"The lost country" a Albania Travel Page by SirRichard

Albania is one of those countries that's never in the Travel Wishes List of anyone. In fact, when I told my frinds and relatives I was going to Albania, everybody said:
"Albania? Why? What's there to see?"

In fact, I really didn't know how to answer that question. The closest idea I had to Albania was that of the Tintin comic "The Sceptre of Ottokar", though there it was called Syldavia...

Being so close to Greece, I couldn't resist the temptation of crossing the sea and visit the place. I took a 1 day tour from Corfu, planning to stay more if what I saw there was interesting enough... I could go by bus to Tirana and return to Athens by bus (there's a 20-something hours bus direct Tirana-Athens).

Maybe I chose the wrong place, but Sarande, the coastal town where there are 1 day tours from Corfu, is a rather grey and unappealing coastal town with concrete high unfinished buildings and nothing really worth a visit.

I asked for transports and so there, but the buses I saw and hotels I visited didn't make me wanna go further. There were only buses in the morning, as it was dangerous to drive at night, due to the bad state of the roads (if they can be called roads).

The only highlight in the area was the roman ruins of Butrint, but to see ruins I prefered to return to Greece, and so I did... Not a very adventurous spirit, I know, maybe I'm growing older, LOL!!