Fog

Seagulls

Funfact: Seagulls in Albanian are called White Chickens.

Last days of Autumn

Guiding Light

[caption id="attachment_2254" align="alignnone" width="660"] Guiding Light[/caption]

Up

Just like the movie, the old house is getting suffocated from the high buildings, albeit not skyscrapers, nor shopping malls.

A short trip to Phoenice

Phoenice was an ancient city, capital of the Chaonians. It is located on your right hand when you travel from Gjirokaster to Saranda, or on your left when you travel from Vlore to Saranda via the sea side.

I was always fascinated with the look of this hill. You've got mountains on both sides and in the middle there lies this hill like the back of a fish. You can't see anything from the main road but there are plenty of signs showing the way to the archaeological park. 

Garbage Train

[caption id="attachment_2232" align="alignnone" width="660"] Garbage Train[/caption]

Illegal building

[caption id="attachment_2223" align="alignnone" width="660"] Illegal building[/caption]

There was a time not many years ago (it continues even today but not in such scale) where everyone could build without permission. The bigger the building, the lesser the possibility of getting caught. However, from time to time, even the building inspectorate has to prove why it exists. Hence the half demolished building left scorching under the sun. The funny thing is that the inspectorate does this always before summer season. Like trying to show to as many people as possible what they are supposed to do. You might think it's logical from their point of view but, what if I told you that this building (and quite a lot others) has been laying just like this since 10 years ago?

10 years ago it looked like a war zone, like we were under a blitzkrieg or smth. Slowly people started cleaning the land but as you can see, it may take many years to do so...

Oh hai

[caption id="attachment_2214" align="alignnone" width="660"] Oh Hai[/caption]

This photo is from the summer days. I have been absent due to a trip that I had. Photos of that trip coming very soon :)

Petulla

[caption id="attachment_2205" align="alignnone" width="660"] Pancakes[/caption]

This is Saranda's promenade, slightly off season. During July/August is impossible to walk without bumping into people. It was also kinda late when I took this photo, around midnight I think. The stand there sells petulla, the Albanian version of fried dough. There is a recipe here if you want to know how it looks like and how it tastes.

Mussels Factory

[caption id="attachment_2192" align="alignnone" width="660"] Mussels Factory[/caption]

This is the view from Butrinti's fortress toward east. Butrinti lake is very famous for its mussels because it is a salty lake, connected to the sea. If you visit Saranda, mussels is a must taste dish. It should be cheaper than it is, due to proximity with this large scale cultivation but hey, this is a tourist destination, why not exploit them (the tourists) while it lasts?

End of the walls

[caption id="attachment_2189" align="alignnone" width="660"] End of the walls[/caption]

Walking around we reached the end of the city walls. Maybe they stretched down under the lake centuries ago...

Lion Gate

[caption id="attachment_2168" align="alignnone" width="660"] Lion Gate[/caption]

The Lion Gate, with the depiction of a lion devouring the head of a bull. My son got so impressed he didn't want to leave. My wife sat down and I took the time to take some photos.

Further info regarding the Lion Gate can be found here. 

The Great Basilica

[caption id="attachment_2158" align="alignnone" width="660"] The Great Basilica[/caption]

A great structure, still standing after so many centuries. Always people take photos from within the church but I really liked this one. More info on this church can be found here.

Cobbled Path

[caption id="attachment_2152" align="alignnone" width="660"] Cobbled Path[/caption]

Buthrotum is quite easy to walk around. As long as you follow the cobbled path and read the signs, you can't miss important sightseeing. The mother with the baby see in the distance is my wife and son :) while the other people were tourists like us.

The medieval pizza oven

[caption id="attachment_2149" align="alignnone" width="660"] The medieval pizza oven[/caption]

Since the main sight, the ancient theater of Buthrotum is covered in my previous post with a photosphere, I'm moving to other sights. The vegetation is unbelievable, I wonder how it looks during winter. It's like a small jungle. Walking the paths I came across this structure. Reminds me of a pizza oven, although there is no tunnel inside. Just some sort of tub, not deep.

Welcome

[caption id="attachment_2146" align="alignnone" width="660"] Welcome[/caption]

This is the entrance to Buthrotum, after the ticket box of course. First, when you try to park, there is a guy in uniform trying to get a tip. I don't know the way he approaches to foreigners but you don't have to pay for parking if you are visiting Buthrotum. Actually, if you park there, you will see there is nothing else to do beside visiting Buthrotum. There is a raft to cross the Vivari channel (the one you see on the background) and a restaurant some 100m from the entrance.

As soon as you enter, there is a medieval tower from Venetian times. It is well preserved but strangely enough, I never had the curiosity to check if you can enter. I suppose not, since I've never seen anyone go near it.

Some general info from Wikipedia: Buthrotum was an ancient Greek and later Roman city in Epirus. In modern times it is an archeological site in Sarandë District, Albania, some 14 kilometres south of Sarandë and close to the Greek border.

The interesting thing is that most of the city that you will see if you get the chance to visit it, was covered in dirt and bushes until 1928 when an Italian archaeologist, Ugolini, uncovered it. A great example is the ancient theater where I created a Google Photo Sphere.

I guess I can talk for hours and hours about it but let's save some info for the next photos in the following days. :)

Also, last but not least, since 1992 Buthrotum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

No Name Island

[caption id="attachment_2143" align="alignnone" width="660"] No Name Island[/caption]

While it looks like some tropical island, it is actually located in Ksamil, Sarande, opposite Corfu, Greece. I have mentioned it  in my previous posts as well (there are actually 3 islands). The construction that can be seen on the photo is a demolished beach bar. The island it self is a bushy one, you can't walk through it as far as I know. Although the beach here is sandy and white, the island is surrounded by rocks. I think the sand here is brought from somewhere else, you don't find it in the nearby beaches. Also, while the morning feels like paradise, it is quite windy after midday. There are plenty of restaurants though, you can enjoy sea food while the wind caresses your face :D

The best part is that this place is minutes away from the ancient city of Buthrotum. Plenty of photos coming in the next days. :)

Lonely Tree (sort of)

[caption id="attachment_2139" align="alignnone" width="660"] Lonely Tree[/caption]

This tree is found on one of the three islands of Ksamil. The island is quite small and covered in bushes but this tree sort of tried to get away. To reach the island you can swim, it's like 50m from the shore. There used to be a bar there but the local government demolished it (and it was a great decision).