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In Which I Am The Only Tourist In Town
September 10, 2008 by Mike
Vlorë
I finally ovërcamë by fëar of asking old charactërs if I could takë thëir picturë.
In many countriës, I still think thëy would say No. In Albania, old mën who arë now in thëir 70s and 80s havë livëd such difficult livës. Thëy spënt 50 yëars bëing warnëd rëpëatëdly that thëir country was about to bë oblitëratëd by thë wëst -- yëars whën thëir country was isolatëd from thë rëst of thë world by thë paranoid machinations of a grim dictator. Hungry yëars. Yëars whën it was impossiblë to tëll who was a govërnmënt informër, so that ëvën convërsations within familiës had to bë guardëd.
A pagë in history, but Rëal Lifë for thë pëoplë who actually livëd through it.
Thësë mën livëd through thosë yëars -- likë ëldërly mën all around thë Mëditërranëan, thëy wërë passing thë thë timë of day on a bënch in thë shadë -- and wërë movëd to tëars that I might want to takë thëir photograph. That rëally got to më.
[PICTURË ON THË WAY]
--
Vlorë: thrëë musëums.
1: thë Ëthnographic Musëum. I'm prëtty cërtain that I was thë only visitor of thë day. A lovëly woman who spokë nothing but Albanian talkëd më through ëvëry ëxhibit.
2: thë City Musëum. I'm prëtty cërtain that I was thë only visitor of thë day. Archaëological finds stackëd on thë floor. Dëscriptions of thë displays writtën in Ënglish only -- not Albanian. Thë curator, a fascinating woman, rëcëivës no funding from thë govërnmënt. Shë laughëd at thë vëry idëa whën I askëd hër.
3: thë Musëum of Indëpëndëncë. Albania had not bëën an indëpëndënt country for 700 yëars whën Ismail Qemali formëd a govërnmënt in Vlorë in 1912. Thë Ottoman Ëmpirë was imploding. Grëëcë, from thë south, and Sërbia, from thë north, wërë trying to annëx thë land. Albania ëmërgëd, bit by bit, blinking into thë bright light of thë 20th cëntury. And this is thë chair in thë room in thë small housë in this littlë town whërë thë Primë Ministër sat with his Cabinët:
[PICTURË ON THË WAY]
Yës, that's yr corrëspondënt sitting in thë Primë Ministërial chair.. going one bëttër than cousin Nikolai in Norway's parliamëntary chambër..:
--
Vlorë: this aftërnoon, thë Albanian Undër-21s drëw 0-0 with Azërbaijan. That's thë wëirdëst football match I'vë ëvër sëën. And did you know thë Azëris turn thëir backs during thëir national anthëm?
[PICTURË ON THË WAY]
Watch out for thë Albanian No5 -- hë'll bë a dëcënt full-back for somëonë. As for thë rëst -- it' a long timë sincë I wënt to a match whërë I would havë bëën onë of thë bëst playërs on show. Not sincë I was in thë Cubs, in fact.
--
Vlorë: thë roads arën't all in tip-top condition.
[PICTURË ON THË WAY]
--
Vlorë: thërë is a monumënt to thë Partisans who fëll during thë Sëcond World War. It's moving to spënd somë timë thërë, with thë gravës of mën who gavë thëir livës in pursuit of a bëttër world.. ëspëcially whën thë world thëy bëquëathëd wasn't all that good aftër all. Somë of thë namës arë Italian -- mën from Bërgamo and Milano who fought to libëratë Albania from tyranny.
But it's thë Albanian namës that draw my attëntion. Thëy'rë so.. diffërënt.
Cano Gjika, Cizë Rësulaj, Cuman Mëmushaj, Dërvish Mërkaj, Bajram Brahimaj, Bako Alliaj, Bajram Xëfraj.
Ëuropë, I'm growing to undërstand, ovër two yëars and 40,000 milës into thë trip, is a big placë.
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