  |
 |
 |
|
|---|
|
|
Living in Albania Employment opportunities for
spouses
There are limited possibilities of employment for UN spouses under the present circumstances. However, some short-term projects assignments are available from time
to time through aid international organizations. Sport facilities for foreigners are still limited. One outdoor swimming pool opens during the summer (8 am to 4 pm) and there are two open swimming pools at "Rogner" and "Linza" hotels. Two tennis centers are available in the center and close to the lake of Tirana. Some fitness centers have recently opened, including the Tirana Fitness Center. Foreign radio and televisions stations, particularly on the short-wave bands, are easily received. The BBC World service is received on 103.9 MHz (FM), with a very good Programme in Albanian at 7.30 am and 7 pm. VOA and Radio France International program are also transmitted locally. The first radio service in Albania was provided by a three kilowatt short wave station in Tirana, which began only on November 27, 1944, on the eve of the liberation of the country. Today the powerful transmitter of Radio Tirana broadcasts uninterruptedly in Albanian and in some foreign languages. There are also private radio stations that have started their activity in some districts. There is one state television program (TVSH) that transmits in the original language and many private local ones. Italian channels (RAI Uno, RAI Due, RAI Tre, Italia Uno, Canale Cinque and Rete Quattro), French (Antenne 2, France 2), German (RTL), American (CNN), EuroNews, Eurosport, Super Channel, programs can be received, if a good satellite antenna is installed Information on theatres, cinemas, museums art galleries and historic
sites is provided in the section "Living in Albania" of this report. Tirana offers a wide choice of restaurants. Prices vary from the quality of the restaurants, but are generally quite reasonable. In additional to traditional cuisine ( Hani I Gjelit, Juvenilja, Karlsberg), there are also restaurants offering Italian (Trattoria Antonella, Diplomati, Nena Mbretereshe, Vila Arancia, Tiepolo, Piazza), German (Berlin), American (Stefan Center), Greek, etc. There are some other restaurants that offer a variety of fresh fish (Rozafa, Oktapodhi). In addition there are restaurants offering fast food and pizza all over Tirana. In March 2000 there was no Chinese restaurant in Albania. The average lunch/dinner ranges from US$10 to US$30 per person. Restaurants in other cities or along the main roads are also numerous. Tipping- each service is paid according to the respective price.
Customers are not obliged to tip but usually customers tip approximately 5%-7% to the
waiters. Most of the tipping is done in the restaurants. Leave the tip on the table for
the waiter or hand it directly to him. Taxis are not metered. They are readily available at the airport, in front of main hotels and, in several places in the center. The rate applied is ad hoc and negotiable. For long distance trips i.e. airport to town or vice-versa approximately US$ 25.00 is charged, from Tirana to Durres (34km from UN office) the average charge is US$40.00.One radio-taxi is operating in Tirana (call Tel: 515 00) There are two bus stations for out-of-town travel (next to "Dinamo" Stadium and to Elbasani road). Most buses leave for various cities within Albania at 7 or 8 a.m., but some are in poor condition and unreliable. The railway network runs to approximately 720 km and is single-track
and unelectrified along the whole of its length. Trains are diesel. There are trains from
Tirana to Durres, Elbasan, Pogradec, Vlora and Shkodra. The train station is located at
the northern end of Tirana. The train schedule is unreliable and trains are in very poor
shape and outdated. There are local travel agencies in Tirana that can arrange sightseeing tours covering different important historical sites in Albania as well as other places of interest. Virgin Travel Tel/fax: 560 76/77 RIGEL Tel: 327 76 fax: 326 75 ODISEA Tel/fax: 407 08 Holiday Travel Tel/fax: 338 43 ALBTOURS Tel/fax: 254 96 Albanian Horizons Tel/fax 651 61, 408 19 ARJON Tel: 324 67, 385 46 fax: 324 67 As a rule, Albanian archaeological sites fall into four categories. The first is those major sites, like Apollonia, Petrela Castle or the citadel at Shkodra, which are open, continuously attended, and where it is only necessary to pay a small fee to visit during normal daytime hours; The second is "open" sites such as the amphitheater at Durres and Butrinti; The third group comprises mainly churches and mosques; The fourth groups are the wholly "open" sites, such as the Illyrian gateway and associated buildings at Lezha, which may be visited freely at any time, without charge. Albania has very large areas of forest and mountain land, and a rich
variety of wild animals, including deer, wolves, bears, jackals, foxes, wild boar and
lynx. Albania abounds with mountain streams, which offer very good trout fishing. There
are also many lakes, particularly in the north, which are well stocked with coarse fish.
Fishing equipment is generally not available and visitors should be careful to bring
whatever they may require with them. Permits are not yet required. Evening entertainment is usually going out to opera, theatre or
concerts. The Millenium Kinema was inaugurated in the summer of 1999 – the first
functioning cinema in Albania since the fall of communism – and shows first-run
Hollywood films. Tickets cost maximum Lek300. The National Palace of Opera and Ballet is
located just in front of Tirana Hotel and offers good performances. Discotheques and bars
with gambling games have been opened. Some tourist hotels have taverns where travelers can
enjoy local music and dancing. There are beautiful and well-preserved medieval museum sites in Berat, Gjirokaster, Saranda and Fieri as well as at the reconstructed citadel of Skanderbeg at Kruja. Throughout the country, there are culturally valuable mosques and Byzantine churches kept by the State as part of the cultural heritage. Berat is a Museum City built on the slopes of a mountain with a castle dominating the site. It is known as the "City of a thousand windows". Sheltered by a castle, the ancient city of Gjirokastra, with its mysterious atmosphere, is set against the dramatic backdrop of the mountains. The site may be visited free of charge at any time, but particular treasures such as the important early Christian wall decorations, are not generally open. Tirana has a number of art galleries such as: National Art Gallery (Deshmoret e Kombit Bulevard), Te&Gi (Durresi Street), Gallery XXI (Behind National Historical Museum), etc. Some interesting sites for visitors are: National Historical Museum Skenderbej Square Archeological Museum Mother Teresa Square Museum of Natural Sciences Kavaja Street Exhibition Hall At the National Library Foreign newspapers arrive daily to Albania on flights from Europe, and are generally available in Tirana after 18:00. The following newspapers and magazines are available at some big hotels and also at different book-shops: International Herald Tribune, La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, Gazzeta Dello Sport, Der Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the Economist, the Guardian Weekly, Newsweek, Le Monde Diplomatique, Balkan News. There is a plentiful supply of cassettes, tapes and CDs with
international music on the music shops. Records and cassettes of Albanian folk music are
on sale and they can specifically be found in shops selling musical instruments. Books by
the world-renowned Albanian author, Ismail Kadare, are available locally and in dozens of
countries in English, French, German, Spanish and other languages. 1 January - New Year Day 9 January - Big Bairam* 16 March - Courban Bairam* 24 April - Catholic Easter 1 May - Labour Day 2 May - Orthodox Easter 28 November - Independence Day 29 November - Liberation Day 25 December - Christmas Day 31 December - Year-end Day
* Subject to Lunar sighting
|
|