Day 3 Intrepid: A walk in the Valbonë Valley

The early morning is lovely although I have to walk back up the 4 flights of stairs to get my puffer jacket (hooray - it finally gets some use!). Even though rain is forecast and dark clouds move in and there are a few drops, the sun emerges for a time. The mountains are sheathed in swirls of mist and a man is cutting the long grass in the field close by with a scythe.  

Members of another group gradually join me for breakfast on the verandah. They are from Tel Aviv having a couple of weeks break from the bombs and missiles.

Breakfast:

After breakfast we had a minibus to take us further up the road to the next village: past several bunkers; speed humps made from rope (weird?).

We had a delightful walk up along a track to a higher village (Margegaj) at 1248 m where we enjoyed a cup of mountain tea at the house of one of the 2 families that live here. 

A flock of sheep and a small herd of cattle (bells clanging) accompanied by an assortment of shepherds and local villagers passed us by. 

We walked higher to about 1839 m then returned a different way back to the valley floor. 

Everywhere the peaks soar up around you, the highest peak here is 2700 m. These are the Accursed Mountains and we are close to the border with Montenegro.

We walk through pine forest along quite rocky paths, lined with pink, white, yellow, purple meadow flowers. We overtake an old shepherd herding his sheep on a grassy section in a break in the forest.

Lunch at a local hotel then returned to our b&b by walking back down the main road.

Stopped to look at an old mill built over 100 years ago and used for cornflour preparation. It was free time and I had a lovely explore going off the road at various points to investigate things of interest. 

The water in the Valbonë river is gushing down and is the most beautiful clear blue. 

There was an interesting irrigation diversion below the mill at a small reservoir.

A very short rest before we set off as a group to visit the aunt and uncle of Eri on one of the nearby farms. Eri translated the conversation so we got to know what it is like to live in such a remote part of Albania both now and in the past. Eri’s uncle is 84 and is quite nostalgic for the Communist years …

Dinner - lots of food: very tasty, traditional,

Repack - we leave tomorrow for Kosovo.

 

Walked 14 kms.