Gjirokastër - Castle to Zekate House... and all covered on foot!

Gjirokastër really has a lot to see and it's a great place to explore on foot. Upon leaving my lodging, I head up Rruga Alqi Kondi to pass through the old bazaar on my way to the castle. With so many trees in bloom, I imagine that I got a lot of spring colors that visitors may not see at other times of the year. The Gjirokastër castle sprawls but it is a lot of fun to explore, especially with the fantastic views it provides. I first head slightly downhill to explore the section around the Clock Tower. Looking down upon so many of Gjirokastër's stone rooves is truly a sight to behold. I later head slightly uphill to another extension of the fortress. Over here, one can actually climb upon the roof itself and get to see other neighborhoods from an eagle's point of view. Leaving the castle grounds, I head further uphill into a neighborhood of steep alleyways, Ottoman-style housing with heavy stone rooves, and I get challenged by a difficult ravine to navigate. At this point I continue downhill, skirting the mountain above the castle to head over in the direction of the Zekate House. I pass by the old bazaar and am able to see yet more impressive housing stock. Over here, the views into the Drino River Valley open up in the afternoon sunshine. I visit the Zekate House which has been delicately refurbished to catch a glimpse into the lifestyle of a wealthy Albanian family of the early 1800's. Finally, I have a delicious meal at Submarine 105 back in the Old Bazaar district. Regarding music, I have 5 different tunes here including 2 in Albanian, and 2 in English, and 1 in Catalan. The Albanian tunes are "Lulija" by Altin Sulku and "Dridhe moj bajarme dridhe" by Kristi Lamaj. I was drawn to the instrumentation in both songs, and Albanian songs implement a lot of traditional "zest" into the sounds and rhythms. As to the Catalan tune- so the language of spoken in Catalonia, Spain-I was first drawn to the title which was "Nit freda per ser abril" which translates as "It's a cold night for being April". Indeed, I visited Gjirokastër in April, 2026. But some of the lyrics have a considerable connection to Albania (which is probably just coincidence, I will admit.) The song speaks of a couple Maria and Marcel, with the lyrics: "Ell vesteix tot de vermell" (He dresses completely in red.) Many Albanians enjoy dressing in red and black, the two colors of the Albanian flag, and I think many visitors will notice that many Albanians have clothes in these two colors. Further, "Marxaríem els dos junts d'aquesta ciutat tant rara I tindriem fills ben forts i una casa amb balconada" ("The night would be so long and we would leave this strange city... and we would have strong children and a house with a balcony.") I automatically thought of Gjirokastër being the "strange city", but I suppose that is the joy of interpreting lyrics: one can interpret them in any way, really. Gjirokaster or Girona, who knows? Which brings me to "Treasure" by Erasure. The lyrics include; "Got the woodstove on at the end of a treasured day. Take off my hat and shoes as I lay me down." These lyrics explained what I saw in the Zekate house almost to a "T", actually. And all of the Albanians, Kosovars, etc. prefer that we take off our shoes when entering the home. Each room in that Zekate House also had a wood stove. Further lyrics include, "I dream of trees and roads, I roam across the hills. The sky is big of deepest blue, the clouds like smoky trains." Indeed, my legs feel/felt like they roamed across every hill in Gjirokastër trying to explore various nooks of the city! Finally, the lyrics include, "Rise, see the eagle fly. Spirit can't be broken". This parallels the double-headed eagle on the Albanian flag and Albania clamoring to be accepted by the greater world. Did Erasure have the city of Gjirokaster, Albania, when writing this song? The next time I speak with Andy Bell I'll be sure to ask him! :) The final song is "Home Again" by Michael Kiwanuka, a British guitarist and songwriter of Ugandan origin. I find his singing and playing style quite soothing, appropriate for "coming home in the evening". In this case, we're coming home to Gjirokastër as the sun disappears from the sky. Gjirokaster would be a beautiful place to call home!