Albania - How On Earth Did I End Up Here?

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Archway showing the view back into Lisa's house
 Albania has happened purely by circumstance. 

As I have with this entire journey, I've let the universe decide on my itinerary, so when I met Lisa in Morzine, France and she asked me to come with her to Albania, of course, I said yes.

This is her little stone house on top of the hill in Qeparo (pronounced Chipero). It is actually not small at all in terms of Albanian homes. At least 10 people would live here ordinarily but we have the place to ourselves.

It is quite the hike to get here and not for the faint-hearted. The house sits 600 metres on the top of the hill. You can only park a little way down the hill and then navigate through tiny alleyways over cobbled paths to get here. Not too big a deal unless you are carrying heavy bags or groceries, which we have on a number of occasions. 

You can't complain really because the view to the sea is stunning and worth every step and almost twisted ankle. 😂

Albanian Stone house with view




Where is Albania anyway?

Nestled in the Balkans between Italy and Greece with the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea along its border. Qeparo faces the Ionian Sea with a view to Corfu, Greece.

Map showing location of Albania, near Italy and Greece


Stay tuned for more of my adventures around Albania.


THE AUTHOR

As it does, life took a devastating sideways turn for me. With fierce determination, I quit my teaching job, shut down my photography business, packed up my apartment, hired an agent and rented it out on Airbnb, bought a ticket to London and embarked on an adventure of discovery, both about the world and myself. I’ve learned a great deal about people, places and myself. I’m happy that you are here for the ride. Nina x


Where you can find my work...
I will be documenting my travels through photography on Facebook and Instagram. Prints will also be available on my website. If you are interested in following along, here are some of my sites.

Facebook Group - Finding Nina Adventure
Sharing daily adventures from my travels including discoveries about myself and the people around me 

Blog - My Curious Camera
An in-depth look at places I've visited with plenty of travel information from Ireland, France, UK, Iceland and who knows where next.  

Website - My Curious Camera
Where you can purchase signed, framed limited edition prints of my work.

Website - Nina Beilby Photography
My professional work as a portrait photographer


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