Struga makes leaving easy: the lake in the morning air, mountains on the edge, a brief hint of coolness. Then the road climbs towards the border. Albania does not begin with drama, but with a new texture: different roads, different sounds, different energy. Beyond Qafë Thanë, Lake Ohrid opens up once more before the route rolls towards Pogradec and further inland. It stays hot, but the moving air helps. Maliq is a simple stop. Not a postcard finish, more a quiet promise: Albania will be interesting.
