MONTENEGRO
We cruised to Montenegro through the Bay of Kotor, fjiord-like bays with rugged mountains towering over our little vessel. Docking in the town of Kotor, we toured this small city of 25,000 as a guide explained its' history from medieval times to its' independence in 2006. A safe haven from the open sea, this small country of fiercely independently minded people have defended their homeland and culture for many centuries against Roman, Venetian and Turkish invaders. Today they are trying to maintain this independence by promoting tourism and welcoming a more peaceful invader, arriving on cruise ships.
ALBANIA
BunkerPrior to departing the Bay of Kotor, we drove to a mariner's shrine off the town of Perast - Our Lady of the Rocks, This man-made island of sunken ships and rocks thrown into the water by those who believe in the miracle (Google it), is a very popular tourist destination as indicated by parked cars from many European countries.
Sailing southward overnight we awake with the stark mountains of Albania rising from the waters edge. We have left the Adriatic Sea and entered the Ionian Sea. The heel of Italy lies to the West, Greece to our South, as we make for our landfall - Saranda, Albania.
Albania, with a varied history from ancient times, this rugged land has been ruled by the Romans, Greeks, Byzantines and Ottoman Turks, until, in the last century, it became a self ruling communist country, isolating itself from the rest of Europe.
Shaking off the shackles of tyranny in the late '90s, it is still economically underdeveloped.
We toured the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Butrinti, inhabited since prehistoric times and with ruins dating back to the 8th century BCE. first by the Greeks and then the Romans, it is now being slowly excavated, exposing the remnants of those long past cultures.
Sailing southward overnight we awake with the stark mountains of Albania rising from the waters edge. We have left the Adriatic Sea and entered the Ionian Sea. The heel of Italy lies to the West, Greece to our South, as we make for our landfall - Saranda, Albania.
Albania, with a varied history from ancient times, this rugged land has been ruled by the Romans, Greeks, Byzantines and Ottoman Turks, until, in the last century, it became a self ruling communist country, isolating itself from the rest of Europe.
Shaking off the shackles of tyranny in the late '90s, it is still economically underdeveloped.
We toured the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Butrinti, inhabited since prehistoric times and with ruins dating back to the 8th century BCE. first by the Greeks and then the Romans, it is now being slowly excavated, exposing the remnants of those long past cultures.
CORFU
A short cruise across to the Greek Island of Corfu, a scant one and half miles, moving our clocks ahead by an hour, and we are now only days from the end of this adventure.
Corfu, home of the first university and philharmonic orchestra in Greece and birthplace of Queen Elizabeths' husband, Prince Phillip.
We toured the central part of the island, high into the hills. Stopping in a small town to walk through the narrow streets, we visited one home where we saw the owners' olive oil press and then continued on to Corfu Town, where after walking the old town, Judy and I visited the 400 year old Synagogue and spoke to one of its' members, learning of how all but 100 of the towns 2200 inhabitants were taken to concentration camps and less than 100 returned at wars end.
We then returned to our ship to sail overnight to our next port, Itea.
Corfu, home of the first university and philharmonic orchestra in Greece and birthplace of Queen Elizabeths' husband, Prince Phillip.
We toured the central part of the island, high into the hills. Stopping in a small town to walk through the narrow streets, we visited one home where we saw the owners' olive oil press and then continued on to Corfu Town, where after walking the old town, Judy and I visited the 400 year old Synagogue and spoke to one of its' members, learning of how all but 100 of the towns 2200 inhabitants were taken to concentration camps and less than 100 returned at wars end.
We then returned to our ship to sail overnight to our next port, Itea.
ITEA (DELPHI)
Before dawn, we arrived in Itea, where we spent the morning exploring Delphi where our guide recited the stories of Greek mythology as we walked among the many excavated ruins and further spent time in the newly constructed museum. Leaving the town behind in the late afternoon, we headed for the Corinth Canal which would take us into the Agean Sea and then to Pireaus, our final port of call before flying on to Canada to visit family and finally home to Arizona.