Dardhe to Prrenjas – 9th July
Distance: 25.9 km – Elevation +720 m -450 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 34 degrees
It is difficult to find words to describe the beauty of today’s walk “Walking on the Pastures of Wonder” comes to mind – this was God’s creation in all its glory. I started early again around 5.00 am and at breakfast I was joined by two of the overnight workers who were really intrigued with my pilgrimage and on leaving took a selfie with me, both giving an encouraging wave of strength. They were both so encouraging and friendly.
Crossing over the Shkumbin river I was expecting a climb from the valley floor to reach the Via Egnatia but not the almost vertical and mostly 1 in 2 climb that it became. It took me almost one hour to climb around 1 kilometre to a height of 2300 feet! but what awaited at the top was quite inspirational – this was the route of the original Via Egnatia and the views to the valley floor below were spectacular as it wound its way around the side of the mountain. I met two young Albanians one walking and leading a mule on which the other was seated. I stopped to rest and watched a shepherd moving his flock on a track below the one on which I was walking. I passed a small graveyard perched on the side of the hill looking over the wide and beautiful panorama. These were modern tombs and I thought if one elected to be buried on death there could not be a better place to choose.
There were pastures too that somehow reminded me of Bavaria and it was here that I continued to experience the wonderful happiness and hospitality of the Albanian people. First I met a man, his wife, and young son with two donkeys bringing hay to their farm. They invited me for coffee and pointed to their farmhouse in the distance, I was sad to do so but I declined, it would have been a two-hour coffee break and I think they understood my need to keep walking. Later I heard laughter ahead and a family were holding out a sheet to catch cherries from a tree being shaken from a ladder by the grandfather. They were so happy to see me and gave me a bag of cherries. When the path started its descent I met a man walking up the hill and he greeted me as if I was family, giving me a hug and a kiss on both cheeks and I think that moment summed up the Albanian people. They have all respected me as one of their own.
Descending the path took me to Qukes-Skenderbe which was the site of the fourth station on the Via Egnatia. I reached the valley floor and as I stood on the bridge that took me back across the Shkumbin river I met a farmer bringing in his only cow and he stopped and invited me to join him for coffee in his home close to the bridge. He took me to a small table with a view of the river and then he brewed the coffee on a portable stove at the table. It was not like coffee I know and had the consistency of cocoa but very drinkable nonetheless. I showed him a map of the route of my pilgrimage and he nodded as if he understood.
I reached my intended day’s destination by midday. It was still early in the day and I was feeling well so I decided to continue on to Prrenjas and to take the road rather than the track along the river. It was a straightforward walk. On the outskirts of the town I passed two extraordinary communist-era concrete towers covered in a mural of red ladybirds painted by Eljan Tanini an Albanian artist, poet, and green activist.
I arrived in Prrenjas at 3.00 pm and headed to the town centre, first to an ATM and then to find a hotel. I asked a passerby and was told there was a hotel about 1 kilometre out of town which is where I stayed. After a good rest, I walked to a nearby restaurant and enjoyed my final meal in Albania.
