In lack of hat and sunglasses

Enjoying sunshine

[caption id="attachment_2631" align="alignnone" width="660"] Enjoying sunshine[/caption]

Spring Day - Dita e Veres

Spring Day (we actually call it Summer Day) is celebrated every 14 March in Albania.

According to some sources, Dita e Verës derives from the Arbëreshë, an Albanian community that lives in Italy since the fifteenth century. On 14 March, the Arbëreshë of the Italian coast, collect a tuft of grass roots and soil, bringing it home to commemorate the anniversary of their emigration from Albania. In fact, some sources date back this celebration to the ancient Illyria. At that time, the feast was celebrated on 1 March, which according to the Julian calendar, corresponded to the first day of the year.

Budget Casting Couch

[caption id="attachment_2502" align="alignnone" width="950"] Budget Casting Couch[/caption]

Lana II

Reminds me the famous photo, Rhein II, hence the title. By the way, Lana is the small river that crosses Tirana.

Me

This is a photo of me from last summer, taken by a friend of mine testing his camera.

Raindrops

[caption id="attachment_2298" align="alignnone" width="660"] Raindrops[/caption]

Raining Cats and Dogs

[caption id="attachment_2295" align="alignnone" width="660"] Raining Cats and Dogs[/caption]

Rain

It started raining out of nowhere. In just a couple of minutes it looked like Venice.

Fire

Driving back home, we drove past this burning van. Fortunately no one was hurt. Unfortunately the van was unsalvageable. Let's hope he had it insured against fire.

Future pilot perhaps?

[caption id="attachment_2226" align="alignnone" width="660"] Future pilot perhaps?[/caption]

It wouldn't be a surprise though. His grandfather from his mother's side is a retired flight engineer (worked all his life with Mi4 helicopters). His uncle is an amateur pilot, flying mostly with gliders, and his mother recognizes most of the airplanes and helicopters by model. :)

Petulla

[caption id="attachment_2205" align="alignnone" width="660"] Pancakes[/caption]

This is Saranda's promenade, slightly off season. During July/August is impossible to walk without bumping into people. It was also kinda late when I took this photo, around midnight I think. The stand there sells petulla, the Albanian version of fried dough. There is a recipe here if you want to know how it looks like and how it tastes.

My older brother, enjoying the view. I'm inside this abandoned shop, on the crossroad to Delvine. It smelled like shit inside but I had to "get my hands dirty" to get this fantastic photo.

Hayabusa

[caption id="attachment_2117" align="alignnone" width="950"] Hayabusa[/caption]

On the national road, not common in Albania. At least he should have the decency to walk a little further to relieve himself. Nice bike though.

The unfinished building on the right is common here. People start building 2 floor houses and then they run out of money...

400

[caption id="attachment_2089" align="alignnone" width="950"] 400[/caption]

This path leads to the water pump, which I mentioned on the other post. The numbers on the pavement might be used for running. On the left there is the lake of Viroi, on the right there is a water stream. It feeds on the same spring that feeds the lake, runs along its shore (separated from this path) and when it reaches the other side of the lake, they join again. The water is crystal clear but I don't know if it's drinkable. Maybe at the spring, but didn't see any comfortable place to bend over and drink.



This is kinda 20-30 m deep. You could throw a penny and see it on the bottom.

Prosthesis

[caption id="attachment_2079" align="alignnone" width="660"] Prosthesis[/caption]

We Speak English

[caption id="attachment_2077" align="alignnone" width="660"] We Speak English[/caption]

They speak English, you can't deny that, can you? ;)