Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast. It's Thursday the 10th of September.

And if you can hear some waves breaking in the background where you're absolutely right,

because I am here in beautiful Albania on the Adriatic coast, in the town, the city of Durez,

which I think is probably the most historic place in the entire

country i flew out here well i got a flight for 15 pounds i then came across to the very nice hotel

zanzi i particularly like the zanzi bar you You can see what I'm doing there.

But it's a joy to be back here.

Somewhere I've been travelling to since the 1980s, which is when my guest was, would you believe, a student revolutionary?

Yes, she is Ariana Isakou, and she is now the leading guide in Dures. And Ariana, first of all, you're very welcome.

Tell us what it was like being brought up in the era of Enva Hodra, the dictator.

First of all, thank you very much for your interview and welcome to Duras. During communism era it was a challenge to be, to live during that period.

But during 1991 I was a student, one and I joined in the revolution against the system.

It was a really hard period for us.

I remember during, after 1980s, it was still 1990s.

It was a very difficult period as Albania remained completely closed and isolated.

And it was really cries.

It was not easy for Albanians to find in the shops the most chary things.

And so even getting the basics of life like milk, that was difficult.

Yes, so I remember very well that period that our parents, they got up early in the morning

at 4 o'clock in a very long queue to have a kilo of milk per day.

So sometimes when they arrive in the shop,

they have been told that no milk today finished.

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