May 16 - continued

From Tirana we headed up a pass and down to Elbasan. The view from the top was beautiful; a patchwork of fields, shaped to fit the topography. There were lots of little fruit stands along the way down selling cherries in beautifully braided bundles. The occasional sheep or goat herd on the road.
From Elbasan we followed the valley up towards the Macedonian border towards Ohrid. A strong head wind did not support our efforts. When a rain storm hit we took shelter at a gas station. When it eased off we continued on, eager to find a safe camping spot and to rest after the long day. When the rain got stronger we happened to just pass a nice looking restaurant next to the river. We tucked under the awning to avoid getting more wet. The waiter spoke very good English and invited us inside, assuring us that we were not required to buy anything. When the rain stopped we got back on the road but instead of riding off decided to go back over to the restaurant, get some nice dinner and ask for permission to sleep on the patio. So tired.
It was a very quiet evening at the restaurant and the anxious waiter and bored chef were delighted to have something to do ( we were the only guests). It was a bit strange being the only ones there because it felt like having two personal servants. They were super nice and the food delicious. Rudi, the waiter, seized the opportunity to practice his English, told us numerous stories and when asked a question he would reply in the most thorough manner to ensure our question was fully and completely answered with no detail missed and important points repeated with lots of emphasis. Good times!

We were offered the table and chair storage room to sleep in. (Cute stone hut in picture) That way we would not only have a roof over our heads but be protected from the wind. As we got in a shaggy looking dog  shot out of the door. Rudi said that it was one of the three restaurant dogs, infact, the female which had given birth to two puppies a short while ago. He was not sure where the puppies were.

We checked under the chairs for more sleeping dogs and when none were spotted we moved into the hut with bikes and all and got to preparing our beds among the tables and chairs. Suddenly a puppy appeared from under the chairs and then we noticed the second one curled up on a blanket way under the chairs. Not sure what to do about our little room mates we called Rudi who caught them for us. We felt bad for banning the little cuties from their den but it was not cold that evening and we made them a nest with a blanket outside. Any more surprises under these tables and chairs? Thankfully no.

THANKS RUDI AND CHEF FOR THE GREAT EVENING AND THE SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP!