Arriving in Porto Covo around 8 pm we decided to eat in the hotel itself. I had a perfect room overlooking the sea. The restaurant looked to be first class and we weren’t disappointed.
We were staying here for three nights, and would be exploring the villages and towns nearby.
The next morning we had a delicious buffet breakfast together. Before setting off for the day I went for a walk along the cliff top.
I took the above photos sitting on the veranda. A man doing Tai Chi and a family of joggers.
Photos below of my walk along the cliff top. It was a beautiful walk. It went around in a loop to the back of the village. Alternatively, you could keep walking further along the top. There was a warning about the stairs being unstable down to the beach, so gave that a miss.
Top: Having fun posing with the sign – Bottom: Porto Covo Spa Hotel
What a difference a day made! The weather was beautiful on one of the days.
Photos of Porto Covo Village
The village of Porto Covo is picturesque and postcard perfect. I could easily visit here again, preferably in the summer months. We did eat out one night at a fabulous Italian Pizza place. On our third night we opted for the hotel again as the heavens opened as we were about to walk out of the door!
Kruje, located 20kms north of Tirana was our next destination. We were staying for one night in the Hotel Panorama and when we arrived mid-afternoon there were coaches either side of the small narrow road. There was parking but we couldn’t see where to stop to look for it. There was a carpark opposite but it was blocked by a coach, then a man appeared and said he would guide us in! It was just chaos but he seemed to know what he was doing and even took our cases for us. I couldn’t work out if he worked for the hotel or it was just a hobby directing the traffic.
Hotel Panorama at the back
It was very orderly inside and we were promptly shown to our room. After a short rest we decided to walk through the bazaar and then up to the castle. As Tirana was only a short distance it looked to be a busy destination and we could hear the hustle and bustle from our room.
Kruje Castle from our balcony
Our balcony
Kruje was like a mix of Gjirokaster and Berat. Cobbled streets, a bazaar and a castle upon the hill.
Various items for sale at the bazaar
Once we were at the top, we stopped for a drink in the cafe and rest! It was only a short walk but of course all uphill.
I can’t believe I didn’t take photos of the castle so have had to “borrow” one from the Albanian Tourist Industry. I was too busy taking in the views.
Looking for a place for dinner later we found the perfect spot with fabulous views. Something I did find odd in all of Albania was seeing groups of men in the evenings at cafes and bars, no women at all. Old and young, smoking and drinking. We walked down one small street in Kruje with cafes either side and they were full of just men. It would be hard travelling with a female companion to feel comfortable in these smaller places.
Interesting Facts: Edward Lear, the famous English landscape painter visited Albania in 1848, but Lord Byron in fact got there 40 years before in 1808. We saw many paintings by Lear in the places we visited. These small things intrigue me especially when I mention Albania to people and so many have asked, if it’s safe and where is it. I suppose the fact that it was closed off for nearly 50 years attributes to this.
A day and one night is plenty to see what Kruje has to offer and makes a good stopping off point to travel further North, which unfortunately we didn’t have time for. Our next and final destination is Tirana.
Today’s journey takes us to Gjirokastra, known as the Stone City, nestled in the mountains. This picturesque town has cobblestone streets, a huge castle, and a colourful market bazaar. But first, we make a slight detour to visit the beautiful Blue Eye.
Gjirokastra is approximately an hour’s drive from Sarande but it seems so much longer because of the sharp hair pin bends and the need to slow down. Albanian drivers know no fear and will pass two at a time on a bend! We picked up a hire car from a rental agency called Narnia! I wasn’t sure what to expect on entering, hopefully not a wardrobe door. I had been liaising with Kristina for a few weeks about price, duration and the one way transfer fee. She gave me the best offer of all the places I looked at.
There was a long delay in signing off on all the documents and payment, due to the fact her credit card machine was not working. The ATMs outside both only dispensed 100 Euros at a time, but miraculously Anthony found £300 emergency money in his wallet. We could not leave a deposit though only an imprint of the credit card, but were asked to leave a passport or driving licence to be returned by the driver on pick up, not a viable option! Anyway she agreed that we could forego this, just really wanted our money.
The car was an old manual Citroen 3 and seemed in good condition. Anthony did say after he was a bit daunted about the prospect of driving in Albania, but at the end he enjoyed himself immensely.
Our first stop was The Blue Eye, a natural water spring featuring the clear blue water of a depth of 50 metres. It is essentially a tourist spot and not free to enter. As it was on our way we thought we would check it out. On arrival you have to pay for parking plus entry to the park. It is quite a walk from the car park but there is a “train” to take you to the top. Of course I took the train, whilst Anthony walked.
