Daniel,
thank you, thank you, thank you, for a wonderful look and read!
Regarding the funny round white houses on one of the first photos after you returned to Italy after Albania, aren't they just trulli, i.e. houses for various agricultural purposes or possibly at some time dwellings?
Your story of the lost autostrada ticket reminded me of when I didn't realise I was supposed to pick it up when entering near Milano, and had no trouble being believed about that in the toll booth when getting off near Firenze about 350 km down the road!