Valbona Valley

Valbona Valley

Tuesday, June 11
We continued our drive and by noon, we crossed the border back to Albania where we stopped for lunch (risotto and beer for €10).

We entered the picturesque Valbona Valley and by mid-afternoon, we checked into our mountain cabins located in the center of the vale, amidst the jagged peaks of the Accursed Mountains (also known as the Albanian Alps). It appeared that there were three various ratings of cabins. Three of us got stuck in the oldest, most rustic cabins (with no shower doors at all), while the others got the intermediate and newly renovated cabins.

However, two of us discovered that our toilets were not working and, fortunately, all three of us got "upgraded" to the newly renovated cabins with very nice showers, working toilets (and better Wi-Fi)!

After settling in, we enjoyed "happy hour" on our porch.

Afterwards, Corinne and I wandered through the village to explore the area and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery. Valbona is one of the most beautiful alpine valleys of Albania.

We had a traditional dinner hosted by the hotel which consisted of delicious soup, salad, french fries and a plate of lamb which I simply could not eat. It just did not look very appetizing.

Wednesday, June 12
Today, after a hearty breakfast, we hiked to the Kukaj Valley, making our way through forest towards alpine pastures that offered stunning views of the valley and the surrounding mountains. It was about a five kilometre hike, where we had a picnic lunch and visited a shepherd's family before descending back to our village.

As we were hiking up, we met an elderly lady who was walking the same direction to visit a gravesite. She wanted a photo with our group.

On the way back, Corinne and I cooled off our weary feet in the river stream which was extremely cold and refreshing before heading back to our cabins. We had a free afternoon to relax before meeting the group for dinner. Tonight we had fish, which was delicious!