trips to albania

Hi. Thought I ought to speak out in support of Albania after seeing the last post. As far as I'm concerned, one of the best things about Corfu is the fact that it's so close to Albania. It's probably best to avoid the day trips where you'll be shepherded around in a big group. Just go to the ferry port and buy tickets independently - a boat goes every day at around 9am. Once there, go up into the the town and get a taxi to Butrint which is an old Roman town still half-lost in the undergrowth - real Indiana Jones type stuff and truly spectacular. I'd recommend staying a night and making a trip up to the Blue Eyed spring about an hour from Saranda - again really spectacular - and going up the wild coastline heading north to Ali Pasha's old fortress at Palermo. Covered in moss and very evocative. There are decent mini hotels in Saranda where you can stay for 20 or 25 Euros a night and you can eat a sumptuous fish meal along the seafront for a fraction of what you pay in  Corfu. Remember to buy a big bag of fresh mussels from the street seller for 2 euros before you go back - then cook them in olive oil and garlic when you get back. There's a lot of rubbish and poverty in Albania and it's hard work compared to Corfu but much more rewarding if you make the effort. Corfu for all its beauty has nothing to compare with Butrint and the Blue Eyed Spring or Porto Palermo.