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Don't ask me why but in a fit of madness I had signed up to do a bicycle tour of Tirana. Not only that but the tour was booked to start at 11am so I would be spending the hottest 3 hours of the day on a bike. Mad dogs and Englishmen came to mind.
I wandered down to the Square from my hotel with a sense of apprehension. It's been years since I've been on a bike so I wasn't that confident. Coupled with the searing heat - it was clear that this wasn't one of my better ideas!
I arrived at the pre-arranged meeting point and waited. And waited. At 11.15am I received a text to say the guide was on her way. I excitedly saw a get out and text back "Happy to rearrange for another day if it's easier?" No reply.
Fifteen minutes later the guide arrived with Frank and Penny, a couple from Holland who had also booked the tour. One thing I know about Holland is that it is very flat and I immediately knew that I would have two allies if the terrain became to steep and hilly. Our tour began at Sheshi Skenderbej Square before heading South of the River to the Pyramid.
Enver Halil Hoxha was the communist leader of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. The Pyramid was designed by his daughter and son in law and was completed in 1988. It initially housed the Enver Hoxha Museum, before becoming a Convention Centre and nightclub. It currently stands empty and is covered in graffiti. There are plans to renovate it but many Albanians believe that the Pyramid's disintegration will be complete before any renovation takes place.
From the Pyramid we cycled on to the University and on to the Grand Park. The Grand Park of Tirana, is a 230 hectare public park situated on the southern part of Tirana, which also houses a huge artificial lake. It's an oasis of peace and tranquility within the hustle and bustle of the city and there were many families enjoying a picnic, playing in the playground or aimlessly wandering through the park itself. A moment of triumph came when we reached a small incline in the park and my fellow travellers struggled to cycle up it. I may have been red faced, sweaty and out of breath but I made it!
From here we cycled through the trendy streets of Blloku. Full of cafes, bars and restaurants Blloku is crammed with the young and beautiful (thankfully we kept on cycling through it).
Our lunch stop was at a traditional Albanian restaurant far away from the tourist trail. We had kofte kebabs, roasted vegetables, beans and melted cheese with red peppers. The food was so good and at only £4 it was also very cheap.
After lunch we continued the tour. Weaving in and out of traffic we passed many famous landmarks and statues before finally ending the tour at the main Square.
Navigating the traffic of Tirana was challenging at times but I'm glad that I did the tour. It turns out that it was as easy as riding a bike!
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Doug Moments of madness are what make travel fun