The grandest buildings are the former Communist structures and museums that stood as monuments to Hoxha. Churches were converted to gyms or government buildings under communism. Some are being restored from decay and falling rubble. In stark contrast, the typical Albanian lives in dilapidated apartments. Churches, closed down in 1967, operate again, chunks of the outer walls crumbling away, and faint streaks and smudges the only remnants of beautiful paintings that were scraped from the arched ceilings during Communist rule.
Telephones are a rarity.
Water runs for only a few hours each day. Hospitals report shortages of crucial supplies such as syringes and bandages. Automobiles, once illegal, now compete with horse-drawn wagons on the rugged streets. Albanians were once told they were one of the most advanced countries in the world. But many Albanians seem content and hopeful despite the conditions.