Video view around the Square.

Looking south-east from Skanderberg Square, you can see the 18th century Et'hem Bey Mosque, then looking at a large equestrian statue of Skanderberg and beyond that down the Boulevard Deshmoret e Kombit towards the university. The video scans round the south side of the square to the west and then to the north-west, where the mosaic on the facade of the national museum of history can be seen. The only commentary is the sound of car horns doing battle on the square all around me.

In Skanderberg Square, Tirana

I know 4 grandchildren who would have a ball here. Right in the centre of the main square, about 50 ride-on vehicles, most of them motorised, for zooming around on. Great fun.

This lady pays to get herself weighed on the street. I thought Weightwatchers' weigh-ins were too public. If that was me, I would at least remove those heavy shoes first...

The Et'hem Bey Mosque

Where drunken louts can get a photo taken?? In Podgorica last week...

From the sublime to the ridiculous; architectural styles in Tirana.

This lady was watering the grass this morning. There were several miles of grass verge along the riverbank!

Copyright? What copyright?

How to decorate your house, Albanian-style!

And you thought Balamory had all the coloured houses! Just one of many adorned apartment blocks!!

View from the top

On top of the world; on the way from Montenegro to Albania we took a scenic mountain route.

Here we are again, cruising round the Balkans.

Taxi for layabouts in Podgorica

Beautiful new church just opposite our hotel

Bumped into Mozart in Vienna













In front of St Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. We climbed up millions of steps to the tower for some lovely views across the city.


Travelling around the Balkans again with Gavin and somehow coping with cruising around the local retail areas and sitting by the pool while he and his colleagues put in some very long hours at the office. The past week has taken us from DC to Montenegro, via Vienna, and now on to Albania, where we are in Tirana, the Capital. Spent yesterday up a high mountain, whilst WB lot had a day conference. I drank coffee, did the sudoku and attempted the crossword in the FT and drank coffee!! Oh, and enjoyed the views! We were given an enormous lunch, which at least meant we didn't have to go out in the evening, but Gavin and his team had a meeting in our apartment-like room instead!! Oh well, someone has to earn the filthy lucre...