The Devil’s Byrek
Arriving by furgon (minivan) from the rainy Berat into the sun-drenched valley where Gjirokaster is rooted, our eyes widen at the beautiful setting. Facing the snow-capped Gjëre mountain range, the old town of Gjirokaster, which comes from the ancient greek language meaning “Silver Castle” is a steep hike up from the new city below. We […]
In the Lands of Orange Blossoms and Rakia
It only takes an hour to leave a familiar Italy to enter a region we know nothing about in our own backyard. It is a challenge to write about a place you feel to have only gotten a glimpse of. I am embarrassed to admit that I had previously assigned Croatia, Montenegro and Albania to […]
