Theth, the destination Albanians themselves recommend visiting in their country

I was only able to spend about one week in Albania, but over and over again, Albanians recommended visiting Theth. It is a special place in the Accursed Mountains of northern Albania. The drive from Shkoder is a true beauty. Arriving from Shkoder, which sits at 13 meters above sea level, the road climbs about 1800 meters to the Thore Pass, traces the ridge, and then plunges down into the Theth Valley, winding up at an elevation of 750 meters. Apparently, the village cannot be easily reached from its own valley as there is a treacherous canyon en route. Instead, this magnificent road across the mountains serves as the access to Theth. I lucked out by finding a more traditional type of lodging... but there is lodging to fit all tastes and budgets. That being said, Theth seems to be a bit pricier than the rest of Albania. The secret is out! I enjoyed the fresh mountain air, the idyllic scenery, the changing light dappling the mountainsides, and some pretty stunning geology. As to the tunes, the first tune is "Beyond the Universe" by British singer Sophie Ellis Bextor. The lyrics of the first verse strangely fit the drive up to Theth very well. The second tune is "Per Te" by the Italian pop group Paola e Chiara. The Gjirokaster waiter, Giorgi, reminded me that the Italians were the first to visit Albania in droves after the fall of the Iron Curtain. This ditty seemed bubbly and bright, which pretty much fit the atmosphere of Theth in April very well. The third song is by Rob Warren, with a gentle flute line burbling through the tune. Theth is a peaceful place and I needed a tune to reflect that (in case the other two were "too fast" as my mother would say.) Oh well! Theth is gorgeous, no matter what music I choose!