[Apr. 2024] After enjoying a boat trip on Lake Butrint outside Saranda, Albania, dinner was supposed to be free.
However, someone on the tour suggested something to the guide again, and dinner was organized.
I could only get any information about this Italian tour through my Italian husband, and I didn’t really understand the nuances of the situation.
At first, I thought it was annoying, but it turned out to be a fun evening.
We took the usual tour bus and climbed up the hill behind the town of Saranda.
At the top were the ruins of a castle.
This is Lekursi Castle, built in 1537.
It was built by Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire as a base for attacking the Greek island of Corfu, across the sea from Saranda.
Apparently, about 200 soldiers were stationed there.
However, Corfu was firmly defended by the Republic of Venice at the time, and Suleiman’s army stayed put here.
But the highlight of this place is not the castle, but the view.
It seems to be known as a famous sunset spot, and it was crowded with people.
Indeed, if you climb up here, you can get a good view of the topography of the Butrint area, where we visited during the day.
And the sunset, with the bright red sun sinking into the sea, was also wonderful.
If there had been fewer people, it might have been more romantic.
Under the salmon pink sky, the Greek islands of Othonoi and Elixa could be vaguely seen in the distance, and the sight of ships sailing in the foreground was very fantastical.
It was really worth seeing.
By the way, this castle ruins is now a restaurant, and we had dinner here.
Each of us ordered something we liked.
As usual, we ordered a platter of tzatziki, grilled vegetables, and grilled seafood to share.
On tours like this, it’s rare for everyone to sit around one table, and it’s interesting to learn about the backgrounds of the tour members.
Also we learned a bit about our guide.
It turned out that the guide’s wife is also an archaeologist.
It seems that his wife is a better scholar, and she focuses on her main job.
He seems to be supporting the family by working as a guide.
This also made me appreciate the guide’s character.
It was also amusing to see the guide working hard on the calculations when we paid the bill.
It would have been quicker if my husband, who is good with numbers, or the tour member who is a math teacher had done it.
