9th June

Today was our opportunity to start exploring Albania. We met our driver/guide Florian and set off to Gjirokastra, apparently the number 2 tourist site in the country. On the way we saw the ruins of an old monastery. The highlight of Gjirokastra is a castle. Ali Pasha had something to do with it. It sits above a quaint old town and is reached through a typical avenue of tourist tat shops. Around us were lush hills streaked with low cloud. We went for lunch at an unpretentious roadside Albanian cafe. Home grown veg, honey, yoghurt and chips were served. We bought a small plastic bottle of the honey. We then visited the Blue Eye, named after the upwelling of an underground water source. I felt we had done enough and was pleased to be back on the boat. After a snooze we hit the town for a meal. After the bouncing around of yesterday caused by strong southerly winds it was good to be gently bobbing at our mooring.