Butrint/Sarande, Albania
After a calm breakfast at anchor in the port of Sarande, the group set out with our guides Shpressa and Loreta for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Butrint. The site has only been partially excavated (in contrast to what we will see at Delphi in two days) and there is a palpable tension between the ruins and nature in the form of an almost jungle-like overgrowth of flora and the gradual encroachment of the brackish waters from Lake Butrint and the Ionian Sea.
Butrint could serve as a textbook for archeology students: a Greek theater, Roman baths, Byzantine basilica and a Venetian fortress on top of what had been the acropolis. The difference in construction type and materials is fascinating as each civilization added to the wealth of this site so important for trade, healing and worship. Until more funding is available for preservation the magnificent mosaic floors remain covered in sand, but pictures of them are on display in the small but comprehensive museum.
We took a lazy afternoon following a delicious buffet lunch prepared with fresh ingredients from the farmers market: juicy red tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, grilled local fish and ripe red cherries. After lunch some went for a walk along the seaside promenade, others read or played cards, and others opted to nap.
At four o'clock Auron Tare, the former director of Butrint who was instrumental in opening the site to the public, joined us to present the results of his current research in underwater archeology. An international team of experts aboard the “Herkules” has been mapping the straits of Corfu using multi-beam technology to detect anomalies in the sea floor and construct a three-dimensional image. Divers then go down to investigate and take photographs. Thus far they have discovered 99 ship wrecks including a 3rd century B.C. Greek ship with amphorae of wine or olive oil. Their discoveries have just been featured in in this year's March/April issue of Archaeology Magazine. The Illyrian Coastal Exploration Project includes plans to map the entire Adriatic Sea as an interconnected network and they will be working off the coast of Montenegro this season. An underwater museum in a bay near Sarande where visitors can dive and explore archaeological sites is under development.
Next was a cocktail party at Lekuris Castle with panoramic views of the Albanian countryside, Butrindt Lake and Corfu. Vendim, world renowned flute player, serenaded us with traditional Albanian melodies, haunting and lyrical. Photographers took advantage of the view, while some more adventurous folks walked down the road to photograph the infamous bunkers and a flock of goats grazing nearby.
