That's why in Tirana today you can see Wilson's statue on Wilson Square. Albanians, who endured the most repressive of Communist dictatorships under Enver Hoxha, admired the United States as a beacon of freedom, approved of Ronald Reagan's "Tear down this wall" words, and deeply valued the efforts of the George H. Bush administration, which helped pave their path to NATO. In , some , Albanians chanting "USA! Clinton is a superstar in Kosovo and here.
Years after that war, George W. Bush visited Tirana. Back then, Tirana's socialist mayor, Edi Rama, famously declared "Albania is for sure the most pro-American country in Europe, maybe even in the world. America's close ties with Albania have not prevented Washington from speaking honestly to a country still riddled with problems, including entrenched corruption. But the consistency of American behavior, putting action behind its words, has given it a measure of moral authority among the people.
You might think a Muslim-majority country is a poor candidate to be America's cheerleader, but Albania is uniquely suited to emulate the United States. As much as two-thirds or more of the population is estimated to be Muslim, but coexistence, tolerance and patriotism figure much more prominently than religion.
Centuries of invasions and foreign conquerors have made the need to unite take precedence over private religious differences. And Muslims here have some of the most strikingly moderate views of any Muslim-majority country -- about one-fifth are Bektashi, followers of a moderate Sufi sect, while others follow Fethullah Gulen, U. Most others are just as moderate. More memorable than any sites, though, were the experiences we had and the people we met while traveling in a country where tourists are few.
It was early morning on the Llogara Pass, the highest point on the southern coastline. The driver stopped at a mountain restaurant, and the waiters brought out bowls of what looked like a thick soup. It was pace, and despite our initial inhibitions, the soup was delicious. In the town of Gjirokastra, we met Haxhi and Vita Kotoni, owners of the Kotoni House, the first private hotel to open after the communist government fell.
Built into a steep hillside below a castle and above a modern university town are Ottoman-era stone houses, some restored, others abandoned and awaiting money for repairs. The port city of Durres on the Adriatic Sea was our last stop before crossing to Italy on an overnight ferry. Within a few blocks walk in the historic center were the remains of a 2nd-century Roman amphitheater, a shop selling cent scoops of Red Bull-flavored ice cream and a bar in the turret of a Venetian watch tower.
I thought about the conversation Theroux had with a man named Fatmir as the writer was preparing to leave on a ferry for Greece. Italy lies across the Adriatic Sea. Most hotels quote prices in euros. See www. Rates at the Hotel Mangalemi in Berati start at 30 euros with breakfast. Rooms at the Kotoni House kotonihouse. See hotelkalemi. For long-distance transport, most people get around on buses and vans called furgons.
Distances between major towns are short, but travel time can be slow due to road conditions. It then played a prominent role in rebuilding Kosovo after the war, leading aid efforts and providing 7, troops, more than any other country, to the Kosovo peacekeeping force.
A few hundred U. In fact, was actually the second time Washington helped Albanians get a state. Jashar Jashari, 22, who works as a boxing coach at the Kickbox Rigoro Gym Pristina and competes in national leagues, in June His dream is to be a professional boxer and to move to the states. Eddie Steven, wearing an American flag-styled swimsuit, enjoys a waterslide at the California Resort on the outskirts of Pristina.
Wilson in turn pushed the case with his reluctant allies, and the state of Albania was subsequently accepted into the League of Nations.
Inside a food shop, which includes a flag in its logo and is run by a pro-American owner. Follow him on Instagram dezfuli.
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