My 14th and final day in Albania continued with some amazing Albanian street food as I made my way back to the airport in Tirana, Albania. Join me on my final Albanian adventure as I visit my friend’s farm in Daias, return to Tirana, and travel back home to Miami!
With my time in Albania winding down, my boy Erjan from Travel Media EU took me to his family’s farm in Daias, a beautiful farming village south of Tirana. It’s full of nature and is reached via a one-lane highway going up a mountain!
There, I got to see their incredible fields where they grow lots of fruits, including melons and grapes. They have some beautiful watermelons growing on the vines there. On the farm, they also have never-ending grapevines. They grow the grapes to make rakija and wine! It’s a massive farm!
I tried some grapes, which were sweet and about 15 days away from harvest. They grow cabernet, merlot, and shesh i zi grapes! As I saw the property, we began brainstorming ideas for a tortoise sanctuary, which is now Turtle Farm Albania! It’s such a spectacular place.
Up at Erjan’s house, there is a rakija distillation set-up. There, I met Erjan’s mother and father and the guest area inside the house. Erjan told me that they also grow tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers on the property, as well as basil, which I tried. It was so fresh and delicious!
Erjan’s mom gave me some candy as a welcoming gift, and then he cut open the cantaloupe, which was absolutely delicious. Then, he sliced up the watermelon we had grabbed earlier, which was incredibly juicy and sweet! Then, we drove through the town and headed back to Tirana. We passed by some very luxurious villas that cost up to a million Euros. Politicians, musicians, actors, and influencers live in this area!
We drove through the residential and touristic part of Tirana, and passed a faculty where Erjan studied English and French. We also saw the U.S. Embassy and arrived at Opa to eat some souvlaki. They had pork and chicken and stuffed the pitas with meat, tomatoes, onions, fries, and more. They also serve gyros, falafel, schnitzel, kebabs, calamari, and a lot more!
I put on my mask in the car and arrived at the airport. It’s the only airport in Albania and dropped off my car at Rental Car Albania. I couldn’t enter the airport until 2 hours before my boarding time, 8:45 p.m. I started on my souvlaki, which was fantastic. The chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and French fries was excellent. It’s quick, affordable, and super tasty!
I said goodbye to Erjan and headed to my gate for my flight back to London. Inside the airport, they had social distancing measures in place. I would have a 12-hour connection in London and then fly straight to Miami the next morning. After 3 hours, I landed in London-Heathrow at 11:05 p.m. I stayed in the airport and posted up at a power bank at the bottom of the escalator to enjoy another souvlaki.
I slept on a chair and woke back up at 5 a.m. with 3 hours to go before my flight. Then, I headed to my gate. There would only be 14 people onboard. I had never seen London-Heathrow so empty. Thankfully, I had an entire row to myself for my 9-hour-and-10-minute flight and finally landed at my second home, Miami International Airport.
What an unforgettable day of Albanian street food in Daias, Albania, and traveling back home to Miami! Huge thanks to my friends at Travel Media EU, Balkan Pearls Tour Operator, and Rental Car Albania for making this adventure one of the most memorable trips of my life. I highly recommend booking with them when you travel to Albania!
I hope you like coming with me to have Albanian street food in Albania and flying with me back to Miami! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures around the world!
