From Shkodra to Berat

Since Markus will need at least 2 days to get back on his feet, I plan to make a trip to the south first. Alone I do not want to ride the difficult offroad tracks in the north. It's definitely better to do that together with someone else.

So I decide that it first ride on to Berat, of which I suppose that I haven't been there, but it turns out my memory is wrong. I was there on the trip in 2013, but that time we only visited the castle and made a nap there after a lunch. We just passed through the town itself.

The route is rather unspectacular. Besides, I rode it once before. At lunchtime I arrive in Berat and ride to the hotel Rezidenca Desaret.

The English-speaking young receptionist has just kissingly said goodbye to her boyfriend and arrives at the same time as I do. I tell her that I would like to have a look at the rooms, and I will decide on a small lunch if I will ride on today or not. The rooms are great and I actually decided to spend a night here before lunch. When she serves the dishes, the receptionist says that the owner just reduced the room price from 30 to 25 Euros, as the hotel has only been open for a week. Everywhere is still low season. One more reason to stay.

A look into my mail during lunch confirms my decision to stay for the night. I have a lot of work to do and therefore I don't get out of the hotel room for the next two hours. From the balcony I have a wonderful view of the Mangalem district, which the city owes its name "City of the Thousand Windows". The facades to the valley all have large windows.

In the afternoon I go for a walk up to the castle, which I do not visit this time, but which I circumnavigate. Later I walk around in the Gorica district and visit two churches/monasteries.

On the way back to the hotel it starts to rain again. I find some shelter under a sunshade in front of a café/bar and order a relaxing beer, which I have earned after the working hours.

It does not want to stop raining. After asking for the wifi password, I communicate with Brigitte at home for a while. The rain is decreasing a bit and so I'm finally back for dinner at the hotel.

The dinner is a bit sparse - probably because of some linguistic misunderstanding, as the English-speaking receptionist is no longer there, only the owner-couple, which unfortunately only speaks rudimentary English and understands. Instead of the ordered red wine I get a glass of white wine, which knocks me out pretty fast.