We began the day hike down into the Village of Theth around 9:00 a.m. The guesthouse pre-made packed lunches that we stowed in backpacks. The trail began on the road a short distance away and led down through the forest. A small section of path was steep and quite a few of us froze when someone tripped and almost took a big fall. Out of the forest and onto a road that led into the Valley of Theth through meadows filled with wildflowers. A stop while Marion and Silf saw a snake that slithered into a bush. Brave Marion began poking the bush with a stick! When they described the snake to Florian, he was appalled. A bad move because that snake was a poisonous viper, the most poisonous snake in Albania.
Florian halted the group three times in less than a hour to rest and drink coffee/tea. (Florian was really stretching out the day.) A local cafe had a waterwheel with glasses on each blade. As the wheel turned, each glass would fill with water and then spillover. Charming, but I can’t fathom the purpose other than advertising. There were two highlights while antsy us sat there. A big herd of sheep noisily clopped their way across the plank bridge…View image… next to the cafe followed by the herders and two sheep dogs…View image. And, the owner of the cafe was roasting lamb on a spit. Man, did that look and smell good!
This cafe also had a stuffed teddy bear hanging from a window on the second level for protection. Albanians will use a real animal skull if available. We had already seen stuffed animals and scarecrows perched on balconies in the South of Albania for the same purpose. And during a trip to Ladakh, India, the people there use animal horns and paint rocks red. Protection and to ward off evil.
I finally couldn’t stand sitting one second longer and two of us began walking towards the village telling Florian that we’d meet the group by the church. It’s a small world after all…. As we approached Theth Church, who walked in front of us but the two men that rode with us in the van from Shkroda to Theth yesterday. The ones who bought cement and toilet parts. Unbelievable. You would have thought that we were long-lost friends.
The picturesque Theth Church has been rebuilt, has no great importance attached to it and it was closed. While waiting for Florian and all, we sat in the shade and investigated the lunch sack. Bread, tomato, green pepper, feta cheese and the highlight, a hardboiled egg. We ate the egg, looked for someone to give the rest to and with no one around, threw out. We sat and watched a few Albanian groups pull up and begin walking up and over a stile through the cornfields…View image.
When our group arrived, we did the same. Over the stile and through the corn heading to the Kulla Tower.