Sweet Tirana

Tirana!

19th and 20th of October, Tirana and Elbasan

I enjoyed Albania. Just posting a few sloppy photos - I have many more but no time to post creatively. Albania is interesting and underrated. Visit - you will really enjoy.

(In Tirana stay at the Antigone Hotel)

John Belushi was Albanian - sweet Albania remember him...

At the National Historic Museum, Tirana.

At the National Historic Museum, Tirana.

At the National Historic Museum, Tirana.

At the National Historic Museum, Tirana.

At the National Historic Museum, Tirana.

Radek Sanda and Vasso at the National Historic Museum, Tirana.

Food is like Greece, but costs much cheaper.

Vasso shoots and posts on instagram.

Everywhere you go, people speak Greek, and many nice acquaintances are easily made. 

Tirana!

Tirana!

Tirana!

Tirana! bilingual Albanian - Greek!!! (Never seen anything like this in any Balkan country).

In Tirana we met this Italian couple with their black parrot...really weird. 

Tirana!

Tirana!

Tirana! Colourful: mix of religions.

ELBASAN - THE CONFERENCE

International Conference on Sustainable Water Resources Management - Alblakes 3 

Here... I'm trying to explain that my name has some kind of Albanian root (Zog = Bird). So why I am talking about fish?

Apostolos Apostolou: One of the best Ichthyologists in Bulgaria. Representing Bulgaria (but he's Greek, from Volos). 

Ermelinda Gjeta, Albanian botanist: Discusses floral records from a National Park. 

Sukru Dursan from Turkey. I told him how much I like "Giaour Ismir".

I was very happy to meet Professor Jonathan Titus from SUNY, New York.  

Albanian macrozoobenthos expert, Bledar Pepa. 

Elbasan Fortress with Radek, Vasso and Erica.

Devoll River and a dam near Gramsh Albania

October 22nd 2017. Post conference field trip

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramsh


Field trip after the conference in Elbasan (Central Albania). Lots of Kosovar beer, raki, fine red wine. Ok.

Posting some snap-shots now, with good company, including the best ichthyologists and hydrobologists and nicest uni students in town. What a relief to be away in such an exotic country. The only country in the world where people will speak Greek back to you. And the hospitality is as good - or better- as Turkey...I am coming back to search for my relatives-ancestors maybe of the Zog family (the royal family) up in the north.

Thank you to all my wonderful colleagues and friends from University of Elbasan "Aleksander Xhuvani" and the Agricultural University of Tirana.

Beer from Kosovo. 

Gramsh.

Alluvial filtration in the braided river up/stream of Gramsh. Devoll River (The fish Oxynoemacheilus pindus is common here).

Devoll River upstream of Gramsh.

Italian professor Genuario Belmonte from Lecce, Jonathan Titus from New York, Sotir Mali from Elbasan, Dean of Biology Dept. Elbasan University. 

Professor Sotir Mali, one of the nicest people in Albania.

Gramsh.

Squalius platyceps (some kind of chub) in the Devoll reservoir (I'm serious).

Devoll reservoir (look at the amazing new roads in Albania!!!).

Me and my Constantinople girl. 

My best friend in Albania, Ichthyologist Prof. Spase Shumka from Tirana.

Thistles in the Autumn sun in Albania.

Chicken and Turkeys at the pazar on the outskirts of Elbasan. 

A wild Geranium (or Erodium) in Albania.

Echium italicum (i think) near the Devoll Reservoir downstream of Gramsh.

The new Dam.

Huge quantities of silt in the river bed at the head of the Devoll reservoir. Silt concentrates here due to the base level change caused by the new reservoir.

Upstream of Gramsh.

The silt. Oh the silt. Silt...Oh...

Lots of Arundo donax in Albania (foreground).

Huge new lake. The new Dam. We discussed the impacts. 

I liked Gramsh. Gramsh...

The river upstream of the industrial area of Elbasan (12 species of fish here). 

Streams of Mount Ochi Expedition 2017 (Part 1)

Agios Dimitrios river (Porphyras river) in the Gorge.

August 19th and 20th. Karystos, Evia.

The Mount Ochi Area is a protected Natura 2000 site about 60 Km due east of Athens on the island of Euboea (Evia). This area is not a protected area just out of conicidence, or any other reason, it combines landmark wonders and spectacular nature. The scenery, diversity and uniqueness is unparraleld. I can say this for several reasons: a) I have travelled around the Aegean for many years, and b) I hold this place very close to my heart, some of my ancestors lived there. 

Here I share just a selection of photos from our recent HCMR expedition to Southern Euboea (Evia) - the first trip (two days) of two expeditions. Four of us had a wonderful time working in the rivers and streams - sampling fishes, zoobenthic invertebrates, vegetation and landscape conditiosn.

We thank the local NGO ΣΠΕΝΚ (Society for the protection of Nature in Karystos) for supporting our expedition.

See http://www.ochi.gr/

In 2007 we did something similar and are eager to compare the waters 10 years later; and the changes. See our old summery report here:

Preliminary_Surface_Waters_and_Environmental_Survey_in_the_Mount_Ochi_Area_Euboea_Greece_Summary_Field_Report_2007

Schinodavilia Beach, Agios Dimitrios Gorge.

Sample of benthic water invertebrates collected a the  Agios Dimitrios Gorge site (Photo by Anastasia Lampou).

Schinodavilia Beach, Agios Dimitrios Gorge.

At LenoseiVillage in the Dimosaris Gorge.

Site above the Bridge at Dimosaris River, below Kallianou viallage (at the Hippy Camp).

Kostas Aristeidou's underwater photos of River Blennies at Dimosaris river (from last year). 

Kostas Aristeidou's underwater photos of River Blennies at Dimosaris river (from last year). 

Our River blennies from the Hippy Camp site - at the Dimosaris River.

Kallianou Beach, Dimosaris river. 

Talking with the locals at the Dimosaris river mouth (Photo by Anasatasia Lampou).

Komito river at Dipotama in the Cavo D'Oro. Site had Otter (Lutra lutra) in 2007 and again this year!!! Also many river blennies, eels, grey mullets. 

Thicklip Grey Mullet Chelon Labrosus

Dice Snake Natrix tesselata. First record for the area - I had neglected the species (found at Agios Dimitrios, Dimosaris, Komito). 

Komito river at Dipotama in the Cavo D'Oro. 

Seine fishing at the Komito River mouth at Dipotama (Photo by Anastasia Lampou).

Platanistis river at Potami. 

Platanistis river at Potami. 

Thicklip Grey Mullet Chelon Labrosus

River blenny - male from Platanistos River.

River blenny - female from Platanistos River.

Lala river, near river-mouth with Mount Ochi towering above Karystos.

Lala river, near river-mouth. 

Lala river, river-mouth and Karystos Bay. Lots of otter sign here (!!) 

Finally also thanks to my Friend Kostas Aristeidou (Cyprus) for use of his photos of the underwater photos of river blennies from the Dimosaris river.