The Infamous Albanian Labor Camp for Political Prisoners

Spac (pronounced Spach) is located in a remote part of Albania's mountainous terrain. For 23 years (1968 to 1991), between  100,000 to 250,000 Albanians endured political imprisonment as  political enemies of the State. Spac was the most notorious where many were sent to do hard labor in the copper mines. Some of the people were convicted of real crimes but for many others their crime was undermining the strict loyalty to the Dictator and his doctrines or simply being from a family that the dictator didn't trust. These political prisoners ended up with an average sentences of 7-15 years.

You can see the copper mines above the prison

Spac was not the only "work camp" during Hoxha's dictatorship but it was the biggest. Those who showed "good" behavior got to stay in the "upgraded" cells with a tv and living room. The others slept 50 in a tiny room.

This is the accommodation for those ratting on their fellow prisoners and demonstrating enthusiastic loyalty to the dictator's commands

Families that came to visit, bringing home cooked meals, spent most of day getting to the prison. There used to be a hut where this bench is and together they could eat and chat. If they arrived past a certain time, they must wait until the next day. Where to sleep as there are no towns or services nearby? Guards would offer their quarters but once accepted, mothers and wives of the prisoners were split up and you can imagine what atrocities they endured.

Remnants of the jackets the men wore who were forced to work in the copper mines above the prison and below, some of the drawings on the walls that prisoners left behind.

Signs (which were the Dictator's propaganda about guarding against the enemy) stated Albania would remain united and strong in the socialist and economic principles he espoused. When the regime fell, many of the people in the area who had been guards at the prison, tried to paint over or pull down these slogans to cover up their part in the atrocities. The dictator's name is Envor Hoxha which you can see at the bottom of this sign.

This is a shot of an interrogating room looking out at the guards quarters. Irony is that the architect that designed this prison was later a prisoner himself for "subversive activities".

Lastly our guide (who is a Shepard and bee keeper) lives down the hill from the prison and is passionate about preserving what is left of Spac. He hopes that the Albanian government will turn this into a museum so no one forgets the 23 years of injustice that went on here.

We, in the true spirit of Albanian hospitality had to meet his parents and be offered a shot glass of "raki".

The Land "Down Under", Australia

The 4 Ferries Clavelles (Peter and I from Albania and sons Luke and Will from the US) traveled to Australia for the holidays. Our daughter, Jae, is living there this year. It seemed like a good excuse to go visit. One has to be impressed by how big this earth is. Many plane flights and time zone changes!

 I had an image of Australians being a bit rough around the edges, lots of beer consumed and a live and let live attitude. We were only in the two major cities, Melbourne and Sydney with a few days on the seacoast but that image was not accurate.

First, it is a melting pot of cultures, newly arrived. Particularly Asians were in abundance.

Second, there are rules for everything. From traffic rules to liquor rules to gun rules to employer rules. For example, a fair number of restaurants were closed for 2 weeks over the holidays because they would have had to pay their employees double and triple overtime. As it is the minimum salary is around $25/hr.

The two cities were cosmopolitan, clean, bustling and plenty of construction going on.

Architecture is mostly from 1920s and 1930s and beyond

Train Station

This apparently is deconstruction architecture amid the other buildings.

Check out the sign on this church in the heart of Melbourne...Nice!

These photos are of the Royal Queen Victoria Train Station, now a snazzy shopping mall with ballroom on the top floor.

The world famous Sydney Opera House

Plenty of rod iron work on the houses from the 1920s and 30s.

This is the landmark Harbour Bridge in Darling Harbour. For $350 you can walk across the very top harnessed to the bridge!

Sydney Harbour as the sun goes down (British spelling)

Amazing vista we had on New Year's Eve for the fireworks over the Harbour Bridge. 

         Go to You Tube to see the enormity of the Sydney firework display.

This is hard to capture but this area of town is called "The Rocks". It was the slums of the city with no sewage system and tiny houses built into the rock walls in the 18th century. Many of the first white inhabitants were convicts that the British sent over in ships.          

The city, instead of selling the now precious land to develop high rises, made it into a park. The artist put over sized metal touches to highlight the tiny spaces people lived in.

Beer, Fancy Drinks and Food

The Prickly Moses is an almost extinct animal. One brewery is selling their beer named for the animal and donating some of the proceeds to protect that  endangered specie.

Fancy drinks for not so fancy family!

These were dumplings at a wonderful Chinese restaurant, done up in colors for the holidays

Above are chips, not potato chips.  Below is tomato sauce, not ketchup. 

We ate kangaroo burgers. Not bad.

Driving along the Great Ocean Road, west of Melbourne

This area is called the 12 Apostles although I think 2 "Apostles" have been eroded away. Still amazing.

Equally as grand were the rain forest walks near to the coast. The bird life was awesome with a multitude of sounds and  colors but hard to catch on camera.

We stayed in a B&B on the coast and this was our walk before our swim on Christmas Day.

The volcanic rock along the shore is art work in and of itself.

Very unfortunately a brush fire started by lightening was whipped up by strong warm Christmas morning winds, evacuating many to the town we were in and destroying 140 homes.

Public beaches filled with holiday crowds and below the coast between the beaches.

Activities

Excellent bike paths through Melbourne and along the bay

The sum total of our Christmas decorations

We saw many public lawn bowling courts. (Below)

Above is a tiny putting green that the B&B we stayed in had which  entertained the boys.

The "kids" took us to high tea at the Queen Victoria Ballroom. You ask where is the tea..It's coming!

Great day touring some of Australia's vineyards. Lots of Shiraz and Semillion

We didn't do much shopping but walking the commercial area of town we saw this summer ad for Christmas.

This was a tourist event, depicting the Aborigine and his musical instrument. We visited the National Gallery in Sydney and really got an education in how terribly the first colonists treated the indigenous people. Reminds you of another country? 

Both cities had a definite multicultural feel. Particularly a very large Asian population.

We didn't do this activity but it struck my funny bone. Very clean dog wash machine next to a gas station.

Finally, the wildlife of Australia. This is a very small sample.

Kangaroos in a field by the side of the road

These pesky flies were in abundance around Melbourne as it has been very dry and the flies have come to the coast for water.

This is a Wallaby with a baby "Joey" in its pouch but very hard to see.

These Koala Bears sleep most of the day. They wake up for 10 minutes, eat eucalyptus leaves and then snooze again.

     Peter thinks retirement may be like this!

Finally the Penguin Parade. At dusk hundreds of penguins come ashore after a day of fishing. They are fearful of being attacked by bigger birds, being only a foot or so in height. Groups of 20 or so waddle out of the water together. The penguins at the back acting scared, hesitating and then running back in the water, while the ones in the lead patiently waiting for them to get the courage to follow. They waddle together to their borrows, some as far away as 2 kilometers from the sea.

From the Land of Oz, our family and particularly Peter and Betsy wish you a Happy 2016!