#Lat: 41.332931 Long: 19.822915

[druidx]

A Warm Day in Tirana

Remembered I scribbled this during a break in exploring in Tirana. Absolutely unpolished, but I still like it.

The air is close and balmy, an intense sun overhead in an empty powder blue sky. The hum of traffic and the voice of the crowd are an ever-present background roar, punctuated by the blare of a horn and the chatter of little sparrows, the dominos of the old men clacking as they break and set up a new game. The hot wind brings with it the scent of exhaust fumes, the cloying of jasmine. It moves the tree above, shifting the dapple of shade against the concrete slabs of the plaza. People are always coming and going -- men in loose shirts, women in bright dresses, polizi in their smart uniforms. At the centre of all this stands a cypress as tall as the buildings, next to a bust of some passed notable "hero i populi", and the old men playing dominos. The heat is intoxicating, the city sounds a lullaby. In this dozy afternoon I'm allowed to just relax.