You can also hire electric scooters which I saw many people doing, although I’m not sure they realised how dangerous it would be on the way down. I actually saw one young guy come flying off into the bushes, nettles I believe!
I can’t say I was all that impressed with this attraction, yes it was pretty but just another sight. Also you are not meant to swim, but rules in Albania seem very flexible, and I saw many people going in.
After this it was onwards and upwards towards Gjirokastra. I was actually starting to worry about driving up so high, but my trusty chauffeur seemed to have everything under control. I had the address of the hotel in my google maps but it took us three goes to get to the right place with Anthony having to do crazy three point turns to retrace our tracks. We thought we had the correct hotel and the owner actually parked our car and took our bags out only to tell us we had the wrong hotel!
Our first sight of Gjirokastra
Our hotel and the balcony off our room.
We were only here for the night and so as soon as we had checked in we set off to explore. This small town was just so delightful and I loved everything about it immediately. It was a short walk down to the narrow cobblestoned streets where the bazaar was with all the restaurants and bars. It reminded me of a mini Montmartre.
There were still a few tour groups around and the atmosphere and vibe was buzzing. You can visit here on a day trip but that means you don’t get to experience the appeal of this lovely town at night.
Memi Bey mosque built during the Ottoman period in 1757
Anthony couldn’t believe his eyes when a parade of vintage cars drove through the cobble stoned streets, tooting and blaring their horns down the hill. Right up (or down) his alley.
It was also a popular place for wedding photos as we watched from a street side cafe the happy couple posing.
A cute photo bomber!
A small monument to unsung heroesHe ended up buying a traditional hat!
Some of the items that could be bought at the bazaar, there must be a market for old war objects and clothes as nearly every shop had things of this nature.
This building was just at the back of our hotel and once must have been a thriving hub of entertainment. There was a plaque with a poem next to it.
Very poignant
We had a cocktail and beer at the Gallery Irish Pub which had great views. For dinner Anthony wanted to eat somewhere traditional, so we found a tiny place tucked between shops called Verdeja. There was only one room with four tables and looked to be a family owned restaurant. The man of the place donned an apron and hat and looked on while his wife did all of the work! Further away from the coast the cuisine consists largely of meat, all parts of an animal on offer, as Anthony loves tripe he was keen to try this local dish. I preferred the vegetarian options of stuffed peppers or aubergines.
Walking around the bazaar through the narrow streets and browsing the shops was the highlight of the day. It was interesting to learn that this was Enva Hoxha’s birthplace, which it was why everywhere was so well kept.
During our stay in Sarande, one of the places we visited was Butrint.
The bus stop was only a five minute walk from the hotel and it arrived shortly after us. We found seats and then promptly sat there for 20 minutes while the bus filled up and up until the doors could hardly close. Amongst the throng was the bus conductor who was issuing tickets, I’m not sure how he checked who had tickets or not. The journey takes around 30 minutes and for 3 Euros each I thought it wasn’t bad. There is only one restaurant there and we ate lunch here after our walk.
Butrint has been inhabited since prehistoric times and also home to many different nations, including Romans, Byzantines and Venetians. The last person who live here was Ali Pasha, an Albanian Ottoman ruler who controlled Butrint and the area until its final abandonment.
Above is the Venetian Triangular Castle sitting on the banks of the Vivari Canal
Butrint is now home to a vast array of flora and fauna. The excellent preservation of the remaining structures bear witness to the amazing building skills of all the previous inhabitants, especially the Romans.
We enjoyed our two hour walk around the site marvelling in turn and discussing the history as we walked.
Sitting by the Venetian Tower and soaking up the atmosphere.
I didn’t realise how vast Butrint actually is, it covers 9,000 hectares and there are steep hills and tracks around and across it. Looking at the map I’m not sure we covered everything there was to see.
Possibly a Roman civic house from the 5th century and the views across Lake Butrint.
Most of the monuments were discovered by the Italian Archaeological Mission between the years 1928 – 1939. The team who worked here were guided by Luigi Maria Ugolini. Imagine the excitement on finding such historical structures.
6th Century Baptistery with mosaic floor
The mosaic has now been covered over again for preservation and apparently it is cleared every few years for viewing.
The Great Basilica, 6th century ADThe Lion’s GateThe Venetian Castle, reconstructed in the 1930’sFinally at the top!
This was a fabulous place to spend an afternoon if you are interested in history. Because of the many factions living here it was all the more interesting trying to piece together the timeline. It was such a peaceful afternoon, we were lucky that we had managed to avoid the tour buses.
