Sarande & Butrint
Early this morning the Panorama slowed her engines as she made her approach into the small southern port of Sarande. Once docked, our official clearance and breakfast were finished, and our group made their way off the ship and into the port area. Two busses were waiting to take us on a short journey to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Butrint. This lovely wooded and peaceful site tells the entire history of Albania, if not the Mediterranean, from the Illyrians and Greeks through the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians and Ottoman Turks. Only a small part of this large site has been explored and excavated; due to the natural climate of Albania, nature still has the strongest hold on the acres of land that is called Butrint. Many secrets about the civilizations of the past 2500 years remain shrouded in trees, shrubs, vines and flowers.
Two local guides, Shpresa and Loreta, local English teachers from the port town of Sarande, would accompany us throughout our morning in Butrint. The drive out to Butrint took about an hour, traveling through the town of Sarande and then into the countryside along Butrint Lake. Once at the site we remained in two groups and began a leisurely walk through a fascinating and extremely layered archaeological site. Butrint enjoyed an idyllic location; except for a thin strip of land it is nearly an island at the end of a salt-water channel linking Lake Butrint to the Straits of Corfu. The surrounding woodlands, lake and valleys provided enormous resources for the many different civilizations that came and went from Butrint.
In 1928, an Italian archaeological mission, headed by Luigi Maria Ugolini, came to Butrint to make the first archaeological investigations. Between 1928 and 1939 the Italian mission uncovered most of the grand public monuments that we walked through today. Butrint became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, a National Park in 2001 and a Ramsar Wetland Site of International Importance in 2003. The Butrint Foundation, a UK registered charity, was established in 1993, and since then the Albanian Institute of Archaeology and the Butrint Foundation have worked together to research, conserve and promote the site, which is 86 square kilometers in size.
Our walk started at the entrance with a Venetian tower that had been constructed between the 15th and 16th centuries. We then walked under the protective canopy of oaks, bay laurel and red bud trees making our way to the 4th-century B.C. sanctuary dedicated to the healing god Asclepius. Next to this sanctuary was a 3rd-century B.C. theatre; later adapted to a Roman design with a stage building. Onward through the site to a 6th-century baptistery with a mosaic floor representing Christian salvation and a final long pause in the Great Basilica, an early Christian church, constructed in the 6th century A.D. Returning to the woods we made our way to the top of the site on the acropolis, which later became a Venetian and then a Turkish fort. From this vantage point we had excellent views of Lake Butrint and the surrounding area.
Once back on board our busses we returned to Sarande and made our way up to Ottoman Castle of Lekuris, overlooking the Sarande Harbor. Snacks and drinks were available for a short break before returning to the Panorama and lunch on board.
After lunch we cast off and made our way 18 miles north to a small bay called Porto Palermo. A late afternoon swim was a refreshing break from the busy morning and following announcements a lovely surprise had been planned for sunset. Making our way either by Zodiac or walking a short distance, we came to a deserted castle which was once home to Ali Pasha, whose fame as a ruthless ruler earned him the name of “the Muslim Bonaparte.” The sun was setting in the western sky, a traditional Albanian musician stood at the entrance to the castle, playing a flute. The bottom floor of the castle, from the entrance all the way to the stairs leading to the top terrace, was lined with candles, bathing the walls in soft light. Hors d'oeuvres and drinks were ready when we all arrived on the terrace. As Vadim continued to play old traditional Albanian songs the sun moved rapidly west over the last small mountain, ending our second day in Albania, a fledgling democracy and a country of some of the most hospitable people of the Balkan Peninsula. Go Albania!!!
