Just a quick note to thank you very much indeed for putting
together such a great itinerary – I really enjoyed the trip to Albania &
got a lot out of it.
The flights out were straightforward with Austrian Airlines
behaving themselves – but then I had plenty of time in Vienna for my
connection. The flights back with Lufthansa were also fine.
I was met in Tirana by the hugely enthusiastic Gentian – who had
spent 6 years living in Bedford, of all places – and we then drove into Tirana
& had a tour of the city. The hotel Vila Alba was nice & friendly
– quiet, too, for such a central location. Breakfast on the 6th
floor terrace in bright sunshine was an absolute treat.
The visit to Ohrid was really interesting – we saw 7 old Zastavas
– I mean the really old ones based on the Fiat 600 – that in addition to all
the usual Zastavas & other old cars – Macedonia seems to be a haven for old
vehicles. Yes – I know I didn’t go to see old cars. That was a
bonus J
Korça seemed really interesting & it would have been nice to
have had some free time in Korça to wander around the city – the itinerary had
us arriving at 16.30 but with so much to pack in during the day it is hard to
see how that could have been achieved – and as it was we saw the old & new
cathedrals & the icon museum the next morning………
Gjirokaster is just a gem of a place & I appreciated having 2
nights in one town – the stop in Sarandë was quite fun & reminded me of my
visit to Yalta last year that your colleague Christina put together for me as
part of a brilliant trip to Moldova & southern Ukraine – and, of course,
Berat is fabulous.
The above completely ignores all the fantastic scenery, the
castles & churches – the excellent food & good beer – and generally
getting a feel for a country I knew nothing about. A good example of this
is that Edi Rama was being inaugurated the weekend I arrived – I was oblivious
to the June elections so had no idea that there was a new prime minister – the
OSCE report on the election makes interesting reading………..
The hotels throughout were great; the itinerary worked well; the
local guides were good and Past & Present were very good & efficient –
overall a great holiday – so thank you very much indeed!
And if any of your future clients need persuading that Albania is
great place for a holiday – well, a country that has such friendly people; good
food & beer (wines were ok, too); good hotels; great scenery; endless
history (if a bit confusing at times) & monuments – plus the “singing trees”
in Tirana & Berat (maybe other cities, too) – how could you not go?
Best wishes,
Barnaby
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