Yesterday was Monday, November 3, 2008. Mom and I along with 4 Elders took a P-day trip west of Tirana to the city of Lac. (The town's name is spelled with a tail on the "c" so its actually pronounced Lach.) It was about a 50 minute trip in a vergon (mini-van).  The Elders had heard about a church up in the mountains above Lac and they wanted to climb to it. So off we went early Monday morning.

Leaving Tirana in the vergon and yes, we are that close to the guy on his motorcycle and, as I recall the orange truck pulled out in front of him and us. The traffic around Tirana is crazy.

This is street scene in Lac. Lady walking is dressed in traditional Albania outfit.

Our destination is at the top of the hill. Its a church and a large cross. You can just make out the cross on the center of the ridge line.

As we approached the top of the hill there were many places where people had burnt candles.

Picture of church and stain glass window from inside.

Mom and I with Lac in the background. It was a good climb. Mom counted 526 steps with lots of ascending ramp paths in order to get to the top.




We made it to the top. Mom and I at the cross. I've entitled this picture "Separating the sheep from the goats."

Again Lac in the background. Note the pollution. Most of it is coming from Tirana. The wind generally blows from Tirana to the West. Elders from left to right: Elders Whittier, Maddox, Kushlan and Smith. In the distance you can just make out the Adriatic Sea. Picture of a couple of guys playing chess in Lac. Everyone loves to play chess.

This is the vergon that took us back to Tirana. This one was very clean as compared to many others. The train system in Albania is all but non-existant. There is a very slow train between Tirana and Durres. The regular bus system only runs between the larger cities. So, unless you have your own car, you have to find a vergon that's going your way. Generally in the smaller cities there is a central area where the vergons all congregate. The drivers will yell out where they are going. You negotiate a price, get in with everyone else and then hold on for an adventure with fast and slow moving traffic on narrow two lane roads. 

Country side between Lac and Tirana.

Some slow moving traffic heading back to Tirana.