June 2022 – Beautiful Vlora

NATIONAL HEROES CEMETERY

June 29, 2022June 29, 2022 Kathleen

The National Heroes Cemetery is a great place to go, to pay your respects to some of Albania’s Heroes.

In addition to paying your respects to the National Heroes, the National Heroes Cemetery overlooks the city of Vlora.

The National Heroes Cemetery is located, on the hillside, above Flag Square in Vlora.

VIDEO OF THE NATIONAL HEROES CEMETERY

What a great place to situate a cemetery for your country’s heroes!

To get up to the cemetery you must traverse over 12 sets of steps.

If you need a break while going up, there are large landings to stop on.

The cemetery is very orderly and the graves are well marked.

Upon reaching the level of the graves, you will find there are five levels of graves. Separated by, you guessed it, more steps!

There is a name placard on each grave and sometimes there is a little more information.

The whole area is nicely landscaped, with beautiful flowers and meticulously groomed grass.

Along with the smell of citrus and jasmine blossoms, there is a fresh breeze coming from the ocean.

It is a very beautiful and peaceful place.

Some of the National Heroes are remembered throughout Vlora.

Hasan Kushta, one of the nation’s heroes, lies in a marked grave.

There is a street in Vlora named after him.

From the steps, below the cemetery, are great views of Vlora.

To the north is the Zvernec Monastery and the Vjose-Narte Protected Landscape Reserve.

Closer in is the old part of the city which has been partially restored.

Just below is a mosque, built in 2014.

You can see the minaret.

In addition, there is a street of colorful buildings, which you look down upon.

The Ethnographic Museum is near there.

If Vlora Museums interest you, check out my post.

On the hill to the south, above the cemetery, sit two mosques with green domes.

While below there is a mix of new unfinished apartments and old tile-roofed houses.

Along with some newly renovated houses and new apartment buildings.

Further out to the west is the bay of Vlora.

It is a beautiful scene to behold.

To conclude, this is a very beautiful cemetery and well worth the effort to go see it.

Thank you very much for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website. I hope you find it informational and helpful.

I welcome your questions and suggestions. Please feel free to fill out the Questions/Suggestions Form, below.

Thank you for taking the time to ask or suggest and I will answer you as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you, for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website.

HISTORIC MUSEUMS IN VLORA-2022

June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 Kathleen

Three great places to visit are the Historic Museums in Vlora. The following information is current, having visited all sites in 2022.

There are three historic museums in Vlora, the National Museum of Independence, The Historical Museum of Artifacts, and the Ethnographic Museum.

The National Museum of Independence

Albania declared independence on November 28, 1912.

From the front balcony of this now historic museum, Ismail Qemali raised the Albanian flag.

Throughout the museum are many historical facts, presented with photographs. As well as several antique pieces of furniture.

On this website, there is an excellent description of the museum. However, the building exterior has changed since that article.

On this website is a detailed article about the Independence of Albania. It is very interesting for history buffs!

They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM until 5 PM and Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM.

During the Summer they are open on Mondays from 8 AM until 11 AM and again from 5 PM to 10 PM.

In addition, they are closed on Mondays for the rest of the year.

The ticket price is 300 Leke or 2.50 euros.

They are located between the Port of Vlora, the University, and across from KFC. Their physical location is Here.

If you want to get to the museum on the Vlora City Bus take any Uji Ftohte bus. Check out this post and the map is below.

Get off by Mon Cheri Coffee Shop.

The Historical Museum of Artifacts

The Historical Museum of Artifacts takes you on an archeological journey through the history of Vlora and the surrounding area.

The original church bell from Kanina castle is located within.

Along with many antiquities of Vlora history, dating back to the Neolithic period.

Because photography is prohibited, here is a website to show you the inside of the museum.

The museum is physically located, here, near the Independence Monument.

They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM and Sunday from 9 AM to 2 PM.

The ticket costs 100 lek.

One of the most interesting museums in Vlora is the Ethnographic Museum.

This museum is about the way people used to live.

Within the museum, separate rooms and areas are depicting the different ways of life.

Some examples are:

The separate gathering rooms for men and women.

A room for the Fisherman and the Blacksmith.

Another area for various ceramic pottery.

In addition to a room to depict their crafts and woolen rugs. This is my favorite room!

Because photographs are forbidden in this museum, here is a website to view the interior of the museum.

