The 74-year-old from Fieri in love with the sea of Vlora: I come here to forget everything

At the age of 74, Pandeli Mone remains closely attached to the sea. A resident of Fieri but in love with Vlora for years, every weekend he takes the road to the coast, where his old passion awaits him — fishing. Near the tunnel at Uji i Ftohtë, Pandi spends hours on end with his hooks in hand, while he considers the sea a source of calm and health.

"I have been fishing for 45 years. I started in Lezhë and then fell in love with Vlora. This place for me is a rest. As soon as I leave the cafés, I come here and unwind. There is nothing more beautiful than the sea," he said.

Pandi says the years have changed the sea too. The fish, according to him, are no longer as they once were, but that has not dimmed his passion. He has a whole arsenal of hooks and continues to go out fishing whenever he has the chance.

"I have an arsenal of hooks, but what can I do — there are no longer fish like before. I like sea bass and gilt-head bream the most. I have caught sea bass up to 2.5 kilograms, bream less," he says.

For Pandi, the sea is not only fishing. He says he also draws his health from the sea, since throughout the summer he bathes at the beach in Vlora.

After decades spent by the sea, the 74-year-old also has a piece of advice for young people.

"Don’t get involved with drugs and phones. Go out to sea, fish."

For Pandi, the sea is more than a passion. It is a way to disconnect from everyday life, to rest and to spend time with his loved ones. And love for the sea, he says, never ends.