Theth, Albania

Three hours after departing Shkodra we arrived at a cottage style house clinging to the side of a mountain. Our bags were unloaded as we stood in confusion wondering where the town of Theth was.  We finally figured out the town is stretched out over several kilometers in the valley below us.  Freezing and tired our gracious hosts welcomed us into their home and set up us by the fire to warm up. After a quick warm up we noticed the weather had cleared up and decided to head out into exploring.  The sight that greeted us out the front door was amazing.  The fog had lifted to unveil a spectacular view of the valley and the town of Theth.  Nanna (grandma of the family) took us on a walk the whole time yammering on in Albanian and picking wild berries and nuts, forcing them upon us.  The stay with this family was proof that life can be much simpler.  Homecooked meals were delicious and made from ingredients grown right in Theth.  Everything from the dairy (yogurt, butter, milk, cheese) to the wine and brandy to the fruits and vegetables was local. The family treated us like royalty, always giving us the closest spot to the fire and waiting on our every whim. Yes, life was simple. In fact, without the computer, iPOD, books, and playing cards, we found ourselves lacking creativity.  We spent the evening staying warm and roasting corn on the cob while Nanna yammered directions in Albanian (to this day we are unsure if she knew we didn’t understand a word she was saying).  After corn roasting, we retired to our bedroom to find it near refrigeration temperature. Apparently, the family room fireplace only heated the family room and not the rest of the house including our bedroom. We had to snuggle in a single bed with 20 lbs of blankets while entertaining ourselves with several riveting matches of hangman and 2 person Pictionary (note: 2 person Pictionary can be tricky, think about it).   The next day we packed our frozen bones into the old, orange mini-bus, made the hair raising journey back to Shkodra, and checked in to the only 5 star hotel in town to recover (real world travelers).

Pictures- 1: Cottage on mountainside  2: View from cottage door. Theth in valley below.   3: Anelia and Nanna walking   4.  Nanna picking berries  5. Jeff and Nanna roasting corn.