Gjirokaster and Butrint

Today, we had to leave Ksamil and check in to our accommodation in Sarande. However, first, we wanted to visit the Roman ruins in Butrint. We expected this to be a small roman city with few ruins, but it ended up being a huge peninsula that had the full infrastructure of a large, well functioned roman city (200ha). It had baths, theatres, houses, basilicas, fortifications, and more - the only thing it seemed to miss was the aqueduct that existed there for a long time. This would have been very interesting to see, but unfortunately, it was no longer visible. The rest of the information they provided was really interesting. It went through the whole history of the site, with evidence of occupation dating back to 50,000 BC until the last known occupation in the 19th century AD. It highlighted the occupation of the Greeks from 800 BC until about 44 BC when the Romans began occupying the area. The Byzantine eventually took over again in the 9th century before eventually ceding control to the Venetians in the 14th century. The final occupants were the Ottomans before it was eventually abandoned a couple hundred years before its eventual rediscovery. The information pieces did a good job at uncovering how the area looked during these different periods and how the influence from so many different rulers impacted the stylistic design and architecture of the buildings. They showed the artefacts and archaeological finds discovered during its restoration and even have floor mural that is visible in its original location. There is a very large mural that is still present in the baptistery, yet this remains covered most years to ensure it can be preserved. We unfortunately could not see that, just the photos. It was once again hilarious to watch Lewis run around like an ADHD child, wrapping his head around the age and grandure of the site. The site as a whole was enthralling. By the time this was complete and we felt as though we had explored the whole site, it was early afternoon, and we realised we better get going if we wanted to see Gjirokaster too.

We started the drive of about an hour and a half, and in no time, we had made it to Gjirokaster. As previously mentioned, the roads are far smoother to the south, so getting around is far less stressful and far faster, which is a blessing after some of the other drives we had completed. After a lunch feed, we began to wander around town to discover the unique architecture that is present in this place. The white houses that extend over the walkways, with wood trimmings, are truly a unique site for me in Europe. I know Berat, also in albania, has similar architecture, but for me, this was a first to witness. It really made you feel like you had gone back in time as the whole town matched this aesthetic. So, rather than walking into an old town within a city, this felt like we got out of the car in a completely different time period. Though we didn't have much time, so, we mostly stuck to the main areas for tourists. The next thing to see was the castle that overlooks the town atop the hill. This was also really cool because of the views from the top, giving complete 360-degree views of the town, and the unrestricted access to most of the areas within the castle. It once again helped with the immersion into the time travel feeling. The castle had some interesting information pieces about the castle, but also about the wildlife in the area, which was a good change.

This has been one of my most challenging logs to summarise in just 20 photos, given how much we did. But I have done my best. This unfortunately ignores the amazing drive home we had. As it was sunset, and we were driving through the mountains, the way the mountaintops caught the sunlight, but the rest of the valley didn't, made it feel like we were in a painting. I managed to squeeze one photo in, but there are many more that highlight the beautiful drive through the albanian mountains. This made it a bit easier to stay awake for the drive home, but by the time we got to our accommodation in Sarande, we basically passed out.Read more