Earlier this week when I awoke in the morning there was no water in my apartment in Tirana, capital of Albania.
I notified my host, who said the pipes sometimes freeze when it gets too cold. The water came back mid-morning after the sun warmed things up a bit. But it could happen again at night, he said. Fortunately, it’s still flowing. But he did say it’s been colder than usual lately here.
Funny, my host in Estonia, where I recently came from, said there was more snow than usual in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, after I had arrived there in December.
Yet when in Finland, before I was in Estonia, it had been warmer than usual, my Finn friend said.
Not sure what to make of my influence, if any, on the weather, except coincidence, but should it really be getting colder the farther south I travel this time of year?
Nevertheless I’m in another comfortable apartment for this month of February, and the cost of living here — food and housing — is pleasantly affordable as I’d expected. I’m taking advantage of the opportunity to work on my book proposal as planned, while currently getting 108.5 Albanian “leke,” the local unit of currency, per U.S. dollar.
I’m centrally located so it’s easy to walk to the city center, and the past two days have been sunny and not so cold. So things are looking up.
As usual, my destination in March is as yet undetermined.