There is something about old ruins of houses and castles that look better in monochrome. The first photos of these buildings would have been in black and white anyway! I’ve put together a small gallery for the theme this week.
My feature photo is the Ruins of St. Paul’s, Macau. A 17th century catholic religious complex.
I love walking through old buildings and ruins and touching the walls and stones. It makes me stop and wonder about what went on before, who walked on these floors and touched these walls.
Gjirokaster Castle, Albania
Butrint National Park, Albania
I had fun editing the above photo with the Snapseed App. I think I used the retro filter and a frame that makes it look like an old negative.
A bleak looking Alcatraz, USA
A depressing building to say the least! There was not much colour in there anyway.
The above two photos were taken a few years ago and the collapse of the house looks like it had happened recently. In actual fact it has been left like this since 1968, when there was a massive earthquake. The homestead was owned by the Snooke family and dated back to 1904. Alice Snooke managed to rescue her 2 year daughter from the ruins and lived to tell the tale.
Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh
Stonehenge, England
“OLD BUILDINGS ARE LIKE A BOOK. YOU CAN OPEN IT AND READ THE HISTORY OF A PLACE, OF A PEOPLE, OF A CIVILIZATION” RICHARD HENRIQUEZ
Continuing our adventures through Albania, we set off today for Himare, along the Albanian Riviera. We had to bypass Saranda again as there is no straight road through. So we drove all the way down the mountain and then had to climb up again and down to Livadi Beach in Himare where we were staying!
We had to stop and take a photo of the shepherd and his herd.
Scenes likes this were very typical driving along the highway.
Arriving at Livadi Beach around 5pm, we located our hotel half way down the gravel track along the beach. I have to say we were a bit disappointed on first sight as it looked like a prison block. There didn’t seem to be anyone about, so I walked around the whole block and up the stairs, there was no-one in reception either. Walking down to the beach, past the bar I spotted a man lying fully clothed asleep under an umbrella. Coughing politely and waking him up I asked if he knew where the owner was, he jumped up quickly and made a call! Five minutes later his wife came from the back of the hotel and said she was trying to have a rest, obviously leaving hubby in charge! Anyway we went up to our room, which was just perfect, newly furnished with a balcony that overlooked the ocean.
We had two nights here, so a bit of R and R for Anthony after all that driving.
The beach stretched for miles and I’m glad we came just out of season, because the rows and rows of beach umbrellas told of the crowds that were expected.
Beds to arrive later! Livadi BeachLivadi BeachLivadi BeachLivadi Beach
There didn’t seem to be that many hotels for the amount of beds, but we saw a few campsites. Actually Livadi Beach was a beautiful tranquil place, and at night we could leave the window open and listen to the waves gently lapping against the shore.
Over the next two days Anthony got chatting to Nick “the layed laid back” husband and what his opinions were. He said most Albanians were lazy (pot/kettle came to mind) and many had left to work overseas. We hadn’t found this to be the case so far. His wife couldn’t have been a better hostess, even doing our laundry for free.
Being presented with a large home made bottle of RakiView from the garden at the back of the hotelFlower lined walk way
I did venture into the sea a few times, but coming out was a problem and lucky I had reef shoes. In the end I perfected my technique of digging a heel into the pebbles and launching myself forward, but it was a case of one step forward and two back. Not a graceful move.
We were told to help ourselves to drinks if there was no-one around.
Himare Old Town and Castle
The next day we drove back up to Himare Old Town, parked the car and walked up to Himare Castle.
Quite a slog for me as the paths were not even and made up of broken stones, hard on the feet. Absolutely fascinating to see how people are living within the walls of the old town and incorporating the walls into their homes. The walls date back to the 5th or 6th Century.
A small church at the bottom of the hillPrivate dwellings
The aroma from the jasmine made the walk easier, taking deep breaths of perfumed air. We found the smallest cafe at the top with stunning views across Himare. The cafe and apartment where the owners lived were also incorporated into the ruins.
Below are some of the photos of the castle and surroundings.
The church of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
This church was thought to have been constructed at the end of the 10th century or early 11th century. The murals are post-Byzantine and the colours still so vibrant.
I would definitely recommend a trip up to Himare Castle, with lunch at the top.
Back at the bottom I saw an old resident resting on a wall and couldn’t resist a shot, especially when he smiled.
Oops, I only noticed after!
Livadi Beach was perfect for a two night stop. Maybe if we ever get to visit Albania again we might try another area along the coast.
Lekuresi Castle is situated at the top of Lekuresi Hill, just behind Sarande itself. You can drive there but as it was a cloudy day we decided to walk. From the directions on my phone it was supposed to take an hour. I don’t think I’ve ever walked so far or so high in my life. Part of the route is along a main road, up the hill (it’s all uphill) and trucks and buses were passing by at a high speed. We did stop at a hotel on the way up for glasses of sparkling water on the terrace.
When we arrived at the bottom, Anthony was up and away walking far ahead of me, I walk far too slow for anyone. He did occasionally wait to see if I was managing. It was a slow and steady walk for me, we hardly saw anyone else, only tour buses going up and down.
Not much of the castle is still intact and the gift shop and cafe have been built into the remains. This was something I found odd in all of Albania, that new buildings were allowed to be incorporated into ancient remains.
“How far to go?”My Shepherd herding his flock
It was lovely to hear the bells tinkling away in the silence as we walked. Something to take my mind off my breathlessness. Lekuresi CafeOverlooking SarandeThe remains of the castle
History Of Lekuresi Castle
Lekuresi Castle was built in 1537 by the Ottoman emperor Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, when he attacked Corfu and needed control over the harbor and the Saranda-Butrint road. With its strategic location, the castle offered protection against the Venetians and held a garrison of about 200 soldiers. The castle, which used to inhabit the village of Lëkurës, was raided under the attack by Ali Pasha of Tepelena in the 18th century and has been abandoned ever since 1878. Source – Visit Saranda
The views are magnificent and it was well worth the climb to admire the scenes of the valleys below.
I had to use the torch on my phone to get a good look at these mosaic tiles, I wonder how they will preserve these, as they are open to the elements.
The tour buses were out in force that day and it was amusing to watch the various tour leaders with their numbered placards walking around trying to herd up their passengers. Equally it was as funny to watch the passengers trying to find their bus.
One thing I knew for sure I would not be walking back. We had passed a restaurant on the way up and would be having lunch there and taking a taxi back. It had been recommended to us as an excellent place to eat. The restaurant was still a 20 minute walk though from the castle though.
A well deserved drink with a delicious lunch to follow Natyra RestaurantThe magnificent view from our table on the verandah
I was amazed that I completed this climb, no mean feat for me. We did sit for a few hours enjoying our lunch and the views and looking up the history of the castle.
