My arranged driver showed up at ten to take me off for a half day of exploring some local sights, plus i needed to go to an ATM again. First time I've ever caught a cab to one, i think.
When we got to pogradic we picked the driver, blero's, cousin up, eglantin, who acted as my translator. For free. He refused to consider the idea i should pay him.
As we headed along the road back towards lin we passed an orthodox church beside the road so we stopped and i had a quick look. It looked quite old, although the interior decorations not so much. A mother and daughter followed me in and lit some candles.
By now the rain had started up and by the time we reached the Ottoman bridge it was pouring. Of course, i had not brought my raincoat and was soon halfway to being saturated as i clambered down a load of rocks to a boggy field. It was worth it. It has such delicacy of design. And essentially intact. On the other side you could still see the signs of a pebbly road leading off into the hills. I wanted to follow it but the surface was so slick i kept slipping.
Back into the car, almost wet through and we headed up a narrow, pot holed road miles from anything and then suddenly a tiny tourist sign appeared. The illyrian tombs awaited. Now it was chucking it down. With a desire to reduce my time in the rain blero drove onto the muddy dirt track. Since i was already saturated it really didn't matter. Out i got and hesitantly made my way up a steepish dirt track. I really didn't want to end up covered in mud. Turned the wrong way and behind me i could hear the sounds of a car getting ever more stuck in the mud. Oh well. Eventually i came across the tombs, or at least some of them. 2500 years or so old, i think and looking very much like ones you can see all around the northern Mediterranean. One had some nicely carved semi pillars but really, they probably weren't worth the soaking i had got. I am sure there were more to see but being soaked and cold had sapped my enthusiasm.
Back to the car looking like a drowned rat to discover that yes, we were stuck. But amazingly , help was ten minutes away. Turns out the driver has a friend with a 4wd, who lives nearbyish. He managed to just get us out, but snapped his tow rope doing it, and our car ended up completely covered in mud.
Eglantin asked if i would like to take a drink with them all on the way back. First we stopped at one of the car wash places i described yesterday. Tried to pay and was frowned at in a very offended way by everyone. On to the bar where we sat with all the other men of whatever village we were in, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes under the no smoking signs. Again i tried to pay and eglantin looked very sternly at me. "You are a guest, you cannot pay" .
And this from a 23 year old with no job and no money. He can speak three languages and has a degree but he says there are just no jobs. That is why the bar is full he said. All men with nothing to do. Although there is mining here near the town we walked through yesterday. Chrome and iron. The ruined buildings wereva chrome mine. Now were off to the new vineyard of blero's friend to have a look. He was very proud of it. I was hoping for a sample of his wine but he won't start producing till next year. After blero's difficult day of driving i gave him extra and was able to persuade eglantin to accept some payment for being translator. I might have got soaked but i had a wonderful time. Albanians continue to impress me.
Back in lin i was still waiting for children to come running up asking to show me the byzantine mosaics, as per the guidebook, but mo suck luck. And the gate was locked. Luckily i was able to climb in and have a look. There is just the one very well preserved mosaic with a cloth over it, but i have a feeling there may be more under all the sand lying on the excavations.
This evening while having dinner i broached the subject of all the rubbish everywhere and suggested the village could organise a clean up. Rosa told me she had the same advice from UNESCO, who have an office in pogradec. She organised one and her and her two kids were the olny people who participated. Having public rubbish bins might help, but I've seen none anywhere.
And that was my last day in Albania. Possibly the friendliest people I have come across.
Photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DfQ7D198dshqM4Ut8
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