By MAIRE ROWLAND
According to Mercer’s poll on the world’s most liveable cities, Tirana is one of the least attractive metropolises on the continent. My experience of moving here from Ireland has given me a very different perspective. Whatever the poll may reveal about the standard of living in Tirana it doesn’t offer a glimpse into what makes this place special.
Tirana assaults your senses at every turn. Frequent car beeps, random crashes, occassional yelps and pumping Latino beats from shiny Mercedes create a cacophony of noise, chaos and life, a unique Tirana symphony. When it comes to architecture, this place is a marvellous mess. A combination of Enver Hoxha-era communist buildings, modern apartment blocks with colourful motifs, topsy-turvy, uneven and charming houses with rusted red slates and stripey blinds to shade from the nearly ever-present sun.
On my daily commute across the city I get the opportunity to experience the delights and pitfalls of Tirana’s hustle, bustle and fractious infrastructure. Pavements can erupt as if an earthquake has whispered by, creating a myriad of obstacles that require full attention and quick reactions.
I am in awe at the way the stylish and perfectly presented ladies of the capital navigate the uneven pavements in their stilettoes with the grace of gazelles and the elegant athleticism of trained ballerinas. I have yet to master this talent and prefer to sit and observe their bravery rather than attempting to follow in their carefully measured footsteps. I have already lost a battle with an uncovered manhole in Tirana, until I manage flat footed walking in this concrete jungle I will reluctantly opt for practicality over fashion.
But Tirana, for all its obstacles and absurdities is a comfortable, sociable and lively place to call home. The city center’s streets are littered with bars of every shape, size and decor imaginable. From the flashy style and trendiness of the Blloku to the more down to earth and authentic establishments on Rruga Kavajes, Tirana is a city that caters for a population of differing ages, tastes, needs and desires.
The curious sight of The Pyramid along the Boulevard has earned a special place in my heart during my time here. The clashing blue and red monstrosity, slanting towards the Tirana skyline holds a peculiar attraction. Maybe it is the suppressed daredevil within me that this city tempts to reveal, but I adore climbing its slippery sides and breathing in the view of the city from the platform at its peak.
The Pyramid may have been built as a museum in homage of Enver Hoxha, but it now feels like it belongs to the city’s youth. Scrawled with graffiti and delightfully unkempt, to me, The Pyramid is a perfect symbolic representation of Tirana, it isn’t very pretty but it offers an intriguing challenge while bursting with attitude.
Unruly, excitable and never boring, Tirana presents many obstacles and numerous adventures.
