Some days you make a small mistake and it spirals. I went to an ATM intending to pull 7,500 Lek — about €72. I misread the screen and hit 75,000 Lek instead — ten times what I needed. Day 10 became an unplanned odyssey through currency exchanges, Orthodox cathedrals, spa recovery, and a Kosovo sausage that made the whole thing feel like a good decision in disguise.

🧭 Wander — The ATM Blunder

I intended to pull 7,500 Lek but I misread the numbers on the ATM options and hit 75,000 Lek.

That’s roughly €718. For ten remaining days in Tirana. I stared at the receipt. The machine had no “undo” button, no refund slot — just the smug whir of a cash dispenser that had executed my stupid instruction with perfect mechanical obedience. I now had a brick of Albanian currency I did not need, and the dread of exchange houses — those fluorescent-lit dens of predatory spreads — loomed in my morning.

🧭 Wander — Iliria’98 and the Fair Exchange

This morning I went to a dreaded exchange house expecting to be ripped off on the rate to convert most of the currency back to euros. The place was called Iliria’98 Tirana, and they have several storefronts across the city. To my genuine surprise, I got a fair value for my stupid mistake. No hidden fees, no “special tourist rate,” no sleight of hand with the calculator. Just a straightforward exchange at a rate close enough to the mid-market that I walked out feeling relieved instead of robbed.

If you ever find yourself in Tirana with too many Lek and too much self-directed frustration, Iliria’98 is the answer. A rare thing: an exchange house that doesn’t treat your mistake as their opportunity.

🙏 Sanctuary — Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection

Around the corner from the money changers stood a newly built Orthodox church: the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Katedralja Ngjallja e Krishtit). It’s one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the Balkans, completed in June 2012 and consecrated on 1 June 2014 — a surprisingly young building for a faith with two millennia of history.

Designed by Greek-American architect Steven P. Papadatos, the cathedral is a modern interpretation of Byzantine architecture — a large central dome, a bell tower, white stone and warm interior light. The frescoes are impressive, covering vast wall surfaces with the standard Orthodox iconographic canon: Christ Pantocrator in the dome, the Theotokos, saints and apostles in procession. The iconostasis — the gilded screen separating the nave from the sanctuary — is elaborate and traditional, with icons painted in the classic Byzantine style.

The consecration ceremony itself was an extraordinary gathering: Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople presided, joined by the Patriarchs of Romania, Jerusalem, and Serbia, the Archbishops of Cyprus, Athens, and Albania, plus representatives from Alexandria, Antioch, Russia, Georgia, and Bulgaria. A roll call of Eastern Christianity descending on Tirana to bless a building that had been unimaginable during the communist years, when Albania declared itself the world’s first atheist state.

To the right of the marble staircase, a bookstore and church shop. To the left, rooms where youth groups gather after services. Out front, a small amphitheatre for summer events. It’s not just a cathedral — it’s a community complex, built for a church rebuilding itself after decades of suppression.

✋ Unwind — Lotus Spa

After the church, I headed to a much-needed massage at Lotus Spa, one of the nicest spas in Tirana and conveniently near my apartment. The kind of place where the air smells of essential oils before you even open the door. I left rejuvenated and refreshed — the ATM blunder slowly fading into the rearview mirror, replaced by loosened muscles and a general sense that the day was improving.

👅 Palate — Tymi and the Kosovo Sausage

Hunger arrived after the spa, so I headed to a recommended restaurant called Tymi. I ordered the Kosovo sausage just to try it — a curiosity order, the kind where you shrug and say “why not” — and it ended up being one of the best grilled meats I’ve had in Tirana.

It was peppery and spicy but not overpowering. I have not had anything quite like it.

The total cost for the sausage, fries, and a Sprite: 800 Lek (about €7.65). Kosovo sausage. That’s going on the list of things I didn’t know existed and now can’t stop thinking about.

✋ Unwind — Last Groceries

After Tymi, I bought what I hope will be my last groceries in Tirana: deli meat, cheese, bacon, a six-pack of Coca-Cola, some instant coffee, and flour wraps to make breakfast tacos. €28. Ten days left. The kitchen is stocked. The ATM mistake is behind me. Tomorrow will likely be a rest day — and for once, I mean it.

By the Numbers

Item	Amount (EUR)
ATM withdrawal — 75,000 ALL (intended 7,500)	€718.00
Iliria’98 — ALL → EUR conversion (most returned)	—
Lotud Spa — massage (5,300 ALL)	€50.72
Tymi — Kosovo sausage, fries, Sprite (800 ALL)	€7.65
Final grocery run — deli, cheese, bacon, wraps (€28)	€28.00
Day Total	€86.37

I misread an ATM by a factor of ten, found an honest exchange house, stood in a cathedral consecrated by the patriarchs of half of Eastern Christianity, got a massage, and ate a Kosovo sausage I may dream about. Some mistakes are expensive. This one came with a cathedral, a spa, and grilled meat that made the whole detour feel almost deliberate. Tomorrow: rest. For real this time.