Bubs and Boca count our blessings and truly appreciate our freedom as today we visited a country that recently opened to some freedom #PROUDAMERICAN....we docked in Corfu and took a day excursion to Albania...35 min by hydrofoil or 5 miles if you swim. We have been trying for years to visit Albania but one think or another prohibited a visit. Huh? How about the time they took apart the rail road tracks for the copper- no train in from India and forget flying in from Serbia...but hopefully that is all behind them as they push to move their country ahead. They are not in the EU but are a candidate for membership.....more about that later.With its 3,020,209 people, Albania is the 137th largest country in the world by population. Albania is slightly larger than New Jersey. Albania declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, but was conquered by Italy in 1939, and occupied by Germany in 1943. Communist partisans took over the country in 1944. Albania allied itself first with the USSR (until 1960), and then with China (to 1978). In the early 1990s, Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The transition has proven challenging as successive governments have tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, powerful organized crime networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made progress in its democratic development since first holding multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid schemes in 1997; however, each of Albania's post-communist elections have been marred by claims of electoral fraud. The 2009 general elections resulted in a coalition government, the first such in the country's history. In 2013, general elections achieved a peaceful transition of power and a second successive coalition government. Albania joined NATO in April 2009 and is a potential candidate for EU accession. Although Albania's economy continues to grow, it has slowed, and the country is still one of the poorest in Europe. A large informal economy and an inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure remain obstacles.
I found this cool web site that compares one country to another- ifitweremyhome.com
If Albania were your home instead of The United States you would...
Blessed Mother Teresa was born here...
Religious freedoms were severely curtailed during the communist regime, with all forms of worship being outlawed. In August 1945, the Agrarian Reform Law meant that large swaths of property owned by religious groups (mostly Islamic waqfs) were nationalized, along with the estates of monasteries and dioceses. Many believers, along with the ulema and many priests, were arrested and executed. In 1949, a new Decree on Religious Communities required that all their activities be sanctioned by the state alone.
After hundreds of mosques and dozens of Islamic libraries, containing priceless manuscripts, were destroyed, Enver Hoxha proclaimed Albania the "World's first atheist state" in 1967. The churches had not been spared either, and many were converted into cultural centers for young people. A 1967 law banned all "fascist, religious, warmongerish, antisocialist activity and propaganda". Preaching religion carried a three to ten-year prison sentence. Nonetheless, many Albanians continued to practice their beliefs secretly. The Hoxha dictatorship's anti-religious policy attained its most fundamental legal and political expression a decade later: "The state recognizes no religion," states Albania's 1976 constitution, "and supports and carries out atheistic propaganda in order to implant a scientific materialistic world outlook in people. Enver Hoxha's political successor, Ramiz Alia oversaw the dismemberment of the "Hoxhaist" state during the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in the late 1980s.
The Ritsi family serves as long term missionaries with OCMC in Tirana. This very special couple (both children of Priests) met at Holy Cross- pursuing their dream to make disciples of all nations. Amen!
check out www.ocmc.org for more details
We ferry over on the JOY- built in 1950??- to the beachfront community, Saranda.
The capital is Tirana and the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MISSION CENTER has a mission center there.
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MISSION CENTER
Mission, Vision, & Values
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.Our Mission
As the official missions agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States it is OCMC's mission to make disciples of all nations by bringing people to Christ and His Church.Our Vision
That all people may come to know the saving love of our Lord: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Our Values
- We value proclaiming and witnessing Christ to all people with priority given to those who have never heard or accepted the Gospel.
- We value sharing the love of Christ for the care of the total person – spiritual and physical.
- We value ministry in the language and culture of the people.
- We value our people – well-trained Missionaries, Staff, Board, Supporters, Indigenous Leadership and those being served.
- We value communities, parishes, and individuals that are mission-minded and have active mission involvement.
- We value being an open and transparent agency that values the gifts of stewardship provided to us by the faithful.
