Day 203: Rest day in Tiranë

A complicated past

We had a relaxing day wandering around Tiranë, sampling the cafés and investigating the country’s past. The most unique museum is the House of Leaves that has be created in what was the centre of technical operations for the Albanian secret police. In the museum they have the bugging equipment, manuals, procedures and statistics about how the totalitarian regime suppressed any opposition, using a network of informants and paranoid propaganda.

The array of bugging equipment used by the secret police

Concrete door to the underground bunker outside

The bars and restaurants were more appealing, and there are plenty to choose from. A few people in Tiranë seem to have become quite wealthy since the end of the Communist régime, and they like to visit smart bars on a Sunday evening.

Salt Tirana, where we had a very pleasant meal