It was a beautiful night sailing as we entered the waters along the mountainous coast of Albania. At sunrise the Sea Cloud approached the deep-water harbor at Sarande, a bustling resort town. A short drive along the scenic coastline brings us to Butrint, Albania’s premier archeological attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Whilst spending the morning exploring Butrint, we learned all about the four different cultural periods that occupied this historic site over the ages. The excavations revealed the multiple layers of history, including the Greek theater, Roman baths, and the exquisite mosaic floors from the Byzantine times. The tour was capped off with a hike to the top of the hill at the Ottoman Turkish Castle, passing through the Lion’s Gate and visiting the excellent small museum filled with artifacts from the site. Before returning to the ship for lunch, we visited another hilltop castle with a commanding panoramic view of the harbor.
We spent the afternoon relaxing before going for a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. The surprise of the afternoon was visiting another castle, at Porto Palermo. This 19th century castle features a view of the harbor and mountainous coastline, and was declared a cultural monument in 1948. But the biggest surprise of all was the bar team from the Sea Cloud serving drinks on the roof of the castle, whilst a Balkan flute player treated us to traditional music.
It was another spectacular sunset as Sea Cloud headed back out to sea.
