Albania

Just back from Tirana, Albania to see my buddy Elton get married to his Fiance Voltisa.


Elton has told me so much about Albania, that I've wanted to go for years, so I was very excited to be finally going. Great trip started with meeting Elton's mate Dave who happened to be on the same flight as me. Spent the first night in a hostel, which reminded me why I never stay in hostels anymore. Had to climb over a 8ft high wall to get in, in the first place, then didn't sleep much. The next day I moved on to the Tirana International Hotel (where the wedding was to be later held), much more appropriate as I didn't wake up with bite marks. Elton's family live across the road, so it was very convenient. Spent the first day with Elton and his cousin Arsen. We ate, drank, went to the beach and generally caught up on old times.

The next day Elton had his first wedding to go to. Yes, in Albania they do it twice, with two cakes, two dresses, two parties, etc, etc. One for the bride's family and one for the groom's. So we didn't see Elton for a couple of days as he traveled to the other side of Albania to "get married". The real wedding which we were invited to, was a lot of fun and not too different from a British/Canadian wedding, dancing, eating and drinking, no speeches and no long drawn out ceremony thank goodness, just the fun part.



From L to R, Dave, Elton, Voltisa, me, Jason. Jason, is Elton's best mate from uni and only told he was arriving from Korea the day before the wedding. A great suprise for Elton. Notice the funny Korean outfit Jason is wearing? Nobody batted an eyelid, but they all thought I had either just landed from Mars or was a lady-boy from Thailand.


Traditional Albanian dancing - went till 3am.


Tirana main square with the museum telling Albania's complex past.


The view from my hotel room. Can you count all the Mercs?

A great trip apart from getting a nasty bug I've cleverly named Tirana Tummy, which I then brought home for Ashley. (sorry - I keep shouting to the toilet)

Special thanks to Elton and his family for their very kind Albanian hospitality.

P-saster

Yes- a full on Pppppisaster Disaster took place at 117 Henderson Street. Dob's been away for a week in Albania so the girls stayed home and went wild. We listened to some party tunes and combined naked play time with eating time. And instead of dinner in the kitchen, we had it in the living room. Not sure of the logic but hindsight is twenty twenty.

Puréed peas everywhere. And then the wee bandit peed all over me...and the couch ...

That might be a last.

The cruel things we do....

I don't really think the above pic needs too much explanation. A rainy day, burned out from a busy week at work, what else to do but treat Savvy like a doll?

We're enjoying Savvy's new found love of "sitting". She can stay perched upright, even freestanding, and focus on wee toys for 20 minute blocks before the slow motion topple takes over and she face plants.

We're also loving the backpack we picked up at MEC. Guaranteed happy (or sleepy) baby.

Jolly Jolly J

Savvy has had a couple of months to experience her jolly jumper but is only now starting to get the hang of it. It's a wee bit tough to catch a still shot since she wiggles about. Please look past the nappies on the radiator and see through to my beautiful new washine machine. Quiet like a mouse (Lynn, I almost said "like a bird"(?)) and with every feature one could imagine. Laundry-B is happy.

More on Savvy. Loads of slobber, but no teeth. Lots of veggie mashing, but not much going in the tummy (more the face/floor). Almost sitting solo, but not rolling. Loads and loads of giggling, but still not sleeping through the night. Yawn.

Leigh and Kaitlyn in Penzance

A great wedding (on a beach). A long train journey (12 hours). Time with the Barneys (4 of 'em). A soggy tent (now replaced). A beautiful coast (including a man and his lawn).

Congratulations to Leigh and Kaitlyn!