29-30/10/2023

We exercised with the fab view. The resident pup was a little in my face when lying on my mat. Corrie is keeping her distance from the older big dog and puppy.  I wonder if she’s protesting in case we are considering another dog.  But we are so NOT!

We parked up in Vlore town, roadside … I’d only been able to identify underground parking. Walked about 1.5km along a main straight boulevard to the main sites … didn’t take us long!

There was a Museum of Independence, but it looked a bit fusty so we gave it a miss. On our walk back to the car, J was desperate for a pee and I was desperate for food. We passed cafe after cafe. A pizza place. A fast food place. I can’t usually eat at these. Joy … a board advertising food. We sat and asked for a menu. No food; it’s Sunday. OK just a drink then … and a pee for J – he was 😃.   Are there any restaurants near?  No, they are far. Grr, by which time my stomach was turning acid. So I dived across the road to a supermarket, and lunch was Bagel Bites and a bar of chocolate! Hunger assuaged, we didn’t fancy the picnic in the car later!

We drove north to Narte Lagoon. A main fishery and huge. We stopped and walked along a causeway to a small monastery.

A second truly crap nights sleep!!! The feckin dogs started barking even earlier. Last night it was 1.30. Tonight it was 11.30. I guess as previous guests have fed them, they hang around the apartment. The pup seems to sleep in the porch. This means that when he hound howls and barks it is right by us. The little fecker then moves round to under our bedroom window. We are used to barking dogs, cockerels, donkeys etc … but not this close or for so long. I managed to doze off again, but J had a pretty sleepless night. I’ve messaged the owner to ask if the dogs can be kept away at night … no reply. We will see what happens tonight. The folk are running a business, so I’d like to leave good reviews, especially given how cheap it is. Concerned that if I go public about the dogs, they will ‘disappear’! Another female chained by the owners house. 2 pups under a bench. What I think father mimed was that the mother was eating her pups! So difficult. Let’s see what tonight brings.

So an easy day going south of Vlora. First stop was the C12 church in the middle of marshland. We abandoned the car along the dirt track and walked the circle around the marsh.  Tiny church remains plus ruins. It was unusual as it has a narthex… a new word to us. It’s an ante chamber or porch separated by a railing in early Christian churches. Not much in evidence here.

We had our picnic along a beach in the sun. Considered going to the ancient site in the military area.  However, the sun and lack of sleep (barking dogs again outside our door for hours again) made us sleepy. So we headed home via a butcher and small supermarket.