Albania : A narrative of recent travel

Stuck in his London chambers one autumn afternoon, a restless lawyer is nudged onto an unexpected adventure when a clerk delivers a note from three artist friends planning a sketching tour of Albania. With only Byron’s romantic verses and a handful of vague travelogues for guidance, he accepts the invitation, eager to trade courtroom drafts for mountain vistas and colorful local dress. The narrative unfolds as the quartet – the lawyer, two painters and an inventive companion – assemble a motley kit of rifles, a sprawling “White Elephant” tent, and a collection of curious gadgets, all meant to brave the untamed highlands of ancient Illyria.

Listeners are invited to share the early stages of this 1880s expedition, from the bustling ports of Venice and Trieste to the first tentative steps into Montenegro’s rugged terrain. The author’s witty observations and the vivid illustrations promise a fresh portrait of a land that was then little known to Western travelers, while offering practical hints for anyone dreaming of following in their footprints.