Bay of Vlore

[caption id="attachment_2275" align="alignnone" width="660"] Bay of Vlore[/caption]

After Dukat, the descent continues to Dukat i Ri (New Dukat), built after World War II and then to Orikum city. In front of us lies the bay of Vlore and down left is the Pasha Liman Naval Base which cannot be seen in this photo. There are some old submarines built with the help of the Russians. It was actually the only Soviet base in the Mediterranean in the 50's.Following the collapse of the Communist regime, the base was rebuilt by Turkey and under a bilateral agreement the Turkish Navy has the right to use it.

The first mountain on the left is the Karaburun peninusla. The farther mountain is Sazan Island, the largest island of Albania, albeit uninhabited. A joint naval force between Italy and Albania stay there, mostly to prevent contraband or immigration (now there is no immigration via boats, since Albania joined Schengen Area).

Dukat Village

[caption id="attachment_2272" align="alignnone" width="660"] Dukat Village[/caption]

After Dhermi the distance between the road and the seaside widens, there are a couple more small villages and then begins the difficult ascent of Llogara Pass. It takes some 45 minutes to reach the top and the road is beautiful. There are some side pockets where you can stop to take photos and enjoy the scenery. Llogara is a protected national park. Along the road are several restaurants, hotels, and a small wooden cabin complex. Prices are quite reasonable and everything is delicious. The main specialty is lamb or young goat. After each meal, we often order yogurt (they produce it there) or apples baked in honey, walnuts and cinnamon.

After Llogara Pass the road descends toward Pashaliman Bay, via Orikum city. The village shown in the photo is Dukat, a very famous one. When Julius Caesar tried to fight Pompeus, he asked help from people there. It has a strategic position and it hasn't been always a village. Funfact: The word Ducat is associated with a gold or silver coin. According to a historian, the name of the village comes from this very coin. What we know for sure is that the people of this village have been famous through time for their wealth...