Sarande, Albania
We started the day with a clean slate. The rains of last night left the air fresh and cool and the skies clear.
Ours was not the only fresh start. As we started through the town of Sarande towards the historic ruins of Butrint, the streets were filled with children and their parental escorts for the first day of school, September 14.
Tourism is a new experience for Albania; the borders opened in 1991 after over 40 years of Communist rule. The drive along the narrow streets carved into the steep hillsides was amazing, as well as our driver’s ability to navigate them. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, and we could see as we left the waking city a patchwork of fields, crops and scattered livestock. Where the canals opened up to the lake, we could see the aquaculture infrastructure poking out of the water for raising mussels. The ubiquitous olive tree continued to line the roadsides.
Exploring the ruins of Butrint is like trying to read a cumbersome yet delicate tome. Layer upon layer of ancient civilizations are piled upon each other, and like delicate pages of yellowed crumbling vellum, they must be carefully pried apart.
Adding to the difficulty for archeologists is a sinking site slowly being flooded. The site of Butrint has seen Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and the Ottoman Turks, all leaving some characteristic mark on the buildings and site.
We started our investigations at the Theatre; nearby in the partly flooded ruins were piles of turtles warming in the morning sun. We strolled the pathways lined with fragrant rosemary to the Temple of Minerva and then continued, leaving the Greek and Roman eras and entering the Byzantine era and the Baptistery. The Basilica and the fountain were remnants of the 5th century; a small corner of an intricately crafted mosaic tiled floor peeked out of one corner.
Further along we came to the lion gate, named for a relief sculpture above the entry way of a lion eating the head of a bull, also added in the 5th Century. We finished up at the Venetian Castle, a 16th century feature. From the castle we held a commanding view of Vivari Channel. Below we could see a handful of local fishermen working their nets in the lake.
Leaving Butrint we headed back towards town. Numerous buildings of various stages of completion lined the roadways. Sometimes the bottom floor was finished and was quite apparently a home; perhaps some savings in the future will allow the occupants to finish the floors above them.
We followed a series of steep switchbacks and climbed about 840 feet above the sea to the Ottoman castle of Lekursit. Here we were greeted by a stunning view of the landscape and harbor below. We drank in the panoramic view, along with a little white and red wine accompanied by fresh fruits and cheeses. A memorable outing enjoyed al fresco.
We navigated north into the protection of Porto Palermo. Under the shadow of the Ali Pasha castle, we spent the afternoon swimming, kayaking or embracing the Albanian version of a siesta. The evening was pure magic. Walking up a cobbled pathway we came up to the castle. Atop the wall at the entrance was Vendim Japaj playing his flute, accompanied by Katima Rika singing softly. Our hotel staff had brought wine and appetizers to the castle and we quietly listened to the duo as they continued their evening serenade. The mood created by these two gifted musicians in the castle setting with the glow of the sunset behind them was something to be remembered and treasured.
We found riches in Albania today, and they sang softly to our souls.
