Enver Hoxha's Communist Paradise Albania in 1975 In May-June 1975 we went on a package holiday to Albania organised by Regent Holidays. We flew Yugoslav Airlines to Zagreb and on the next day to Tirana. We returned with an overnight stop in Belgrade. On arrival at Tirana airport, I and some others were deemed to have hair too long and it was cut by the airport barber before we were allowed in! We stayed at the Adriatik Hotel by the sea near Durres, and went on escorted trips to other parts of the country. Durres - countryside We weren't allowed to wander freely and were told not to go outside the hotel grounds .... so I went for a long walk into the countryside and took photos of a nice old man tending a cow (he unwrapped his headscarf for me and posed for the photo) .... .... an animal-powered water cart and people watering the fields .... .... an ox-plough .... .... and a shepherd tending his flock. Then the walk came to an abrupt end when I was stopped and arrested by a policeman on a motorcycle, who had to flag down a lorry, tell the passengers to get out and then take us back to the hotel where the film with the rest of the pictures was confiscated. Durres - town We had a half-day trip to Durres town to see the museum, Roman amphitheatre and a State farm. Religion was banned and the church bells were gathering dust at the back of the museum. View of Durres main street from the museum. The Roman amphitheatre in Durres. Meanwhile, at the State Farm, Enver's picture was encouraging the tomatoes to grow. Back at the hotel we did a bit of sunbathing on the terrace .... .... and watched the sunset from our balcony. Central Albania - Pogradec and Korca We went on a two-day trip to central Albania, through the mountains to Elbasan, Pogradec on Lake Ohrid and the Korca plateau, staying the night in Korca and returning via Tirana. This is by lake Ohrid in Pogradec. At the Workers' Pleasure Gardens in Pogradec. Dark, brooding hills near Korca. A hotel with a slogan in Korca. On the way back we saw 'student volunteers' repairing the road. Tirana We visited Tirana, the capital, and saw the mosque and clock tower from the library steps in the main square. Tirana main square, featuring Sheila with an ice cream. Tirana University, down a wide, traffic-free road. Northern Albania - Shkoder We went on a day trip to Shkoder in northern Albania where we climbed to the castle at the top of the hill for the fabulous views, and the ruins of the church at the top. Back in town there was a view of the tower from the top of a hotel .... .... and another bustling main street full of traffic. Southern Albania - Fier, Gjirokaster, Sarande and Butrint We went on a three-day trip to southern Albania, through Fier and Gjirokaster to Sarande where we stayed on the coast opposite Corfu, visited Butrint Roman ruins and came back through Gjirokaster. We stopped for a drink by a waterfall in Fier. Gjirokaster has some lovely picturesque old Ottoman houses .... .... including Enver Hoxha's house which is now a museum, but it was closed. View of Sarande from the top of the hotel we stayed in. The Roman ruins at Butrint, south of Sarande. We returned to stay in Gjirokaster and saw more picturesque houses from the main square. A canon's-eye view of Gjirokaster from the castle. Another feature on display in the castle grounds was a captured United States Air Force fighter plane. We looked down from the castle onto the slate roofs of the town. And saw more nice old houses and shops in one of the main streets. We drove back to Durres past peasants labouring in the fields .... .... and women sorting potatoes. If you would like to see more of our travels just click the map.