Our Peace Run today begins at the Grand Park of Tirana.
Parichayaka from Austria leads our international team through Mother Teresa Square.
The team run up the Pyramid of Tirana, a unique structure, that used to be a museum.
This urban 'mountain' offers great views of the city.
Outside the nearby Cathedral there is a statue of Mother Teresa, who held the Peace Torch in Rome in 1996.
Eniko from Romania leads the team across the city.
On the way we meet many warm, friendly and curious citizens who want to hold the torch and hear all about the Peace Run.
Ankurika leads the team towards the foot of Mount Dajti.
After 7km of road running through the city we come to a steep pathknown as the Pioneer's Trail. And the climb begins!
It is a steep 6km run up the trail, with an ascent of 850m.
Finally we reach the high section of the trail, where we can see all Tirana laid out before us.
Roni from Brazil leads the team as we reach the top of the climb.
Today we are welcoming the Dajti Ekspres into the Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom program.
The Dajti Ekspres is Albania's most popular tourist attraction. Their motto is “Where earth meets the sky!”, and the natural beauty of their idyllic location at the outskirts of Tirana on Mount Dajti inspires each and every visitor.
The Dajti Ekspres is a cable car that brings visitors to the top of Mount Dajti.
Marketing Manager Ms. Isida Lila is the perfect representative of this beautiful location with her boundless kindness and care. She made all the arrangements for the event and spoke beautifully about her love of peace and her happiness to be part of our Peace-Blossom family.
The Dajti Ekspres is the second Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom in Albania, following the nation itself dedicated on August 21st, 2000 by the Minister of Tourism. The beautiful plaque at the Dajti Expres states: “The Dajti Ekspres joins with over 700 natural wonders and man-made structures around the world which are part of the global family of Peace-Blossoms. The Dajti Ekspres is the longest cableway in the Balkans, with breathtaking city views and a wide range of outdoor activities. Sri Chinmoy dedicated his life to fostering peace through sports, culture and shared silence amongst people of all nationalities and faiths.”
