28-29/10/2023

We left our cheap quirky apartment with an extra bed in every room

Destination another apartment just south of Vlore. The 3 hour drive was 7 hours. I’d planned some stops, of course.

The first stop was Borsh Castle. The tarmac Road ended just beyond it. Heart sank at the steep cliff, but there was an easy zig zag paved path up. My sort of castle as there was no one else there. Only the church had been restored. Free to roam and clamber. And great views.

Stop 2 was a viewpoint of another Ali Pasha castle. And the No. 3 was the castle on an island. The engineers built the castle and causeway. Then Ali P had them murdered. We often look at places and think what a lovely motorhome overnight stop that would be … this was one.

Stop No. 4 was another Hoxha bunker, but a big one. It was also going to be our picnic stop. J’s vertigo kicked in badly … it did look as if there was a sheer drop. So I had a quick wander to the entrance of the bunker.

And our picnic was at another viewpoint up in the clouds.

No. 6 and final stop was to tread in the steps of Caesar’s 7 legions who landed easily on a large flat beach and marched over the hills to surprise Pompei just south of Vlore. At the top of Ceasar’s pass fab view as you emerged from the forest.

We received a message from our next accommodation. Don’t try to find the apartment. Meet at Dontello Hotel, my father will be in a white VW Touran … follow him. Really pleased they do it this way, as we zig zagged up some steep un made tracks and semi tarmac tracks to the apartment. We would have definitely lost confidence had we tried to do it ourselves.

On arrival, we cracked open the wine to soak up the views. The apartment is basic, but clean. To eat at night we have to bring the garden table and cracked chairs inside, but who cares at £14 per night.