{"id":2066,"date":"2019-10-04T15:13:39","date_gmt":"2019-10-04T15:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theholisticpursuit.com\/?p=2066"},"modified":"2019-10-04T15:13:39","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T15:13:39","slug":"these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-things-visiting-tirana-albania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theholisticpursuit.com\/blog\/these-are-a-few-of-my-favorite-things-visiting-tirana-albania\/","title":{"rendered":"These are a few of my favorite things\u2014Visiting Tirana, Albania"},"content":{"rendered":"
I think you could eat at a new place every single day for a year and not run out of choices. Also it’s less than a dollar for a coffee macchiato, which is my favorite. Calvin loves the atmosphere and coffee at Mulliri I Vjet\u00ebr cafe<\/a> and I found a really “hidden” and eclectic one called Komiteti Kafe<\/a> where I am currently writing this post. Almost everywhere you can find free wi-fi and tons of students studying or hanging out. It’s a cafe culture without a doubt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can expect to pay $4-5 for a meal in a sit down restaurant, although you can find more expensive restaurants with prices closer to American Restaurants. There is an area in the city called “The Block” (Blloku) which has so many different options for food and cafes.<\/p>\n This park is less than a 10 minute walk from our apartment and Calvin & I quickly fell into a daily jogging\/walking habit here. The park is huge, spanning much of Tirana. It’s really an escape from the city and the air is so fresh. You can stick to running trails that are paved or wander off the path into trails in the woods. I tend to do a bit of both. There’s a man-made lake, the presidential palace, numerous restaurants and cafes, parks for kids, and the infamous workout machines scattered throughout the park. I am quite entertained especially by the adorable elderly working out so freely in the park. I have to discipline myself to not take photos because it’s quite adorable. It’s not uncommon to see people stretching, lifting rocks as their weights, or just doing their own random things. Hey, whatever gets the job done, I’m all for it! You will also see many people just hanging out in the park on the benches or random tree stumps sharing a conversation or food.<\/p>\n This has to be one of my favorite spots. The kids have an absolute blast playing in the water fountains that come up out of the ground. Our first time here we ran into an Italian photographer who wanted to take our kids photos while they played in the fountains. I love the bigness of the square and the beauty of the buildings in every direction you look. You will also find the National Historic Museum here. It’s worth checking out. If you’re there be sure to stop by the cultural bookstore on one of the corners of the square, it’s so cool! I have a weakness for bookstores and this one doesn’t disappoint.\u00a0 The square is also a short walk from Rruga Murat Toptani, a very charming pedestrian only street. It’s seriously so beautiful with all the trees and cafes and shops along the way.<\/p>\n Okay, so the dentist isn’t one of my favorite things but, the prices, yes! I needed to replace this crown I had that wasn’t done well and fill a couple of cavities. Not fun at all but I found an amazing dentist here. Elsa at Integra Dental<\/a> who does incredible work at amazing prices. The crown cost me $200 and a filling $30, so a fraction of the prices in America.<\/p>\n I also had quite a funny experience trying tooth whitening for the first time. I don’t know how it’s done in other places because it was my first time but you have to have this very awkward tray put in your mouth to hold it open and then get some stuff ‘painted’ on your teeth and then sit for 20 minutes with sunglasses under the laser. The dental assistant came in during the 20 minutes and asked me if i was uncomfortable at all.<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
#2 The Grand Park of Tirana<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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#3 Skanderbeg Square<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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#4 The Dentist<\/strong><\/h3>\n