Thursday, 6 June 2024

Sunday 2nd June 2024 - Gjirokaster, Albania

 

More azure coast took us to another UNESCO World Heritage Site – Butrint. Many years ago we tried to visit Butrint when we were in Corfu but bad weather meant that the boat was cancelled.
There is only a relatively small car park by the site and we were unable to park, being directed to another car park a considerable distance away. I had a theory that the many of the coach trips would be leaving as they would need to get their customers to a restaurant for lunch. So we had an early lunch and tried again, this time parking without any problem.
The site of Butrint was occupied for about 2,500 years from the 6th century BC to the 19th century AD. There are good information boards and a very small museum. The theatre was being prepared for a performance of some kind but there was no indication as to what it was. Just outside the theatre was a flooded area and we were amused to see many small turtles paddling around with their heads above the water. It was an interesting site but not as interesting as I was expecting.
We drove on to Gjirokaster, dominated by its 13th century castle and from which cobbled streets lead down the hill. Our campsite, romantically named Ora RV, was on the outskirts of the city, just off a busy road. We chose the pitch furthest away from the road and prepared a meal.
Photos: This is the ‘ferry’ across the lake from the Butrint site to the opposite bank of the lake and the Greek border beyond – as you can see, they take motorhomes but, fortunately, we didn’t have to use it; The theatre being prepared for a performance; This huge Roman villa was never finished, probably because the water level rose; An impressive section of the wall.





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