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Venice (1)
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Koper (2)
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Sarande, Albania
I had zero expectations of Sarande, because I knew absolutely nothing about Albania, so arriving on this gorgeous coastline was a real surprise. Our cruise ship docked early in the morning. We had a good breakfast aboard and then got a tender boat across to the harbour in Sarande.
Views of Sarande from the ship
Once on land we rook a walk along a main road that followed the coast to the east. This was the first stop on our trip that we noticed more impoverished people begging on the pavements. The buildings that we walked passed were either very well maintained or uninhabitable. The discrepancy between the 'haves' and 'have nots' was vast.
Being from South Africa means that we are constantly exposed to massive inequity, but it was the first time experiencing this in Europe. Majority of the Sarande population are Albanians, but it seems that this city has been occupied by the Greeks, Italians and Germans in the past with a small Greek population still living in Albania.
Today it is the Tourism hub of the Albanian Riviera with tours to the local ruins of the ancient city, Butrint. But most tourism is from the Cruise Ships docking in the bay for the day.
The locals love having visitors, because along with the visitors comes Euros. Albania is not a part of the European Union but applied to join the EU in 2009. Since then they have been waiting to be accepted. The Albanian currency is weak, so they readily accept Euro as payment.
Fishing nets & Ruins
The Pebble beach and local cat
We walked back towards the harbour and desperately wanted to get our feet in the Ionian Sea.The beaches were pebbled rather than sand, so if I ever go back I will be sure to pack in a pair of water shoes, because it was pretty painful on the feet. The water was warm and inviting.
We spotted a single Stand Up Paddle boarder cruising up and down the bay and we were envious as we weren't able to bring along any sporting gear and missed our easy access to the water at home in Cape Town.
Our ship in the bay
There is something about the light in Sarande at this time of year, It just hits beautifully and made the water and land appear iridescent. The coastal and beach area are well suited to visitors and locals alike, with restaurants and shops along the boardwalk.
Fishing Boats
The town has a large contingency of fishing boats, big and small. The piers are lined with fishing nets drying and being readied for the next excursion. I'm sure most boats had headed out early in the morning before we had even arrived in Port. It felt familiar to be surrounded by fishing boats. Our own local harbour in Kalk Bay had the same feel although it has a big harbour wall to protect to from the wild South Easter and ocean swells.
After our exploring we found a restaurant jutting out on a pier with views of all of Sarande. It felt like we were sitting on the water in the middle of the bay. We ordered coffees all round for my husband and I and my folks. 2 Euro each is a treat considering that we struggled to find coffee for E4.50 in Venice. E2 for a coffee is about the same price as in South Africa.
We didn't spend too much time ashore and soon headed back to the ship to relax and enjoy the amenities onboard. My husband and I took advantage of a hot tub in a lesser known area of the ship with our Kindles in hand. We were definitely adapting to this cruise life and felt very spoilt by the experience aboard the Norwegian Star.
Follow along tomorrow for our day in Split, Croatia.
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