Day One: Tirana to Gjirokastra

The last two participants arrived, and we left for Gjirokastra.  This four-hour drive opened the window to rural, southern Albania. We saw vineyards and small fields of corn, cornshocks, olive trees, corn, wheat, cabbage, tomatoes, and grapes.  As we ventured further south, we began to see livestock: turkeys, dairy cows, sheep, goats, burrows, and horses.  Most of the labor was by hand, and transporting was with a wheel barrel or donkey.  Few farms had tractors, and I saw no signs of irrigation.

We stopped half way in Fier for a beverage at Taverna Pelican.  Pelicans,  peacocks and African added to the ambience of the grounds.

After settling in at Hotel Kostra, we had a welcoming dinner with staff from both the Swedish Home Office and the local Gjirokastra Office of Cultural Heritage without Borders.

Joanna LeBlanc, Financial Officer and Marianne Boqvist,
 Project Manager of  CHwB Swedish Office

Anisa Lloja, Camp Coordinator, and Elena Mamani, Project Manager
 and Deputy Head of CHwB Gjirokastra Office