Wolves

Onufri Enthnographic Museum where there was a small upstairs room for the wimminz while the men had a nice big comfy room with cushy lambs wool rugs. Mind your place WOMAN!

This is one American woman's impression, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

In Albania there is a common behavior that the men hang out on the street corners and outdoor cafes. Rarely do you see women out, and if they are they are with other women and children going to the market or on an obvious mission. They are not chillin’ wif da homies. It took me about a week before I got used to “walking the gauntlet” and was able to feel comfortable. I dubbed these men wolves as it could be brutal getting past them.

Many of these shots of the men I got holding the camera behind my back and just clicking. I couldn't handle the attention asking permission to take their picture would have brought.

Wolves, Tirane

Wolves in Phone Alley, Tirane

More Phone Alley Wolves, Tirane

Our first weekend was spent in Berat (Berati, City of a Thousand Windows) which is just a lovely town, but not a big city. We were obvious tourists, of which there are very few in Albania. To make things worse, we were a group of seven American women walking the city, visiting the churches and mosques. We drew honks, stares and at one point we had a guy following us for several blocks. It was a rainy weekend and we got caught in a storm. A young girl came and found us amongst the cobble-stone streets up on the hill and offered us shelter in her parent’s home. We stood in the foyer and really tried to refuse going up into the rest of the house as we were dripping wet. They insisted we come inside. They fed us candies and cherry jam, watched Fashion TV, exchanged emails and took pictures. As usual, I didn’t have my camera.

View from Mountain in Berat

Blame it on the Rain (photo courtesy of Barbara Smith-Jones)

Oh yes, and I flipped off a young boy as I was walking away from him. He was trying to speak to me and I could almost understand him, but as I sat there trying to interpret what he said, he broke out with his stellar English and called me a stuck-up bitch. Guess I was a little slow on the draw. I never claimed to be a diplomat. He too took a few blocks to shake.

Future Wolves, Tirane