After a few hours driving along windy mountain roads dodging goat herds, pigs, donkeys and pot holes we spotted the most beautiful beach for a swim. It was down a steep unpaved track of about 150m from the main road. Moments later... Boom and Hissssss...
Oh the cruelty! We were literally seconds away from a jump into the sea and it was hot, hot, hot! Andrew sprang in to action however and tools were out and the forlorn tire off.
The spare now on we had the issue of sourcing another tire in Albania. Not that easy as it happens if the tire is non standard. Luckily by the beach there was bar/restaurant and car park. We asked if we could stay there for the night and told them about our tire situation. They were really friendly said it was fine to stay, one of the daughters could speak English perfectly. She said they could help us out getting the tire as it would be a lot easier for them than us, we stayed until it was sorted.
The tyre size we needed turned out to be a rarity in Albania and after a few days of searching we managed to get two second hand tires… That’s the way it rolls in Albania, you buy in pairs and can’t often get new. Luckily the locals were very helpful.
In the mean time we had a beautiful beach to enjoy, fresh fish at the restaurant and hundreds of cats to feed…
Since Bluestar was clearly visible from the main coastal road we were quickly spotted by a few friends we meet earlier in Greece, who were also driving through Albania and stopped by to say hi.