After our incredible trip to South Africa last year, we wanted to repeat the experience by exploring another country this year. Our trip to Albania was full of surprises, new encounters, and discoveries!
The most striking surprise was the violent protests that broke out in the city center the day before our arrival and are still ongoing as we write this, eleven days later.
Rather than visiting the museums and cathedrals in the city center, we therefore made a point of avoiding it. On the few occasions when we did get a little close, enjoying the morning calm, the destroyed traffic lights, the smashed bus shelters, the burned-out newsstands, shops, and trash cans bore witness to a deep anger at corruption, but also to a yearning for a more just society.
Despite two brief bursts of tear gas coming from a distance, we were able, for the most part, to continue exploring the city, its culture, and our friends at the Methodist Church in Tirana.
As for sightseeing, we took day trips to Berat and Durrës, rode the cable car up Mount Dajti to explore the adventure park, strolled through Tirana Lake Park, and, of course, sampled Albanian cuisine.
We particularly enjoyed the grilled vegetables, fresh fruit, and the tradition of sharing small plates.
This year, the group consisted of fourteen people, ranging in age from nine to in their sixties.
Beyond the sightseeing and new discoveries, this trip was an opportunity to share wonderful moments together, build bonds, and share enriching experiences.
What we loved (excerpts from our group journal):
“The beautiful mosques with their vibrant colors, and the interactions and conversations within the group.”
“Seeing the connections form around the table, as we discovered things together, sang together, and marveled together.”
“The incredibly warm welcome from the leaders of the Methodist Church [in Tirana]… A big thank you to the Methodist Church in Lausanne for giving me the opportunity to have this experience as part of such a friendly group with such great chemistry.”
“Tree-top adventure with lots of laughter and fun.”
“The cable car ride is very long, and the view is incredible. What a beautiful country!”
Erika grew up in Kansas, USA. Trained in music at Prague and Emory University, she earned a Master of Divinity (Yale, 2007) and then a PhD in the history of Christianity (Boston, 2016). After serving in seven Methodist parishes in the United States, she was pastor of the Evangelical Methodist Church in Lausanne (2015-2022), before helping to create Village Mosaïque.
