14 August 2002 - Northern Albania and Shkodër

Ignoring the advice of the Italian waiter in Podgorica not to go to Albania, I crossed the border, heading south on my way to Tirana.

Lake Shkodër always used to have a reputation as a malarial swamp.

Albania is a desperately poor country, but there is still no excuse for stealing the rails from the railway track to Montenegro.

The road was of excruciatingly bad quality, and any wheeled vehicles slow down to a crawl.

Shkodër, capital of northern Albania...

...and one of the prime candidates for a "Worst City in Europe" award.

The central roundabout has no traffic around it ever.

The only impressive building is this Saudi-funded mosque; however, the glass acts like a greenhouse, and the inside temperature is unbearable.

Shkodër's only interesting street.

The same street, viewed from the other direction.

The dirty "central park" has no street-lights, and at night, people just sit here with candles or in the dark.

Shkodër's main claim to fame is Rozafa Castle, an almost impregnable fortress which has twice seen some of the bloodiest sieges in European history as the Ottoman army lost 120,000 men trying to take it.

That night, I really could find nowhere to sleep unmolested by either wild animals or curious Albanian children - except for behind the wall of this graveyard.