I came to Valbona from the Hurly Burly world of NYC.  And since so many of you ask, I will tell you here that a BIG part of why I chose Valbona as my straight-arrow, unwaivering destination in 2009 — despite numerous wailings of well-meaning advisors, including even Albanians like my lovely Durres taxi driver Kujtim who frankly begged me not to visit Tropoja — was because of how it was described in the Bradt Guide.  When I eventually met Gillian Gloyer, the author of said guide and told her this, she said cheerfully “Really?  I thought I described it as ‘a depressing backwater!'”  EXACTLY I responded briskly.  Well, that was several editions ago, and not exactly at all.  She described a world full of a whole lot of nothing:  No shops, no center, no fences:  No noise.  Small farmhouses, unlimited space, bread and cheese and whatever given happily if you dropped by.  Mountains.  Space to wander as much as you want.

So there isn’t really much to say under this heading, except that mercifully not much has changed, and Valbona is still a great place to Do Nothing.