Experience Albania: Travel, Pictures, History, Culture

Ah - a Mexican dinner, prepared by Chef Brian himself. It doesn’t get much better than cooking dates with Katie and Brian. Ben and I ventured to Katie’s place for some quality catching up over excellent food.
Brian and Katie, mid dinner prep.
Katie and Katie, doing our ‘part.’
Fun to see you, Katie and Brian!

Last Monday’s temperatures topped out at around 75 degrees, which made for eating lunch outside downtown and walking around St. Anthony Main in Minneapolis.
Below: The falls and B with Metro.

Dave, Katie, and Barb at a great Thai restaurant we found in D.C.
Dear Ersa (my Albanian friend/sister/colleague/tutor), since we’ve missed 3 or 4 tutor session in a row now, this one’s for you … please feel free to correct my mistakes and we’ll go over them when I return. Same goes for any other Albanian [...]

Ben and Jerry and their cows all say ‘Peace’ and I thought I’d pass it along.

Lots of cab rides over the past week, but last night’s ride was in the snow!
This is after having tempteratures in the high 70’s on Wednesday and Thursday.

Photo shoot photo #1
Photo shoot photo #2
Two out of the three Silus sisters reunite - B, we’ll be all three soon!

We dined at a great restaurant called ‘Mi ‘n Yu’ whose Marco Polo/Silk Road theme set us as part of a Moroccan bazaar. Super cool little tent-topped nooks and crannies, authentic [...]

These words are why I have the job I have in Albania … thank you, JFK.

Going to Washington, D.C. anytime soon and looking for eating tasty Thai food in a snazzy, metropolitan atmosphere? Head to Bangkok Joe’s in Washington Harbor along the Potomac River.
We had excellent service (dear waiter, I hope you know who you are and I hope you read this praise somehow, somewhere!) and loved every plate we [...]

You’ve been a great city to come into, without having a choice or warning!
I’ve found you to be clean and friendly and full of options.
Brimming with history and museums to prove it, you’re organized and easy to navigate around to the many sites.
Thank you for being such an enjoyable, temporary ‘home-away-from-site.’

It’s proved to be one of our favorite spots in DC. It’s alive and full of good, small restaurants and shops, not to mention a Ben and Jerry’s.
From Georgetown you have access to the Washington Harbor and a great walking/running/biking trail that leads you right along the Potomac.

I really dig the buildings. Their size and [...]

 
Pizza, pizza - a great meal to eat my first night back in the US.
  Around ‘The Mall’ - miles upon miles of walking …
 -Dyqan American style. I say this because perhaps there aren’t so many differences between a dyqan (Albanian for a little store on the street) in Albania and one [...]