Zoe Palmer travels to one of the least known nations in Europe: Albania. Very few travellers make it to this spectacular and fascinating country located on the Adriatic Sea, close to the  popular destinations of Greece and Italy. Travellers are only just beginning to discover Albania's charms, given that it was was almost completely closed to the outside world from the end of World War II, when ruled by Stalinist leader Enver Hodxa, and finally opened its borders in the 1980s.
Starting her trip from the city of Skhodra in the north of the country, Zoe follows in the footsteps of the British explorer Edith Durham who travelled through the area 100 years ago. Remarkably, Durham is still a legend in the remote villages of northern Albania, and when Zoe travels to the village of Thethi in the heart of the Accursed Mountains, she visits the commemorative stone laid to celebrate the centenary of her visit.
From Skhodra, Zoe travels by boat along the dramatic Lake Komani. One of Europe’s classic boat trips, it takes a couple of hours for the ferry to wend its way through the narrow, twisting gorges of the lake as far as Fierza. From here, Zoe goes mountain biking with a local guide as  far as the village of Valbona, where they stay overnight in a traditional guesthouse.
From Valbona, Zoe travels on horseback to Rrogam village, and then hikes over the high Valbona Pass. Camping out in this remote territory, Zoe finds that traditional life here has hardly changed in the century since Edith Durham’s travels. Blood feuds still hold sway here, and you can still find 'Sworn Virgins' - women who, in this male-dominated society, assume the role of the head of the household by adopting the dress and behaviour of a man.
Zoe ends her journey at the village of Thethi, surrounded by the towering Accursed Mountains, where she witnesses the unveiling of the Edith Durham ceremonial stone, before ending her trip climbing up above the village to the summit of spectacular Mount Arapit. |
