Albania Revisited
Updated: Aug 2
When Joanna and I first visited Albania in July 2012, our trip was brief and we didn’t know what to expect. Looking back, it was quite superficial. We rushed through Tirana, Sarandë, and Berat, checking off the major landmarks without many opportunities to connect with the locals.
Fourteen years later, we returned with a very different mindset. This time, we divided our weeks between Himarë, Gjirokastër, and Përmet—balancing lazy beach afternoons with the steep, story-rich history of the mountain regions. More than anything, slowing down allowed us to actually experience what daily life feels like here through the genuine warmth of the locals.
Growth, Nostalgia, and Taste Bud Memory
Albania has unmistakably modernized. As we returned to Saranda the second time, we couldn’t quite recognize the city, which has evidently gone through significant developments. The country, from what we can observe, is much more organized and cleaner. Yet, it still retains the raw grit of a country in transition.
In a strange and comforting way, being in Albania takes me back to my childhood years in Guangzhou. For one, the fruit here tastes the way fruit used to taste when I was growing up. The tomatoes, oranges, and watermelons are vine-ripened, grown locally, bursting with flavor, and filled with big and annoying seeds. Compared to the commercialized produce back home in Toronto—picked early to endure long-distance shipping—eating fresh fruit here feels like traveling back in time. Funny enough, Permet is famous for its “slow food”, where the meal is made from scratch using local ingredients with traditional methods and recipes. I think this fits the vibe here and it does seem that time slows down in this town.
Secondly, there is the vibrant social fabric. Every evening, as the heat subsides, town squares come alive with multi-generational connection. Kids chase each other across the plaza while adults and elders chat late into the night. Lined with small, family-run corner shops, the streets echo the close-knit neighborhood life of my youth.
The Reality Behind the Warmth
Another element that brought back memories of China from the '90s and 2000s is the rampant corruption here. With a population of 2.8 million in Albania—and roughly an equal number living in the diaspora abroad—we assumed that recent economic growth and tourism development would attract people back to invest in their homeland. Instead, deep-seated corruption and poor governance continue to push locals away, driving a steady exodus of the country's younger generations.
Talking to our host Enriko in Përmet, we are astonished to find how difficult ordinary life remains. Whether it’s securing a business license or losing heavy government cuts on local tourism ventures, systemic hurdles make it agonizingly tough for the younger generation to build a prosperous future at home.
And yet, the people remain extraordinarily optimistic and hospitable. From Arquile and Claudiana in Gjirokastër to Enriko’s family in Përmet, the warmth and welcoming spirit we received is among the best we have ever experienced.
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