After 3 hours in our baking machine, we arrived at our destination, Berat. It’s reputed to be the oldest town in Albania. Wikipedia, the source for everything reputed, says it was founded in the 6^th century BC. Albanian legend has it that two mountains fought over a girl, killed each other, and the young lady’s tears formed the nearby river. I think I’ve heard that story before somewhere.

The relaxation was the great part of Berat. The pace of life is languid and people are friendly, as they are all over Albania. The cruel heat kept us from pursuing anything more strenuous than watching. We fit right in. We drove up a 60° incline up to the castle to trudge around on grass that was trying to escape death by furnace. At one stage, more than one of us was asleep at an outdoor cafe that let us use their umbrellas.

In the early evening, we received a reprieve from the heat. As we walked around town, the boys became excited about taking pictures. Life takes on a refreshingly curious view from the perspective of a kindergartener--lots of shoes and knees. The take away point from this article is that Berat needs to be visited in the fall, winter, or spring.