Geriatric Worldwide Travellers Guide

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Our Third Big TripThree Months Travelling No Return Ticket And Experimenting With Bus Travel And Booking Hotels As We Travel
West Coast of Greece And As Many Countries In The Former Yugoslavia As We Could Manage 2018 August through November.

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Butrint Fortress Albania Butrint Fortress Albania Lekurisi Castle Albania View of Sarande from Lekurisi Castle
Gjirokaster Fortress Albania Gjirokaster Fortress Albania View from Gjirokaster Fortress Albania Durres Venetian Tower and City Wall

Shkoder Albania Rozafa Castle Shkoder
 View from Rozafa Castle Shkoder Church in Shkoder

Albania First Stop Sarande
  • On the ferry to Sarande Albania.  Beautiful little holiday town but sadly a little run down in parts with unfinished and abandoned buildings.  On the good side a lot of historic sites to see not far from the town.  We got baled up in town and persuaded to go sightseeing with a young driver and it turned out good value.  
  • Firstly Butrint Fortress was originally an ancient Greek Fortress around 7th BC then later a Roman City.  Known as one of the most important Archeological Sites in Albania it shows an incredible amount of the mixed history of this place through the different stages of its history.  Read more online.  
  • Next to Lekurisi Castle.  This has one of the most spectacular views of Sarande standing on one of the highest points around Sarande.  Originally built in the early 16th century by the Ottomans it was left in ruins for a long period after the end of the 18th century.  There is now a restaurant perched at the top with views to die for.  From what we could understand the restaurant owners have done a fair amount of restoration work themselves and to us it was a great place to visit. 
  • Next by bus to visit Gjirokaster Fortress.  You need a car or bus to get there over the mountains from Sarande.  Its history goes back to before the 12th century and the position dominates the town.  Through various periods it has been a castle and also a prison during the Communist Period.  With extensive renovations and restorations, a military museum from the Second World War, a captured US airforce plane its well worth a visit and has a lot to see.  
  • Onto the bus again to Vlore.  Holiday resort town didn't get to see much here.  Good place to stay if you want to take a break.  
  • Next place Durres.  Founded around the 7th century BC by greek colonists it is the country's most ancient economic and historic centre.  One of the main attractions is its enormous amphitheatre the largest in the Balkan Peninsula.  You can see the form of it but it needs a lot more excavation and restoration work doing.  We stayed close to the Venetian Tower which is part of the walls of the original city built around the 1st century BC.  It also has a bar on the top of it and a good view.  
  • Back on the bus again to Shkoder.  One of the main attractions Rozafa Castle dating back to very ancient times it was taken over by the Romans in 167BC.  It also contains the 13-14th century St. Stephen's Church later converted to a Mosque.  Most of the fortifications are Venetian and a lot of the site is in fairly good repair.  It rises on an imposing hill and has some fantastic views.  We did a lot of walking around this city and it has some beautiful old buildings some in the process of being restored and others already restored and either set up as homes, businesses or shops and restaurants.  Really lovely to walk around.