Why Orthodox missions? There are still over 4.7 billion people who do not know the hope, love and joy of a life in Christ. OCMC helps Orthodox Christians from North America welcome people around the world into the Body of Christ.
Be a witness of the Faith in a country where 70% of the people come from a Muslim tradition by being a part of this evangelistic outreach. Albania suffered the most severe religious persecution in the world, where all forms of religion were constitutionally prohibited. Most churches and monasteries had been destroyed; no Church infrastructure existed; and only a few clergy remained. After five centuries of Ottoman occupation and five decades of communist rule, the Church continues to make a remarkable turnaround. Today, under the guidance of Archbishop ANASTASIOS of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania, along with the help of Orthodox missionaries and dedicated Albanian leaders the Church has been resurrected and continues to flourish.
Help strengthen the Church’s youth ministry programs by contributing to its ongoing growth; to inspire, train, and equip Albanians to evangelize their nation and disciple their people. Team members will share life experiences and fellowship with Albanian young adults while providing a visible witness of the Holy Orthodox Faith.
Next mode of transport - DIE HARD- on an Albanian bus. Love the numbered seats- make sure the magic marker doesn't rub off your pants Bubs.
After the revolution of 1989, reforms were made by the communist government in 1990. Subsequently, the People's Republic was dissolved and the 4th Albanian Republic was founded on 29 April 1991. The communists retained a stronghold in the Parliament, after popular support in the 1991 elections. In March 1992, amid liberalization policies resulting in economic collapse and social unrest, a new coalition led by the new Democratic Party took power after victory in the 1992 elections.
In the following years, much of the accumulated wealth of the country was invested in Ponzi pyramid banking schemes, which were widely supported by the government. The schemes swept up somewhere between one sixth and one third of the Albanian population. Despite the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warnings in late 1996, President Sali Berisha defended the schemes as large investment firms, leading more people to redirect their remittances and sell their homes and cattle for cash to deposit in the schemes. The schemes began to collapse in late 1996, leading many of the investors to join initially peaceful protests against the government, requesting their money back. The protests turned violent in February 1997 as government forces responded with fire. In March, the Police and Republican Guard deserted, leaving their armories open. These were promptly emptied by militias and criminal gangs. The resulting crisis caused a wave of evacuations of foreign nationals and of refugees.
The crisis led Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi to resign on 11 March 1997, followed by President Sali Berisha in July in the wake of the June General Election. In April 1997, Operation Alba, a UN peacekeeping force led by Italy, entered the country with two goals: to assist with the evacuation of expatriates and to secure the ground for international organizations. The main international organization involved was the Western European Union's Multinational Albanian Police element (MAPE), which worked with the government to restructure the judicial system and the Albanian Police. The Socialist Party had won the previously mentioned parliamentary elections in June 1997, and a degree of political stabilization followed. In 1999, the country was affected by the Kosovo War, which caused a great number of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo to seek refuge in Albania. per WIKI
One way to display your shoes for sale- or
in a box.
The counter is empty but they have a few fish to sell in boxes??
Ancient ruins....
Modern ruins.
We chug along to Burtrint National Park- hey there's Corfu! Yup, you can see it from the bus Bubs. How/why didn't all these folks swim over during the Commie Years???
Butrint NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
A UNESCO SITE
Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city’s development.
Always fun to watch the international tourists...
Pray tell, Sir, did you save that shirt from your Hippie days?
Burka and Hot Pants- quite the combo.
On to the tour Pleep. This ancient port city is a small piece of the Mediterranean world history. Nowadays it constitutes a very visited cultural tourist destination of Albania. Most of the monuments have been discovered by the Italian Archaeological Mission, guided by Luigi Maria Ugolini, who worked for nearly 10 years (192801939) to uncover the ancient city. It dates back to 8th century BC!
Nothing like a Roman bath to get your day going...according to classical mythology, this ancient city was founded by the exiles who left the city after the fall of Troy. In the epic poem "Aeneid" the Latin poet Virgil narrates to Aeneas, who visited Brutrint on his way to Italy.
