Sarande & Butrint, Albania
Today we docked in the port of Sarande and headed for the ancient site of Butrint. Sarande gets its name from the Greek word “forty” because the local Orthodox monastery allegedly had forty saints in residence at one time. As we drove through the city streets we passed the ruins of a 15th century Jewish synagogue which were discovered when digging the foundations for one of the many new high-rises in the town.
As we drove through the southern Albanian countryside, we passed through agricultural land, vineyards and sheep grazing in open fields, as well as the seaside resort of Ksami, popular because of the sandy beaches and small islands within swimming distance.
We disembarked from the buses near the cable ferry that connects Butrint to the triangular Venetian fortress across the channel. Our guides Shpressa and Loreta then walked us back through centuries to Greek, Roman, and Byzantine times as we meandered through the ruins of Butrint. This is an incredible site which the Greeks established as a major trading port and then the Romans used as a spa destination. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Butrint still awaits funding for full excavation, so the ruins themselves are situated in lush verdant overgrowth of greenery (rosemary, vines and laurel trees). The site includes a Greek theater, Roman baths, as well as a Byzantine basilica with an intact mosaic floor covered with tile and sand to protect it against the elements.
We stopped at a picturesque overlook onto nearby Lake Butrint where fresh water mixes with salt water from the Ionian Sea to provide an ideal environment for mussel farms. We passed under the Lion's Gate along the polygonal walls and climbed up to the acropolis where the Venetians built a fortress later occupied by the Ottomans. The archaeological museum there is small but comprehensive, with an impressive range of artifacts dating as far back as Illyrian times. Placards with meticulous reconstructions of the site portray what Butrint must have looked like at various stages in the past.
After lunch a small group went with Sharon and Grace to explore the local farmers market and stroll along the beachside promenade. Later that afternoon, Dr. Auron Tare from the Albanian Center for Marine Research (and one of the founders of the Butrint National Park) presented recent findings from underwater archaeological work being done in the Corfu Straits. The ship “Herkules” uses the latest in multi-beam technology to map bottom of the straits and the team has discovered much about the secrets of these waters, such as shipwrecks carrying clay tiles from as early as the 3rd century B.C., as well as battleships from WWII. The goal is to eventually map the entire coast from the Ionian to the Adriatic, and this year they have moved north to Montenegrin waters.
We ended the day up top the ramparts of Lekuris Castle, a renovated Ottoman fortress with panoramic views of the Ionian Sea and inland plains. As we enjoyed local cheese, wine and cornbread, we were serenaded by a traditional Albanian flute played in a unique style as the sun set behind us.