They are open Tuesday thru Friday from 8 AM until 4 PM.

As well as Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM until 2 PM.

Unfortunately, they are closed on Mondays.

The ticket price is 200 Lek.

The Museum is located across the street from the Historical Museum of Artifacts, in the square with Sophie Caffe.

It is an inconspicuous building. The location on the map is Here.

Behind this museum is the colorful tourist street area.

In conclusion, there are three great historical museums in Vlora to visit and learn about the history and peoples of Vlora and Albania.

I hope you can visit them while you are here.

Thank you very much for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website. I hope you find it informational and helpful.

I welcome your questions and suggestions. Please feel free to fill out the Questions/Suggestions Form, below.

Thank you for taking the time to ask or suggest and I will answer you as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you, for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website.

VLORA CITY BUS-PUBLIC TRANSPORT

June 15, 2022June 15, 2022 Kathleen

In-depth, current information about the Vlora City Bus-Public Transport in Vlora. Including a bus route map at the bottom of the page.

The City of Vlora provides an intracity public bus system.

The first comprehensive City Bus Map in Vlora is included in the Vlora City Bus-Public Transport System.

I created this Bus Map on Google My Maps.

The Map includes the different bus routes as well as photos of certain bus stops.

I intend to allow Google to put the entire map on Google Maps thus allowing you to use the bus directions-search feature.

Currently, you can use the map, in the footer, to view the different bus routes.

This will allow you to decide where you can get a bus. In addition, where you need to transfer or get off at your destination.

All Vlora city bus routes have a few things in common:

Each bus has a route name placard in the front window.

Bus routes are on an hourly loop, running Monday through Sunday while schedules are approximate, depending on traffic conditions.

An attendant collects the one-way 40 Lek fee however, children under 10 are free. However, there are no transfer tickets.

ALL buses stop at the Black Bus Markers on the map.

Let the Bus Driver know if you want to get off at an unscheduled stop.

Additionally, wave the bus down if you want to get on at an undesignated stop.

There are four different routes on the Vlora City Bus-Public Transport System:

Each bus route has a different colored bus marker and each stop shows which buses stop there.

Three buses have the same route:

(Uji Ftohte, Uji I Ftohte and Tulla Uji Ftohte). The Dark Blue Bus Marker designates this route.

This route is from the north end Park by Fredi Pasticeri along Lungomare to the Lion Fountain.

The approximate schedule is 6 AM to 11 PM in the Summer and until 8 PM in the Winter.

About every 20 minutes there is a bus.

The first of the other three routes are:

Çole Spital where the Purple Bus Marker designates this route.

This route is from Rruga Hasan Kushta, with a westbound loop, then up to the Mosque and on to the Hospital. Returning via Rruga Tasin Jonuzi back by the Mosque.

The approximate schedule is:

From 6:40 AM to 8 PM in the Summer and to 6 PM in the Winter.

Arriving at Rruga Hasan Kushta at 20 after the hour and the Hospital at the top of the hour.

The second of the other three routes are:

Tulla Unaze where the Pink/Orange Bus Marker designates the route.

This route is from the HP Hotel, by the mall roundabout, to the north and west of town back via the east of town by the Kanina Fountain.

The approximate schedule is:

From 7 AM to 2:30 PM(The last bus leaves town at about 2:20 PM).

Arriving at the HP Hotel- 10 after the hour and the turn-off to Narte- 40 after the hour.

The final route of the other three routes is:

Tulla Plazhi I Vjeter where the Green Bus Marker designates the route.

This route is from the North End Park by Fredi Pasticeri through town. West on Rruga Kosova and Rruga Sazani to Technoplastic. Then it turns around and comes back.

The approximate schedule is:

From 6:30 AM until 7:00 PM.

It arrives at the Rruga Kosova bus stop about 40 after the hour and Technoplastic about 50 after the hour.

In conclusion, the Vlora City Bus-Public Transport is an effective method of travel within Vlora. Check out the Bus Map and see if it helps you travel around Vlora a little easier.

For more Bus information see my other post Here.

Thank you very much for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website. I hope you find it informational and helpful.

I welcome your questions and suggestions. Please feel free to fill out the Questions/Suggestions Form, below.

Thank you for taking the time to ask or suggest and I will answer you as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you, for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website.

