Going to Albania
30 de mayo de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Arrived OK in Tirana, but it seems a long journey. Our train from mill hill was cancelled so we had to wait half a hour for the next one, then when we changed at Farringdon for the gatwick train, thatLeer más
kruje
31 de mayo de 2018, Albania ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We have a day on our own here before we join up with rest of the party tomorrow. It's a lovely old hill town on the side of a mountain. We took a short taxi ride to the site of the Illyrian city ofLeer más
Second day in kruje - 1
1 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
We walked up to top of the citadel this morning and looked at the places that we thought the group would not have time to see after they arrived this afternoon. In particular the tomb of a shi'a imamLeer más
Second day in kruje -2
1 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
During the afternoon we joined up with rest of the group to go back to the citadel and see the other bits. There are fantastic views from the top and you can see why it was an important stronghold inLeer más
Lezhe
2 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
This morning we went north to Lezhe which is most famous in Albania as the burial place of Skanderbeg - the hero of Albania from the 14c, credited with winning battles against the Ottomans for 25Leer más
Durres
2 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
After a massive lunch at a lovely restaurant by a lake we went on to Durres on the coast. There were probably Illyrians living here first but the Greeks came over from Corfu in 7c BC and founded aLeer más
Apollonia
3 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Another long hot day with visits to 2 spectacular sites. But first this morning we stopped at a Communist era bunker, one of 300,000 Hoxha built across Albania fearing a Russian invasion after theLeer más
Byllis
3 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
An hour and a half from Apollonia is another hilltop site at Byllis. This was the home of an Illyrian tribe called the Byllines an it was never colonised by the Greeks but was invaded by the Romans.Leer más
Berat
4 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
This morning we walked around the ottoman era city of Berat, which is a UNESCO heritage site. It's a jumble of ottoman houses in a river valley overlooked by a citadel which has Illyrian foundations,Leer más
Amantia
4 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
Our visit this afternoon was to a site rarely visited - it's not even in the guide books. Now we know why. The journey there and back is on an unmade road for an hour in each direction, climbing up aLeer más
Oricum
5 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
A quick trip this morning to the site of Oricum, a 6th century port on the Adriatic coast. As the coastline has changed over the years much of the site is now underwater and in any case it is in anLeer más
Saranda
5 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Arrived here in time to rest, have a icecream and a cup of tea and sit in the sun. It's been a hard couple of days so it was good to get a bit of downtime. Tomorrow we have a long visit to theLeer más
Flora and fauna!
5 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Wherever we go the sites are covered in wild flowers and we come across animals and bugs of interest. There great bushes and trees covered in flame red flowers that I am told are campsis. Spectacular!
Jupiter and moons!
5 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Took this pic from our hotel balcony. Can't believe that this camera of ours can do this!
Butrint
6 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Butrint is probably the highlight of the trip - a UNESCO world heritage site with overlays of remains from 4C BC through to 16C AD. Mercifully the weather today was a mix of cloud and sun so our 4Leer más
Butrint 2
6 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
The largest building at Butrint is a 6C AD basilica still standing to pretty much it's full wall height. It too has a mosaic floor which is covered over except for one corner. One of the gates in theLeer más
More fauna
6 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Pics of things we saw at Butrint.
Blue springs
7 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Out of Saranda on the road to Gjirokastra after about an hour we stopped at a beautiful spot which is the head of a number of really strong springs. The biggest is called the blue eye, it is so clearLeer más
Antigonea
7 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Antigonea is another hilltop site that was built by Pyrrhus, King of the Epirotes in honour of his wife Antigone. It is valuable as is was destroyed by the Romans in 168BC and not re-built by anyoneLeer más
Gjirokaster
7 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Gjirokaster is another UNESCO world heritage site. Again it is a town of Ottoman houses around an earlier castle, like Berat, but they look quite different as the houses all have thick grey stone roofLeer más
Gjirokaster 2
7 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
More photos from the castle
Elbasan
8 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
On the road back to Tirana we stopped in Elbasan for lunch and to view the remains of a basilica. Then on to a small but high quality Roman villa, and finally a crazily situated fortress. We ended theLeer más
Tirana
9 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Walk around the centre of Tirana in the morning, the highlight of which was a vist to the National Historical Museum housing the best Archaeological artefacts, and a trip to a communist era nuclearLeer más
First day on our own
10 de junio de 2018, Albania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
For the ĺast ten days all decisions have been made for us - where we sleep, where and what we eat and where we visit every hour of the day. Now we have free time it's amazing how long it takes us toLeer más



































































































































