Sarande/ Butrint
We launched our expedition today from the southern port of Sarande (a name derived from the Greek word for 40, since legend has it that there was a nearby monastery with 40 rooms and a saint in each room). As our buses passed the ruins of an old synagogue we became very aware of the juxtaposition of past and present that Albania has to offer the perceptive observer. In anticipation of sun-seeking tourists from inland Albania as well as day trippers from Corfu, a hodge-podge of half-completed construction projects were scattered far and wide from both sides of the bus. Apartment houses, hotels, restaurants and private homes had been left in a bizarre sort of state of suspended animation ever since the economic crisis of 1997. As we drove toward our destination of Butrint National Park, we passed the grey, strangely squat mushroom-like bunkers, artifacts of the country's isolationist past, and the resort town of Ksamili and its small islands in the straits of Corfu.
Butrint is a unique archaeological site situated in protected wetlands and has only been partially excavated. Our guides Loreta and Shpresa helped us to decipher the layers of artifacts dating at least as far back as the 4th century BC. Located at a major crossroads between Rome and Byzantium, legend has it that Butrint was founded by exiles from Troy and is mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid. It served as a place of healing under the protection of the god Asclepius and incorporated baths and a theater. A bridge and aqueduct built in Roman times linked the city with the plain across the channel. The Baptistry and Basilica dating from the 5th-6th centuries AD reflect the city's Christian period. It was the site of a battle between Normans and Byzantines in the 11th century and by the 14th century the castle built on the acropolis served as a Venetian military outpost for Corfu. Abandoned in the 16th century the castle now functions as a museum with a wide variety of artifacts. Meanwhile below the castle the ruins are in a tenuous coexistence with the encroaching subtropical jungle and gradual intrusion of salt water from the sea. The Butrint Foundation is currently working to research and conserve this area designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
After a cappucino in the Cafe Livija we returned to Sarande. Some left the bus to stroll Sarande's waterfront promenade, while the buses drove the remainder up the narrow road to Castle Lekurs, an old Ottoman fortress converted into a restaurant with amazing panoramic views. Typical Albanian hospitality was waiting inside: a variety of green and black olives, sheep cheese and flat cornbread accompanied by local beer and wine. After lunch on board, we took the Panorama north to Porto Palermo, a secluded bay that was a former naval base, where we enjoyed a leisurely afternoon of swimming and kayaking. Just before sunset we hiked up to one of Ali Pasha's many castles: its dark corridors were lit by candles and haunting flute music beckoned from above. As we emerged out onto the roof, we were greeted by Alex and the ship's stewards with mezze and a selection of beverages. The local caretaker-historian gave us the description of life in Ali Pasha's household, and the flutist demonstrated his unique, award-winning technique of playing the flute. As the sun slowly set, we toasted another day of adventure and discovery. Tomorrow Ithaka awaits us.
We launched our expedition today from the southern port of Sarande (a name derived from the Greek word for 40, since legend has it that there was a nearby monastery with 40 rooms and a saint in each room). As our buses passed the ruins of an old synagogue we became very aware of the juxtaposition of past and present that Albania has to offer the perceptive observer. In anticipation of sun-seeking tourists from inland Albania as well as day trippers from Corfu, a hodge-podge of half-completed construction projects were scattered far and wide from both sides of the bus. Apartment houses, hotels, restaurants and private homes had been left in a bizarre sort of state of suspended animation ever since the economic crisis of 1997. As we drove toward our destination of Butrint National Park, we passed the grey, strangely squat mushroom-like bunkers, artifacts of the country's isolationist past, and the resort town of Ksamili and its small islands in the straits of Corfu.
Butrint is a unique archaeological site situated in protected wetlands and has only been partially excavated. Our guides Loreta and Shpresa helped us to decipher the layers of artifacts dating at least as far back as the 4th century BC. Located at a major crossroads between Rome and Byzantium, legend has it that Butrint was founded by exiles from Troy and is mentioned in Virgil's Aeneid. It served as a place of healing under the protection of the god Asclepius and incorporated baths and a theater. A bridge and aqueduct built in Roman times linked the city with the plain across the channel. The Baptistry and Basilica dating from the 5th-6th centuries AD reflect the city's Christian period. It was the site of a battle between Normans and Byzantines in the 11th century and by the 14th century the castle built on the acropolis served as a Venetian military outpost for Corfu. Abandoned in the 16th century the castle now functions as a museum with a wide variety of artifacts. Meanwhile below the castle the ruins are in a tenuous coexistence with the encroaching subtropical jungle and gradual intrusion of salt water from the sea. The Butrint Foundation is currently working to research and conserve this area designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
After a cappucino in the Cafe Livija we returned to Sarande. Some left the bus to stroll Sarande's waterfront promenade, while the buses drove the remainder up the narrow road to Castle Lekurs, an old Ottoman fortress converted into a restaurant with amazing panoramic views. Typical Albanian hospitality was waiting inside: a variety of green and black olives, sheep cheese and flat cornbread accompanied by local beer and wine. After lunch on board, we took the Panorama north to Porto Palermo, a secluded bay that was a former naval base, where we enjoyed a leisurely afternoon of swimming and kayaking. Just before sunset we hiked up to one of Ali Pasha's many castles: its dark corridors were lit by candles and haunting flute music beckoned from above. As we emerged out onto the roof, we were greeted by Alex and the ship's stewards with mezze and a selection of beverages. The local caretaker-historian gave us the description of life in Ali Pasha's household, and the flutist demonstrated his unique, award-winning technique of playing the flute. As the sun slowly set, we toasted another day of adventure and discovery. Tomorrow Ithaka awaits us.
