A postcard from Tirana: the flea market
Tirana’s flea market
Enver Hoxha’s regime may be a thing of the past but traces of it remain in odd corners, such as this book spotted in the city’s flea market.
Tirana’s flea market is an appealing mix of stalls selling almost anything from military badges to Enver Hoxha memorabilia; German LPs to old radios; cameras to carvings from (it appears) China to Africa and elsewhere; clocks, compasses and kitchen equipment. Mixed in with these are several stalls of sometimes tacky souvenirs. A Mother Teresa fridge magnet as a reminder of your time in Albania, perhaps?
Alongside it and sharing the same roof is a produce market with wonderful fruit and vegetables, as well as stalls selling garden plants. Normally these would have the attention of my camera, but I can’t resist a flea market and delighted in finding quirky corners to photograph. Imagine how pleased I was later to discover that Patti had chosen ‘Still life‘ as the topic for this week’s Lens Artists Challenge!
So here are a few more images from the same market, to supplement the ‘postcard’:
I’m cheating a bit as we got home from Tirana a few hours ago, but as I started this post while there I’ll include it in my ‘Postcards from the Road’ series
41 Comments
Mari Nicholson
Having read your comments above, I too, am impressed by your organization while on holiday. I’m not that organized even when I’m at home and in my office! Loved all your brilliant photos, and just loved the hats. Unlike you, I’d have had to buy one – and a scarf probably – and then thrown them away a few months later when I realised how foolish I was! I’ve only kept a few souvenirs from years of travelling but they are tied up with personal memories. Look forward to reading a lot more about Albania.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Mari 🙂 I’m not always this organised while away, but we were renting an apartment and had some downtime so I used it to create this post. As to shopping, I’m much more likely to buy a scarf than a hat and I have quite a few from different trips!
Brendan
What is the location and or name of this flea market? Google maps shows nothing
Sarah Wilkie
Hi Brendan 🙂 We came across this purely by chance! It lies a little east of Skanderbeg Square, between Rruga Luigj Gurakuqi and Rruga Qemal Stafa. If you walk along the former, past the clock tower, and turn left at the roundabout you should find it. Try zooming in on Google maps in that area with the satellite setting on and you’ll see the red roof of the market. This link should get you there: https://goo.gl/maps/xU258QGzP3PmhLuz8?coh=178573&entry=tt
wetanddustyroads
A hodgepodge of different stuff … and looks like hats are quite popular!
Sarah Wilkie
You’re right about those hats! We saw a few tourists trying them on and a couple bought some, but they didn’t appeal to us other than as photographic subjects 😀
Leya
Flea markets – great idea for still lifes! Love them all, especially the first one.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ann-Christine – this was a great market for spotting odd arrangements of objects!
Perpetua
Yes! Flea Market is a good place to that taking photos of oddities. Will Google this place.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 Yes, do check out Tirana – it’s an interesting city to explore.
Wind Kisses
What a great wander through the flea market. It is always so interesting to see what ares people sell AND are popular in other parts of the world. All the hats were a fun find. Welcome home .
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Donna 😊 It would be interesting perhaps to fish out all my flea market photos from different places and post them together for comparison. Not that I have loads, but there would be a few different locations. I feel a mini-project coming on …
Wind Kisses
Hahaha. Funny how that happens. I had to put my computer away today. Too many side projects after our last trip.
pattimoed
I love these eclectic collections–perfect for still life. How terrific that the timing for the challenge came just as you were getting home. The hat collections in your images are quirky and wonderful. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, it really was perfect timing Patti 😀 I can’t always join in challenges when travelling as I don’t have access to my archives but this one was just right!
leightontravels
I never miss a visit to a flea market, as overwhelming as such places can sometimes be (for me anyway). I find them to be authentic windows into the history and culture of a place. This one seems full of treasures and wonderful photography opportunities.
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, you’re right – so much to learn about a country from what its people discard and then recirculate!
Mike and Kellye Hefner
I also love a good flea market, Sarah. I usually don’t buy, but I like to look. Nice shots of such a fun place!
Sarah Wilkie
I only very occasionally buy anything Kellye (I didn’t here) but I love to look and to photograph 🙂
restlessjo
Some quirky images, Sarah, and yes, ideal for this challenge. Unlike mine 🤗💖 But it’s all about having fun. Good trip?
Sarah Wilkie
Definitely all about having fun! Yes, a good trip, as no doubt you’ll see in future posts. I hope to take you on a walk through Tirana one Monday (or Tuesday or Wednesday …) soon!
restlessjo
🤣💗
grandmisadventures
I always love the random mismatch of things you find at a flea market- a little food, some trinkets, some nods to the past- it’s a cultural lesson all its own 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I like the idea of a flea market as a cultural lesson – and a history one too, I would suggest?
Tina Schell
My favorite thing about visiting these kinds of places while traveling Sarah is that photography opportunities are everywhere and you come home with mementos that cost nothing and don’t take up any room in the house LOL. Your images are terrific as they give us a true sense of place. I too really liked the format you used in this one – looks great! Perfect opportunity for the challenge.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tina 🙂 I agree, photos make the best mementos! I’m glad you liked my format too – it’s one I set up to use for these postcard posts after reading some tips from Hugh about using different blocks.
sheetalbravon
The only thing that I connect with Albania is Mother Teresa so it was lovely to see a flea market and learn a new name, Enver Hoxha. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
There are images of Mother Teresa everywhere and a lovely statue outside the Catholic cathedral which I’ll share in due course. Enver Hoxha is her polar opposite, a ruthless dictator responsible for thousands of executions of anyone he considered an enemy of the state. I’ll also post more about him one day soon.
sheetalbravon
I googled but I look forward to reading it on your blog. You make it more interesting. 😊
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 😊
Aletta - nowathome
It is a colourful market and no wonder you wanted to explore what they had on offer. I love flea markets .
Sarah Wilkie
Yes, it was full of colour 🙂 I love any market when travelling, there are always lots of photo opps!
Aletta - nowathome
😊
Ju-Lyn
I love these postcards of yours! Welcome home!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ju-Lyn – they’re a fun way of staying in touch with my blogging friends while travelling!
Ju-Lyn
I marvel at your ability to keep in touch in this space when travelling. I will remember postcards as such a tool whenever I do start travelling again 🥰
Sue
Looks like you had a most interesting time in Albania, Sarah
Sarah Wilkie
It was a great few days and I have material for more posts for sure!
margaret21
You blog on your travels? I can only manage the odd postcard! Hope you had a good time and didn’t spend too much at that flea market;)
Sarah Wilkie
I have this format set up from past posts so can copy it into a new draft and quickly add a single photo and some text, as I did with my first p/c from Tirana, the Enver Hoxha house. Because I only partly wrote this one while away, when I came to finish and post yesterday evening I had the idea to upload a few more photos into a gallery to make it a stronger LAC response, but no, I wouldn’t normally do that!
And no, I didn’t spend anything there, just took a load of photos!
margaret21
What organisation! I’m impressed!