A shepherd overlooking a flock of sheep and bunkers is an entirely common Albanian sight. These indestructible cement domes are a communist legacy left over from Albania's reaction to the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Abandoning the Warsaw pact, Albania developed their own defensive strategy and today an enduring reminder of this lay scattered in fields, city squares, and remote mountain sides all across Albania. Built to withstand full on tank attacks, they say 700,000 of these were installed, but a more conservative estimate is more like 60,000 – which still makes quite an impression on Albania's landscape.
2 comments:
Great pictures and great so see someone else enjoying the odd and unusual treats of Albania - how long is this trip and where are you from? I was only there 5 days but it was quite memorable - do you intend to follow the Saranda-Himara-Vlora route along the coast? One of the longest and most memorable days of my life - highly recommended - though with panniers and weight, two days would be best!
-John
(You can see my account (still working on it) at johnkcoyle.wordpress.com
Sounds like a great route. We skipped the coast, but after our quick turn through Albania we are already making plans to return. Looking at your site we definitely will do the ride along the coast. I enjoyed reading about your TV interview.
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