Kruja

This last weekend I went to Kruja with Kumar, Dritan (Kumar’s counterpart), and Stephanie (a German who has been living here for the past two months). In Kruja, we visited Skanderbeg Castle and shopped in a little bazaar. Skanderbeg Castle is the most famous castle in Albania. It has been mostly destroyed by earthquakes and the Ottomans (Turks), but is still the main reminder of the nations biggest hero, Gjergj Kastrioti or Skanderbeg. He kept Albania out of Ottoman control for nearly 30 years. Albania only succumbed to the Ottomans after Skanderbeg’s death. The double-headed eagle on the Albanian flag comes from the coat of arms of Skanderbeg’s family. The castle in Kruja was his stronghold. You can see the sea from on top of the mountain where the castle is and it is towards the center of Albania. It was great to go and see the castle and town. Before we headed back the Fushe-Arrez, we visited the café where President Bush stopped during his visit to Albania. It is now named the George W Bush café.