Albania – Bosnia – Croatia – Montenegro – Serbia – Slovenia.
Perhaps of the six, Albania has always been the most intriguing. Although it has opened up in recent years, when we were first approached by a customer in Kuwait, to move an asphalt plant from the UK to Tirana, even we “scratched our head”.
Thanks to our associate in Italy, we discovered that there was a weekly ferry from Venice to Durres. Just one complication, unlike most ferries (loading through either the bow or stern doors), this one had a cut out door in the side, perfect for cars, not so perfect for trailers. However, after a careful inspection, we came to the conclusion that we could “just about” get everything on board.This was put to the test a few weeks later – eventually everything arriving safely in Tirana.
Going back further in time, there were the tyre making machines to Pirot, in what is now Serbia. We were warned that the final thirty kilometres would be difficult – we were not told that there wasn’t a road, remember that this was in the days before Google maps. In any event, we arrived at the prescribed rendezvous point, only to find a bulldozer and grader, ready to clear a path across fields and orchards!
This proved to be invaluable experience for when we started to go further afield in.e. the Middle East and Russia.