Yes, I see you Bubs- and yup that's a whole lotta brick work.
A chapel of the 4th century BC dedicated to the god of Asclepius, an ancient theater, a forum, gymnasiums (pagan shrine), a Roman civic house, Trikonk Palace (with a triangular dinning room!), a fountain dedicated to the Nymphs, the Lions gate and even their own Acropolis.
The mosaics were so preserved....
Bubba made it to the top- the castle- he enjoyed the blending of the 3 dynasty's into a truly stunning national park- WELL WORTH THE VISIT.
Pleep was a bit miffed at Bubs as his smallest bill was a 50 euro and the ice-cream girl had no change...so he had to watch others. You have a wallet full of do re mi and how are your going to tip the 12 guides??? I am sure they will be pleased with your thinking- or lack there of.
Boca enjoyed the "ancient" method of ferrying cars across the river. Yes, that is a rope that pulls the ferry back and forth.
Pleep could not resist the alligator for his souvenir- finally change for his ice cream.
Back on the bus, he Guide Ganti, what's up with so many half built and abandoned buildings??? Yes Mrs. Boca, after the fall of Communism there was basically a land grab creating many problems. In the past few years the government is trying to correct the situation by taking back buildings and even tearing the down to make way for proper infrastructure and to show others that type of behavior will not be tolerated....that is after the chosen have already received their free property and houses. Hmmm.
abandoned...
wonder if they will finish?
and then we saw 100's of empty 1st floor commercial space????
Where they anticipating a boom?
They look nicely done.
Anybody looking for some retail space?
or a Starbucks?
So what's the current status Pleep? Although Albania received candidate status for the European Union membership in 2014 (based on its 2009 application), the European Union has twice rejected full membership. The European Parliament warned the Government leaders in early 2017 that the 2017 parliamentary elections in June must be free and fair before negotiations could begin to admit the country into the union.
An old communist bunker overlooking the peaks of Valbona Valley. By 1983 approximately 173,371 concrete bunkers were scattered throughout the country. We saw several but how in the heck can a country the size of Jersey house that many bunkers!!!!Bubs had quite the work out climbing to the top of the park ruins...
ime to chow down Albanian style at a lovely cafe with a nice breeze and lovely view.
Fish lips?
Wine less than a coke....looks like the right place for Boca.
Oh no, here comes a ship. Do you think the cruise industry will find this darling port town? It was surprisingly nice and Bubs loved the price for a 5 star (not sure who's scale) hotel- 55 Euros per night- "we'll be back"!
And the ladies bid Pleep farewell.
Back to Greece and one more quick trip around Corfu...hey wait, I thought the garbage collection strike was over...well not exactly Mrs. Boca.
You've got that right. But the mob scene of tourists gone- only one other ship in town today. Big difference in the intensity of touring and it has started to cool down nicely.
Back in time to clean up for the evening...happy hour in Keller's Bar. Bubs enjoys chatting it up with the ladies- that's our songstress, Susan, from South Africa.
We are invited to sit with Hills -remember the oh so fun/funny Brit who was our feature entertainer last eve-Hillary O'neil...the other 2 couples are from Melbourne Australia (and yes one of them knows our pals the Klines) and the other lady is our guest lecturer- trying to educate Boca about Ancient History. Aren't I living with it?
Hills is so proud of her DIY stiletto's....she Swaroski'ed them! Ya gotta love a gal who lefts a leg at the dinner table!
DOWNTOWN ABBY MEETS MOMMY DEAREST
Of course a bit of a red, white and blue celebration....
Now that's quite a statement...where did you get that!!
Only a brave women would share her brand AND SIZE. Love the green bra babe! Aussies are ALWAYS LOADS OF FUN.
NOW UP TO THE POOL DECK FOR SOME ROCKIN FUN...the ship is loaded with young, fun guys and gals. Boca does her best to keep up.
And Hills took Bub for a spin! He doesn't move like that for me Hills!
How are we going to keep this up for another month and a half???
