"Better to be a dog in America than a man in Albania"

Went up to the north of Albania to a town called Shkodra. Was a bit more like the Albania I was expecting. Poorer, fewer cars almost zero tourists and quite Soviet looking. Didn't feel especially safe after dark, mainly because everywhere was deserted.

Back to Durres on the Albanian riveria and a few more days of more relaxing. Then went onto Tirana again and finished our last night in a town called Korca in the south-east, close to the Greek border.

Now back in Macedonia and it feels like Italy.

So far so good

Albania.

Got in here OK. Passed dozens and dozens of the infamous concrete bunkers that were to guard against inavders. Spent yesterday in resort town of Pogradec. Probably one of the nicest hotels we've ever stayed in.

Albania is quite a bit richer and more developed than I expected. It's probably like Greece was in the 70s.

So far there haven't been any problems. Taylor hasn't been accosted by gypsies again.

Currently in Tirana. Quite dusty and grey. Hot and there are a few tourists around. Vodaphone, Nokia, Microsoft etc etc are well established. No McDonalds :).

Next stop Durres and then we may head south.

Tito's little secret

Welcome to The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Was the smallest plane I've ever seen in my life coming from Milan. Arrived in Skopje airport-quite surreal as there was only 1 other civilian aircraft and looked quite out of place among the other other aircraft here - all Military Helicopters.

have been quite impressed with Skopje. Isn't quite the backwater we were led to believe. Taylor has had encounters with a gang of gypsy kids who very nearly relieved him of all his posessions. And this was in broad daylight.

Now in a seaside resort of Ohrid. Really really nice. Something Tito kept safe from prying western eyes. Weather fantastic, nice place, girls, prices, mountains. the whole of macedonia seems to be here, but we've heard our first foreigners. We can see across the lake to Albania, our next destination which we intend to walk into tomorrow.

Lietuva

Mid-June and time to make my yearly visit to Lithuania.

Unfortunately my usual Czech Airline flight had been booked up and I had to go with Lufthansa. My first flight with them and they were very ordinary indeed (although I've heard BA are pretty poor too), certainly no better than the budget airlines.

Didn't spend too much time in the centre, though it didn't seem to have changed much. Of course two of my favourite bars have closed down. The outskirts are changing rapidly though. Almost every patch of open space is being developed with new blocks of flats and retail parks. How the average Lithuanian can afford these new flats I don't know. Probably why most of them are lying empty.

It seems Lithuania is trying to escape its Soviet past by building anything and everything that would not have been tolerated under the USSR. But I can't help thinking that none of this is sustainable (all the brand new clothes shops have everything...except any customers, even on a Saturday afternoon) and will probably all go bankrupt in a couple of years. In a strange sort of way all the new development is starting to look as bland as the endless blocks of Soviet flats.

The Stag-parties have definately found Vilnius. There's some wierd contraption now where men peddle round on a sort of collective bike, continously drinking beer with loud music blasting out and a go-go dancer on the front!? The old (and some of the young) seem pretty horrified at the sort of freak show their country might be turning into.

In the 3 short years since I've been going to Vilnius, parts have changed beyond recognition. Anyway, it'll be interesting to hear the views of min-man (and his fairer half, charlotte) on this part of Europe.