Instructor shares tales from her trip to Balkan Peninsula

Dr. Pamela J. Francis’s interest in Albania originated with the research project of one of her professors at Loyola University. As a graduate assistant, Francis proofread his book on the religious legacy of communism on the Balkan nations.

“The chapter that most interested me was the one on Albania,” said Francis, an associate lecturer of English at LSMSA. “In the years following that experience, I pursued Balkan interests, even considering writing my dissertation on Balkan literature.”

In the decade following a short visit to Albania in 2004, Francis read a number of travelogues. Her study of Lawrence Durrell introduced her to Edward Lear, an eccentric mid-19th century English painter and writer who spent some time in the Balkans.

While reading about Lear, Francis ran into references to Edith Durham, an Englishwoman who had spent a great deal of her life traveling through the Albanian Alps and recording the history and customs of tribes that inhabited the region.

“Having been steeped in the male travelers’ world, it was thrilling to hear of a woman who not only traveled without a male companion, but did so in a region of the world whose history I knew to be fierce,” said Francis.

With the help of the LSMSA Foundation and its Richard G. Brown Fund, Francis was able to “channel” the experiences of both of these writers and ascertain what relevance, if any, these two travelers had for the Albania of the 21st century on a week-long trip.

Francis shared her experiences with colleagues on Friday, March 10, in the Center for Performance and Technology.

“My first impression was utter astonishment at the natural beauty of the country,” said Francis. “I knew why Edith Durham had come here, and I knew why, after that very first trip, she dedicated her life to the Albanian people.

“I imagined making the trip I had just completed on donkey back, and her meeting the people I had, so very generous and hospitable, but also suspicious and fierce.”

Since her return, Francis has continued her study of Durham and her travels, but even more so the study of Albania and Kosovo, especially their place in Ottoman history.

“The region is fascinating but also obscure, and I find that the British that traveled there tended toward the unusual,” said Francis.

The region continues to intrigue her, and she hopes to return to Albania to pursue some of her research ideas.

“I offer my genuine and appreciative thanks for the opportunity to pursue this academic interest by way of what was truly a journey of a lifetime,” said Francis. “I am eternally grateful, and honored, to have been allowed this opportunity.”