Tirana

We arrived in Tirana quite tired because Albania's roads are a mess, dusty, slow going, and we were in a minibus that didn't stop the border with Montenegro to the capital. We found the 100-odd kilometres endless. The food was delicious and very cheap. The country is far cheaper than its Balkan neighbours. Despite the heat and the traffic, the wide avenues with communist era tanks and army parades, and the grey and imposing government buildings, we loved the city. It's easy to get around in because it's small. It's built in a valley that's quite polluted, but if you can get into the mountain, it's beautiful.