Tell Me Something............Anything!

[Macca]

They originally going to have a four-night break in Scarborough, for which bed and breakfast came to £460 including rain.

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Bit of an unfair comparison since they would also be getting the benefit of a bitter north-easterly wind with the Scarborough option.

[Pigmy Pony]

Bit of an unfair comparison since they would also be getting the benefit of a bitter north-easterly wind with the Scarborough option.

Yeah the hoteliers failed to mention that, a missed opportunity I think.

My dad stayed there last July, he really doesn't remember much about the place, nor who took this photo.

[Pigmy Pony]

I might fire up the George Formby grill later, in tribute to the big man. If I can find it. Get me sausages on.

[Barry]

We have been considering Albania for a holiday destination this summer (no really, some of it looks very nice), but we'll have to look into the cost.

One option is to get a ferry to France, then return on a rubber dinghy, spend a while in a detention centre after which we could get a flight to Albania and get unlimited stay there, all for free. A bit of a faff this option though, and I hear the dinghy trip is quite pricey.

Looks like some considerable danger is involved with this option as well, so we might just see how much Tui and Jet2.com are charging.

I visited Albania with a couple of friends in 1992. Enva Hoxa had died eighteen months earlier, so we thought it would be a good time to visit and see how much of the communist/Stalinist/Maoist regime was left.

Then there were no direct flights to Albania; one had to fly to Corfu and get the ferry across to Albania, where you could get a visa.

Well our expectations proved to be correct: the food, local wine and local transport (buses) were terrible. Even worse, the Albanians themselves had realised they had been taken for a ride by their politicians and basically revolted by smashing up the factories (no bad thing as they were hopelessly inefficient and unsafe), and sad to see in some places they had cut down the trees of once tree-lined avenues for firewood. They now seemed to be doing nothing, just hanging around the cafes and bars, endlessly smoking g and living off foreign aid. That said, those that could speak English or French were very keen to talk to us, as under the Hoxa regime they had been forbidden to talk to foreigners. And I was shown the most amazing hospitality by one Albanian family who invited me into their house and plied me with cognac and some nibbles.

There's a lot more I could relate about the adventures we had; not least trying to leave the country, but that was then and this is now.

I'm sure the country has changed and improved out of all recognition since then. They wanted to boost their tourist industry, which required the building of decent, modern and clean hotels. So anyone travelling there today would have a pleasant stay. In fact when I travelled down the Dalmatian coast to Montenegro, I would have liked to have gone into Albania to see what the country is like now. Sadly we couldn't do it as there would have been no end of hassle in taking the car in and out.

But do go there Steve - the beaches (what little I saw of them) are clean, and as I said the Albanians themselves are very hospitable.

[Barry]

Yeah the hoteliers failed to mention that, a missed opportunity I think.

My dad stayed there last July, he really doesn't remember much about the place, nor who took this photo.

Which one is your father in the photo?

[Pigmy Pony]

I visited Albania with a couple of friends in 1992. Enva Hoxa had died eighteen months earlier, so we thought it would be a good time to visit and see how much of the communist/Stalinist/Maoist regime was left.

Then there were no direct flights to Albania; one had to fly to Corfu and get the ferry across to Albania, where you could get a visa.

Well our expectations proved to be correct: the food, local wine and local transport (buses) were terrible. Even worse, the Albanians themselves had realised they had been taken for a ride by their politicians and basically revolted by smashing up the factories (no bad thing as they were hopelessly inefficient and unsafe), and sad to see in some places they had cut down the trees of once tree-lined avenues for firewood. They now seemed to be doing nothing, just hanging around the cafes and bars, endlessly smoking g and living off foreign aid. That said, those that could speak English or French were very keen to talk to us, as under the Hoxa regime they had been forbidden to talk to foreigners. And I was shown the most amazing hospitality by one Albanian family who invited me into their house and plied me with cognac and some nibbles.

There's a lot more I could relate about the adventures we had; not least trying to leave the country, but that was then and this is now.

I'm sure the country has changed and improved out of all recognition since then. They wanted to boost their tourist industry, which required the building of decent, modern and clean hotels. So anyone travelling there today would have a pleasant stay. In fact when I travelled down the Dalmatian coast to Montenegro, I would have liked to have gone into Albania to see what the country is like now. Sadly we couldn't do it as there would have been no end of hassle in taking the car in and out.

But do go there Steve - the beaches (what little I saw of them) are clean, and as I said the Albanians themselves are very hospitable.

It really is a serious option Barry - we've been to Bulgaria several times and enjoyed good weather, decent food and drink at good prices, and friendly folk who aren't afraid of hard work. We had considered Croatia too, but that is relatively expensive.

We recently saw a docu series about the Balkans, and Albania featured in some of it. They really are trying hard to get themselves on the tourist map, and I'd feel good doing my bit to help that happen. As you said, the beaches look lovely, though we don't bother with them much.

If we do, I'll report back on my thoughts, I might even learn how to post pictures on here!

[Pigmy Pony]

Some strange things happened yesterday.

I visited a suppliers next door to Screwfix, and as I approached, with the intention of parking on the road just after Screwfix's car park, there was a Porsche Panamera about to exit said car park. Then as I passed there was aloud bang. I got out to look at the vehicles, and saw that while my van had the tiniest marks on the wheel arch, the front of his Porsche was a right mess.

The bloke was apologetic and visibly upset, so I felt a bit sorry for him and told him we could swap insurance details, though as my van was ok it was up to him. He declined and drove off.

Twenty minutes later I went into Screwfix to buy some Stanley blades, and while waiting I heard someone at the other end of the counter asking the staff to see the CCTV as someone had driven into his friend's car. I called over "That would be me", and the Porsche driver just stared at me with a blank expression. "What, you drove into my car?"

"No, you drove into my van, we had this conversation twenty minutes ago".

"Sorry, I don't remember, I have brain damage".

His friend piped up, quite aggressively: "Never mind that, we want to see the CCTV, and I want your insurance details", which I then provided.

The staff member returned, saying "Your car already had that damage when you first came onto our car park".

Mystery solved? I'm not sure. Should this bloke who crashed his car into something, then crashed it into my van, and has no recollection of either event fit to be on the road? Or was this all a clumsy attempt to scam me? I'll never know as they both buggered off quick sharp.

With people like this on the road I'm just glad I wasn't on my bike.

[Barry]

Did you take note of the registration? You could then have reported the incident to the DVLA to see what they made of it.

[Macca]

He's got a 90 grand (at least) car - which he's already smashed up once - and brain damage?

Got to be one hell of a back story there.

Was the pal in the car when he hit your van?

[Pigmy Pony]

Did you take note of the registration? You could then have reported the incident to the DVLA to see what they made of it.

No I didn't. I should've thought of that.