A Boat Trip & A Country I Have Never Been To

We took a day trip to Albania today as you do…well any excuse for a boat trip and a country I have never been to!

It was fabulous, just over an hour on the ferry took us into the port city of Saranda. The city is expanding rapidly since communism collapsed around 1998 and most of the city was built post that time.

We booked a trip to the ancient city of Butrint which for the most dates back to the 8th century BC with evidence of Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman civilisations. It was fascinating to see and all within a completely unspoiled National Park and it was clear to see how they used the water channels and sea lake for irrigation and mussel growing.

After lunch we had an hour or so back in Saranda before we headed back on the ferry back to Corfu.

I found here, as with many of the Balkan countries I have visited, a tremendous feeling of pride, strength in recovery and tolerance of all in their country after a history of occupation and rule, even in recent 20th century history from the Ottomans, Italians, Greeks and Communists.