Romans 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Illyricum is the ancient name for Albania. Some Biblical scholars think that Durrës was visited by Paul on his third missionary journey.
It is interesting to note how closely Paul’s missionary journeys followed these Roman highways, and along them extends the chain of early churches. Indeed, a trip of 150 miles along the Egnatian highway from Thessalonica westward would penetrate to the heart of Albania.
We left at 11am and arrived at 2pm. Then we took a taxi from the “bus station” (side of the road). I don’t think that he was a legitimate taxi driver. He didn’t seem to know where our hotel was. Rob schooled him with our mapping program.
Once we checked in, we asked for a seafood recommendation. Without hesitation, he said, “Piazza, and it is a short walk away.” We should have checked the reviews!!
We sat there with our menus for more than 15 minutes despite telling them that we were ready to order. We almost got up to leave. Once our order was in, it was at least another 30 minutes. When Rob’s crab pasta arrived, there were four whole crabs in the shell lying on a bed of linguine. They didn’t even leave a crab cracking instrument. It took about five minutes to get the proper equipment.
It was a painful process, but I put my fisheries skills to work and helped out. However, the crabs had hardly any meat. We couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Durrës Amphitheatre
The amphitheater, located in the western part of the ancient city, a few steps away from the Adriatic coast, was built at the height of Roman architecture. It is often referred to as “one of Trajan’s miracles,” although some historians think the work may have belonged to Trajan’s successor, Hadrian.
We often talk about the communist brutalism architecture and its quick and utilitarian approach. I am sure that the Greeks with their polished marble thought that same about the Romans and their brick and composite filler.
There was a Christian church at one time in the amphitheatre. Could this be from the influence of Paul?
We strolled along the ocean with other nightime walkers. Their beaches are rocky, but it felt a little like our boardwalk at home.
We saw four life-size bronze statues. They looked familiar to our American eyes: Tina Turner, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Mick Jagger. These performers represented the pop music that Kosovars were able to hear for the first time. Think about it: they missed Elvis, The Beatles, and even Disco. When the country opened up, it must have been mind blowing!!! Movies, too!
Turner never performed in Albania, but she was an icon of freedom and power in the eyes of many Albanians. We heard several of her songs played in restaurants even today. When Albanians started to have regular exposure to Western music, it coincided with the height of Tina Turner’s popularity.
Turner’s personal story of perseverance and strength resonated with the suffering of the people of Eastern Europe. Turner’s life story and music gave millions of Albanians hope.
Rob was starving after our crazy lunch. Thanks to the ubiquitous KFC, we were able to score some tasty chicken fingers. FYI: No McDonalds or Starbucks in Albania. McDonalds is too expensive, and soooo many wonderful coffee shops already exist.
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