10 ROADSIDE FLOWERS IN VLORA

June 6, 2022June 7, 2022 Kathleen

Vlora has a great climate and so the are many more than 10 Roadside Flowers in Vlora.

The following 10 Roadside Flowers in Vlora are some of the more commonly seen flowers.

Viper’s Bugloss- Echium vulgare L.

The Viper’s Bugloss is in the same family as Borage which is the family Boraginaceae.

Their signature trademark is the beautiful blue bell-shaped flowers.

The name Viper has derived from the thought that the spotted stem resembles a viper. Bugloss is Greek meaning Ox tongue, which the shape of the leaves resembles.

They are very widespread throughout Europe and introduced in other parts of the world.

They are great for beneficial insects such as bees.

Being cultivated as an ornamental it now has many different cultivars.

Wolf’s Milk- Euphorbia helioscopia L.

Wolf’s Milk is commonly referred to as Leafy Spurge.

The white milky sap that comes from the stem, when cut, is where the name comes from.

It is native to Europe and Asia and is an invasive plant in the USA.

I am personally familiar with this plant because when I herded sheep in Montana, they were there to graze the leafy spurge.

The sheep loved it and did an excellent job of clearing it out.

Syrian Thistle- Notobasis syriaca (L.) Cass.

This is a plant that I was particularly interested in because of the beautiful variegated leaves and large purple flowers.

It is native to the Mediterranean area and the Middle East.

On the island of Crete, in Greece, the locals peel its tender shoots and eat them raw.

Balloon Flower- Platycodon grandiflorus

The Balloon flower is the only member of the genus Platycodon.

It is in the family Campanulaceae, which is the Bellflower family.

It is native to East Asia and the Russian far east.

Its name came from the balloon-shaped flower buds.

In Korea, the root is used in cooking but only after it goes through a process to remove the bitterness.

Adriatic Soapwort- Saponaria calabrica Guss.

The Adriatic Soapwort occurs through southern Italy, the Balkan peninsula, and western Turkey.

The flowers are very distinct and pretty. They come in shades of pink and white.

It belongs to the Genus Saponaria. “Sapo” means soap hence, the name soapworts.

Its fellow plant the S. Officinalis provides soap from its leaves or roots.

Squirting Cucumber- Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich.

This is the sole species in the Genus Ecballium.

It is in the same family as cucumbers and the fruits look like small cucumbers.

It possibly acts as a poison when eaten so it is best avoided.

Its method of seed dispersion is where the name originated.

When the fruits are ripe, they squirt out a liquid that contains the seeds.

It is native to Europe, North Africa, and the temperate areas of Asia.

Wild Morning-Glory- Convolvulus arvensis L.

In the Morning Glory family and often called Field Bindweed.

This plant goes up anything upright and winds around the branches and stems of trees and plants.

It can get very heavy and choke out the light and air circulation from the tree or plant.

In central Europe, some uncommon bee species are dependent exclusively on this species of bindweed for pollen.

Poppy- Papaver humile Fedde

This is a very commonly seen poppy.

From Tirana to Vlora as well as in other places around Albania, you can find the poppy.

Usually, in fields with other flowers.

Native to the Eastern Mediterranean areas.

They sport a beautiful, deep red flower with a black center.

Borage- Borago officinalis

A native to the Mediterranean region and very prominent in Vlora.

It is also known as the Starflower due to its very distinct flower shape.

There are many medicinal and herbal uses for seeds and other plant parts.

Borage oil is made from seeds and is purported to be used to treat many different ailments.

There are also side effects to its use.

Used in cosmetics and soap making it is purported to have hydrating properties.

Milk Thistle- Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L.

The Milk Thistle is a member of the Dandelion tribe in the Daisy family.

They are native to Europe and Western Asia.

The young leaves and roots are edible and contain a long list of vitamins and minerals.

A coffee substitute is made from the young roots.

In conclusion, seeing these beautiful roadside flowers in Vlora is quite a sight! Hopefully, now you will be able to identify some of them.

If you are in the mood for more domestic flowers check out this link.

Thank you very much for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website. I hope you find it informational and helpful.

I welcome your questions and suggestions. Please feel free to fill out the Questions/Suggestions Form, below.

Thank you for taking the time to ask or suggest and I will answer you as soon as possible.

Once again, thank you, for visiting the Beautiful Vlora website.