Monday 9 October 2017

Sarandë (or Saranda), Albania

Excursion: "The Sips and Sights of Sarandë"

Forecast: Sunny, clear skies,

Max 21°

Sunrise: 6:45am

We woke to the beautiful coast line of Sarandë. The disembarking today would be by "tender". Not so little boats, attached to the side of Queen Victoria, that were lowed in the early hours before we even knew we were in port. These "tenders" were used to ferry passengers ashore when achoring off-shore was necessary, as is the case in this harbour. The dockside is not sufficiently deep for QV to dock.

The distance is probably only 200 metres or so offshore and we boarded through the "lower deck" so there was no need for "jumping aboard", it was very civilised and managed with minimum of assistance.

Each vessel holds 40, and you alite in the centre, guided to equal sides of the vessel alternately by the attendants. These "tenders" would ferry passengers to/fro the ship all day, until last 5pm.

There must have been at least eight vessels in the water, however many more still in place along the ship. I suppose they would be used as life-boats if the need arose.

The coastal town of Sarandë is situated on the Albanian Riviera opposite the Greek island of Corfu.

A visit to Sarandë will show you what Albanians already know - that this town is gateway to beautiful mountains and springs, as well as nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of Butrint.

In 18th century, the ancient town of Sarandë was primarily a small fishing town. It is now slowly starting to become more popular with tourists.

Our guide, a local, was very proud of the progress her country is making, although always appeared mindful that it isn't of a standard visitors might have experienced on this and other cruises. She proudly point out the one and only ***** (5 star) hotel on the island while at the same time continually apologising for state of buildings or roads or infrastructure.

Phillip & I felt she actually apologised too many times. One could see that maybe the roads need attention and shops weren't "tourisy" in the same sense of other ports long established to take advantage of every visitor and their €'s however they are "young" (in terms of "freedom") having emerged from a turbulent past that has included centuries of occupation under Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule and communism.

After being part of a lengthy tug of war between varying empires and its neighbouring countries, Albania was not declared a separate state until 1913, having been freed from Ottoman control and a brief invasion by Serbia. Later in the 20th centry it was occupied by Greece (on and off) and then Italy and Germany in the Second World War.

When the country was freed from Nazi occupation in 1944, the communist party took control of the state and held it fast for over 40 years. Since emerging from its isolated communist cocoon in the early 1990's, Albania has overcome bouts of civil unrest to open its doors to tourists entinced by the stunning - and still mostly unspoilt - scenery and Mediterranean climiate.

Sarandë takes up an enviable spot of the country's coastline, in the curve of a horseshoe by overlooking the Greek island of Corfu. Many people visit on day trips from the island via ferry or hydrofoil, and Sarandë has become a popular destination for Albanian honeymooners.

Cunard has only recently included Sarandë in it's itinerary so things are looking up for Albania.

Albania's mountains are rich in minerals and metals such as copper, iron, nickel and chrome. However, the country lacks the financial means to mine these resources. (I would suppose it's only a matter of time before "big conglomorates" make them an offer and things change, for the better is doubtful but it will impact the country and show improvements in some areas).

A stroll along the promenade provided seafront views with scattered cafes and shops to enjoy. The last of the "market-type" stalls were still open along the seafront and evidence of others with shutters closed marked the end of the season approaching. At the centre of the town we spent time exploring the archaelogical site of a small 5th century AD synagogue, which is the 2nd oldest in the Balkans.

After our brief but interesting meander along the seafront we boarded our coach for the short scenic drive up to Lekursi Castle. On this drive out of town is where you noticed the poor road conditions, reminding me of the roads surrounding Cessnock, however to their credit there were work crews, in one section at least, hard at work widening a section of road.

It was at the top of the mountain and castle, now a prime restaurant, that local traditional dressed group sang for us. I say sang, but really more like "vocal sounds", appealing due only to the range of their voices, men and women in harmony. Phillip says this is their traditional "throat singing", so there you are!

This wasn't a "refreshment" stop as it was mid-morning, however it provided a much appreciated bathroom stop and stunning views of the whole region.

We then rejoined our coach for the drive to our "refreshment" stop, the Winery Isak. Our guide introduced us to the local wines, brandy, cheese and fruits, of the region, before giving us the chance to taste them for ourselves. There was a brief tour of their distillery and greenhouse and wineyard. Boarding the vineyard were our Australian eucalyptus trees. There is something very comforting on our travels that throughout Italy, Greece and now Albanian our eucalyptus trees are evident! We have a presence in their countries without them even knowing it!

Our hosts put on a lovely spread of bread with local cheese, meats, olives and olive oil. Free samples of wines and brandy were flowing and some took more advantage than others!

In our judgement the wines can only improve as their skill progresses. The white was quite palatable however the red was not to my liking at all.

Our coach returned us to the port of Sarandë where we return to ship via our "tenders".

Another lovely day, not so exhausing as other day trips. Very pleased to have visited Albania. One of our attendents in the dining room of Brittania Club restaurant on QV is Albanian, so he took advantage of "day on-shore" too! His name is Darko.