One of my favorite parts about travelling is the opportunity to find new running routes. Often, these lead to less-frequented roads and beautiful parks. Running in Albania was no different, and one run in Berat took the cake for my favorite of the trip.
The tricky part about running in Berat was the mountainous terrain; to make any route longer than a mile or so (Findlay and I were hoping for 11-12 miles), we had to bite the bullet and commit to pretty substantial elevation gain. The route we landed on led into the mountains to a loop around a lake—a little over 5 miles there and back, and almost completely uphill after the first mile. Immediately after leaving the city (which is already fairly rural-feeling), it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Large plots of farmland spread over the hills and we could see our road disappear and reappear as it wound higher up the mountain. A couple of times, we were startled by stray dogs, one of which that even leapt at Findlay! A car driving by honked to scare it off.
Other than that, though, the run felt completely magical. Our view grew more and more spectacular as we climbed and halfway through, the sun fell over the hill giving us immediate respite from the heat. By this time, we had just reached the lake and the small developments surrounding it. As we ran, local boys rode alongside us on their bikes, excitedly gesturing and practicing their English; a turkey herder and her massive bevy of birds clogged the road, making us feel obligated to stop and take a picture; and a group of barbecuing men paused their cooking to watch us run by. The whole experience was so fun and amusing and different from anything else we had done. Running back to Berat, all downhill, with the valley stretched out in front of us, Findlay and I already knew that this run would stick out as a highlight of the trip.
Our first friend we made:
A turtle that was on a similar journey up the hill:
About half of the flock of turkeys being herded by a shepherd (who’s out of view):
We were stunned by views like these around every turn:
The peaceful lake at the top of our hill:
Leave a reply