Today Nancy and I made our first foray outside of the capital city of Tirana. Along with four other Fulbright connected people and four others we hired three taxis and drove one hour (25 miles) out of the city. Our destination was Kroje and the 16th century fortress from which Skanderbeg, the national hero of Albania, for 25 years successfully thwarted Ottoman attempts to control the Albanian people. Kroje also has a bazaar which is reputed to be one of the best places in the country for souvenir hunting.
The drive out took us through parts of Tirana we had not seen, and then into the countryside and on to Kroje. There we passed through the lower town and made our way to the upper town, where the fortress is located. The town and fortress are part way up some of the rugged mountains that help you understand how Albania could be such an isolated country for so long. Clearly impenetrable to any kind of direct travel, they loom large and imposing. From the vantage point of the fortress we could look up at the mountains above, down at the valley below and off to the Adriatic Sea. We could also enjoy clean air and no traffic.
Before coming to Albania I had never heard of Skanderbeg, but Albanians are filled with pride in his accomplishments. Taken by the Turks into the Ottoman army, he deserted and became a fierce and successful warrior-defender of Albanian freedom. Many countries have their legendary founders and fighters, and the people mix fact and fiction in telling their stories. Skanderbeg is that for Albania, but the historical stories seem to validate his reputation. Operating out of the fortree at Skoje, and against overwhelming odds, he kept the Ottoman armies at bay, and gave the people someone to be proud of for centuries. The central square of Tirana is dominated by his statue—he is in full battle array with beard flowing, riding on a strong horse. Very impressive!

While Nancy and I are pretty immune to souvenir purchasing, we did leave a few leks (Albanian money) behind by purchasing a traditional coffee grinder. This particular one was made during the communist era, but that, too is a part of the history of this country—and coming from Seattle what more appropriate item could we come away with than a hand-operated coffee grinder. And, for your information, the taxi out and back, plus 2 hours waiting for us, cost about $10 per person. Not bad I would say.