The alarm clock sounded at 07:00, the equivalent of 06:00 Italian time as we had to put the clocks forward for Greece. Looking out of the window we could see the Albanian coast although it looked dark and rather forbidding in early morning light and overcast conditions. We sailed past bays protected by sand bars and then small islands before arriving at the port of Igoumenitsa.
We travelled north to an area we had never visited but was mentioned in the Blue Guide. This was until very recent times a restricted military area because it is very close to the Albanian border. It is an indication of the lack of perceived threat after the fall of communism that the area is now dedicated to tourism and nature parks. The fact that it was a restricted area has helped greatly to protect the flora, fauna and architecture of the landscape.
We attempted to find 'Pyrgos Raghiou' – a fortified tower and settlement but ended up on the wrong road so we went to our second target, Segiatha. On the way we passed the abandoned village of Lisi high up and spread over the hillside, once the home of a Greco-Albanian people who lived in 'kulla' tower houses, very reminiscent of tower houses in the Mani. The Albanian people were driven from their homes in the progroms of 1943-45. We drove on to Segiatha passing and failing to locate an archaeological site in Asprokklisi but we did locate 'O Fornos' (a bakery) and shop to purchase bread, baklava and feta cheese. Entering Segiatha we were greeted by large areas of shallow salt water and brackish lakes full of jumping fish and many herons and egrets feeding. The once important port is now only used for small boat fishing and tourist sailing although it is said that with Albania so close, smuggling is an important part of the local economy!
Retracing our steps we stopped at a junction where the archaeological site of Gitana was signposted. As usual with Greek archaeological site signs, no distance was mentioned which is a total pain. Greek authorities please note, life would be much easier if you put a distance on your signs especially given that you often don't ever sign the site again. This would give us a clue as to whether we had passed the inconsequential site or it was just round the next corner. End of rant.
After 15 minutes walking we came to a cave above the road overlooking the wide river Kalamas that we were following. Was this the site? A desirable prehistoric residence perhaps? I went to investigate, saw some signs of buildings in the entrance and disturbed some beautiful, large bats that flew around the back of the cave making those amazing high-pitched bat squeaks. We walked on and at 20 minutes we were about to turn back – just one more bend (for about the fifth time!) - when we saw another sign to the 'Archaeological Site'. We pressed on , the road widened and we were greeted with a sign telling us (in Greek) that €1,000,000 had been spent on the site. A large part of this must have been spent on the road widening (why?) and the totally unnecessary lighting. Like many Greek sites in the middle of nowhere, they install floodlights all around the walls, but when do they ever use them? We have never seen these sites lit and the sites are closed after dark. For the major sites that host dramas in their theatres, I could almost accept it although temporary lights must be more cost-effective, but for sites like this it surely doesn't make sense. End of second rant.
The gates and ticket office window of Gitana were open but there was not a soul in site despite the fact that there were two workers' cars parked in the car park. We met nobody when we went around the site using the very good information boards that explained (in English and Greek) the context of the area and showed the route to the next board. We spent a happy hour walking, passing another worker's car in the site and only met one person as we were walking through the gates on the way out. He appeared to be a shepherd who had brought his sheep (and car) to graze the pastures above the site on the neighbouring hill. The fortified site with its polygonal walls was an important one in the 4th century BC when it was a tribal centre. There is an impressive Agora, residential area and a Prytaneion that housed rooms with mosaics and one that contained over 3,000 clay seals one of which confirmed the name of the site as 'Gitana' and another confirmed the tribe as the 'Thesprotons'. The theatre is very important as, very rare in Greece, many of the seats were engraved with the names of people, presumably those who they were reserved for. The theatre would have had an lovely view over the important river of Kalamas and out over the Kalamas delta with Corfu in the distance. All you fans of heaps of stones, do visit this site but drive your car or motorhome all the way to the site – it may be a little muddy in places but it is much easier than walking.
We found the site of Pyrgos Raghiou set on a low hill on the edge of the salt marsh (sea in the 4th century BC) but the gates were closed – this could have been because it was closed on Mondays but we suspected that it had been closed for some time.
We drove on to Parga Camping found a pitch, couldn't find anyone to pay (we are in Greece now – that will wait until tomorrow) and wandered into the town. Out of season, Parga is beautiful. The small bay with fishing boats and islets, one of which has a whitewashed chapel on is very picturesque and can be viewed from one of the many cafés or tavernas lining the promenade.
What a fantastic first day in Greece. We had ticked most of the boxes – at least 10 flocks of sheep and goats with greetings from the shepherds; free-roaming herds of cows; huge amounts of wild flowers and butterflies; interesting birds, including the first stork (of many I suspect); ancient archaeological sites; beautiful views; oh, and those Greek specialities of feta cheese, ouzo and retsina. Life can't get better!
Photos: Best foot forward in Segiatha; Gitana mosaic in the Prytaneion; Dried mud in the Gitana theatre; The busy highway to Gitana.
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