Buljarica – Lezhë

22nd day

Today's stop was recommended to us by Marco, the owner of the house in Montenegro where we stayed the other day. Mrizi and Zanave (The Fairies' Hideout) is a farm/hotel/restaurant owned by two brothers who at one point went to Italy to learn cooking and everything related to the hospitality business. Upon returning to their country, they opened a restaurant on the family farm so that all the products

consumed come from their own pantry. They strictly adhere to the concept of “from farm to table.” The name comes from a book of poems written by a famous writer and Catholic priest who was considered for years the national poet of Albania. The food is mainly traditional from the country, and they do not serve canned soft drinks; all their beverages are fresh juices made practically on the spot. They have goats, sheep, calves, geese, and wine, and they produce their own cheese. Currently, they provide jobs

to four hundred families in the area who act as suppliers or work directly in the complex. There is also a simple hotel and several cabins for rent. They also offer the opportunity to park your motorhome and plug it in at a part of the premises, completely free of charge. In the end, it’s free for us because no one leaves without taking some of the products they sell… they are delicious. The place is very well-known, and people even come from Tirana to spend the day with their children, who are entertained by the animals and swings or a little train made of barrels that takes them around the premises. It’s definitely well done; you can see a huge business vision in what they have

created in just fifteen years. Upon arrival, we approached the restaurant to make a reservation for dinner, and we booked it for 6:00 PM. The maître d' gave us the instructions

to visit the property and show us the cellars and the area where cheese and cured meats are produced. Then we took a walk to see the animals, the vineyard, and the rose plantations to produce water with their petals that serve as a welcome drink. For dinner, we dressed up a bit, and before entering the restaurant, we had a tasting of the house wine at the bar. The gastronomic proposal is supported by the production of the farm and others around it, so the menu varies according to the season. Luckily, we were able to try everything because they have a tasting menu of starters where they serve you a piece of each (dried tomatoes, flower of

fried zucchini, roasted vegetables, olives, cured ham…). The pasta they have is “jufka,” a traditional Albanian dish that they served us with mushrooms. For the main course, T ordered goat, which was pure butter, and I had beef… That was the only dish we didn’t like too much; the meat was overcooked, although it was accompanied by the typical sour cream from these countries that I love. As for the rest, it was a pleasure for the senses.

Dessert is not their specialty; the cheesecake barely had any flavor, which we find quite curious considering they have such delicious cheeses. Time flew by, and when we left the restaurant, it was dark. The views of the illuminated vineyards under that starry sky were spectacular. We walked back home without lingering too much because it gets quite cold here when the sun goes down. We still have both comforters. We took one off for a while, but in the end, we put it back on. Good night… I’ll keep you updated