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Mala plaza or Plazhi i Vog‘l

Woooh ! Here they are (enlarge the photo, please) ! This is why there was nobody in the old city : they were all on the beach. When I mean all, I mean all ! Mala plaža in Serbian or Plazhi i Vog‘l in Albanian mean "small beach", though it is about 800m wide. The Small Beach and its bay lie between the points of Punta e Nuradinit (Punta Nuradinit) and Suka (Cap Ratislava). Let us have a closer look !

Renovated palace ?

This imposing group of building has been renovated and looks really great. It seems that it is now hosting several private apartments with a great view towards the bay and the open sea. I have no clue yet of what it was and the history of the building.

The Balsič or Balshaj tower (Kulla e Balshajve, in Albanian) was built when the Albanian feudal family of Balshaj won Venice and took over control of the town. The Balsic tower as been renovated for an art gallery. This building could be the Balsič tower, but I am not sure.

Cross road to the old city

This photo shows Ulaz 26 Novembar (26 November street), the street (from right to left) that goes from the newest part of the city to the city beach, Mala Plaža (small beach), in a narrow valley. In the background, Stari Grad (the old city) and Pasha mosque. The street that starts slantwise leads to the inland entrance into the old city.

Tracks of living humans !

In another alley, there is undoubtedly tracks of living humans ! Freshly hung washing clearly shows that we are not completely alone on this stony and sunny promontory ! We keep looking for human presence. And for beer !

Outside of the seaward city gate.

When the seaward city gate is seen from the outside, what is striking is that it is obviously designed only for pedestrians. That means that when it was used as a defense wall, carriages and even horse could get inside only by the inland city gate and, thus could be controlled all the way round. Unwanted visitors could certainly not come in !

The seaward city gate seen from the old city.

The seaward city gate is very close to the sea. When you walk down from the calm and peaceful Stari Grad, it is amazing how suddenly it is busy with people coming up from the crowded beach, may be to look for some calm !

Tunnel to the sea gate.

When you are walking down from the top of the old city, you will at one moment reach the lower city wall and see a kind of bend tunnel (it will not allow canon bullets to reach the city) that leads to the seaward gate.

Close up on Mala plaza.

I feel I have never seen so many parasols on a beach and set so tight; I guess that if some one wants to see the sun and tan, that will not be possible. That makes me think of those shows where a lot of dominos have been arranged so that when you push one, all of them fall down ! Would that happen if one of the parasols fell ? Or what would happen if there was unexpectedly a force 8 gale !

Cars !

There must be living humans in this city, look at the cars ! We have not seen anybody for a while but these cars on the quay mean that we should soon see human beings. This photo was taken from mid height of the old city.

Carving

On each side, two standing lions looking backwards, holding a shield with a lion looking backwards and two doves. In the middle of the zoo, a circle with in the middle three letters that seem to be OHS (initials of the owner ?). Around the circle, the carving says :
NEMO PROFETA ACEPTUS EST IN PATRIA SUA.
This is a Latin sentence that says "nobody is a prophet in his own country". I suppose this guy became wealthy and recognized abroad but was not welcomed when he came back home ?
BTW, in Latin, it should be "propheta" and "acceptus".