We had organized for a smal tour bus to meet us on the other side (in the Port of Corfu), and were driven around the island, where we spent some time at the Palace of Achillion-- which was built for Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) of Austria, in the 1890s.
The island was full of olive trees, and many brilliantly coloured flowers. The Ionian Sea was a gorgeous clear blue, and I know some of us would have loved to spend some time on the beach! But we only had a few hours there, and got to see quite a lot of the town. We had lunch after a short walk through the centre of town-- including some delicious tzatziki and locally produced Ionian beer. After lunch, we explored through the town a bit more, and caught the boat back to the Port of Sarande in the evening.
While most of us went back to the hotel for dinner, six of us went up the mountain to dine at Lekursi Castle-- a spectacular location with a panoramic view of the whole region. The food was delicious, and we got to watch the sun set and the lights come on in the town below.
We were driven back to our hotel after the sun had set, along the back roads, which is a real experience in itself. The roads are quite narrow and winding, sometimes paved, no streetlights, or stoplights. The 'rules of the road' don't really exist here, since Albanian citizens have only been allowed to own/drive vehicles since about 1992 (after the communist era ended). There are a lot of quirks and things that we can't take for granted here (hot water, internet access, and even electricity are sporadic at our hotel), but it's been a fantastic time here so far. This morning, some of us are going back to the ruins at Butrint, to hear the brass perform at the ancient amphitheatre.