From Toronto to Albania and the Big Oopsie

The Big Oopsie

John and I usually spend our summers in Ontario, after all, what’s not to love about an Ontario summer? However this year is different because our dear friend’s son, Cole, is getting married in Italy. It’s time to celebrate!

John and I and our long time friends, Louise and Lance are visiting Albania before heading to Italy for the wedding.

We’ve been planning for this trip since February. Our dresses have been painstakingly chosen, the trip clothing is carefully curated and John has a new linen wardrobe, perfect for a fashionable summer in Italy.

We are relaxed and ready on the morning of departure. John calls me into the bathroom to do a last minute clean up of the back of his hair. Two shavers sit on the counter. I pick up one and shave a strip on the back of his head. As I take another swipe I realize that something is terribly wrong… I’m using the wrong shaver. I try not to giggle but it’s no use and I break out in laughter at my faux pas. 

John takes my oopsie with good grace and sees the humour in it. I try to even things out but it is far from perfect. Oh dear. 

Later in the day, John thoughtfully offers to trim my bangs. I decline.

Air Transat to Italy

Louise and Lance arrive & park at our place and we take an Uber to the airport together. 

I am wearing my hat for the wedding because it’s too big for the suitcase. The hat covers John’s haircut error quite well.

We are first flying an Air Transat night flight to Rome. We are all sitting close together however now that the engines have started, I will probably be asleep soon.

Rome Airport

I sleep through most of the flight but the rest of the group do not.

Passport control at the Rome airport is crowded and takes a long time to get through. We feel like a herd of cows as we continue what seems like a never ending walk, all the while immigration staff are ordering “don’t stop, don’t stop!”

Once through immigration we find a coffee shop with tables in the airport and hang out as we wait for our next flight on Wizz Air to  Tirana, Albania. We are a rather sedate group .

Wizz Air to Tirana, Albania

Our one and a half hour flight to Albania was uneventful. John and I are seated in the second row. I have never been the second person off the plane before. Getting through passport control is quick and seamless. It is now 7:10pm and we are waiting for our luggage.

The four of us and luggage pile into a small prearranged cab which takes us to our Airbnb. The sky is dark with impending rain, however the sun peaks out every now and again creating a rainbow. 

Seafood Supper

We head to our Airbnb apartment in the centre of the city. We quickly check in. I unpack my neck pillow. Click here for a short video of everything I got into the neck pillow.

We head across the street to a seafood restaurant recommended by our host. We are confused at first about how to order. We go into the area where all the fresh seafood is, choose our fish and describe how we want it prepared. Louise has mussel linguini, John has shrimp linguini, Lance a sea bass and me eel with a delicious big salad. Yum.

It’s 9:45pm, 3:45pm in Ontario. We get the cheque and call it a night.