over five years and some friends even longer.” …as for me…I had the best time of my life (as best as you can in this crazy system). Thank you Albania for your love and self sacrificing spirit…Albania is a beautiful country and is definitely worth getting the Albanian experience. I loved seeing this country through my children’s eyes…they were so happy to return and reflect on their lives there…I’m pretty sure Albanians will be planting more palm trees because they used up all their branches waving to Bre and Kev….😂 …My world has become smaller simply because of the pure language that we all strive to speak….it’s a special thing that NO ONE can imitate...

Family Goes to Albania

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