Just in case you don't recognize us when we return, it is because we found the fountain of youth in Albania (or at least thermal baths that are said to have natural healing powers). But before we checked out the thermals, we had another great breakfast in the garden of our guesthouse before we checked out. There were some options to go hard today and pack a lot in, but we decided that we would take a more chill approach to the day. So, thermal baths, a hike up a canyon and a 3 hour drive to Berat were on the docket.
Breakfast in the garden of our guesthouse
The tea is made from all sorts of plants that are just steeping in the hot water.
Again, rolly suitcases are not the best for cobblestone streets.
The Thermal Baths (Llixhat e Benjes) have mineral rich waters known for their healing properties. Dan is not convinced that there is real science behind this, but I'm a believer. They are in a beautiful setting at the mouth of the Legarica Canyon surrounded by big mountains. Plus, there is a cool bridge that was built in 1760 by Ali Basha. There are a total of 6 pools, each one is said to have different healing powers. To get to all of the pools, you need to hike up the canyon a bit. We soaked in almost all of them. The water was 28 C (82 F), so it wasn't hot, but it was clear and you could feel the minerals on your skin. We were there in the morning which is when the local Albanians were there. At one point, I was soaking in a pool with a bunch of Albanians, many of them older. When I looked at them, they were rubbing their arms and legs in the water AND their skin was incredible - like no wrinkles. There must be something magic in that water!
The Ottoman Bridge, built in 1760 by Ali Pasha.
Soaking in one of the thermal baths right next to the Ottoman Bridge.
I could feel the healing taking place 😊
Soaking in the biggest of the thermal baths. Check out how clear the water is.
This pool would be packed with people later in the day.
The Ottoman Bridge with one of the thermal pools right next to it - what a setting!
I am in the middle against the rock with lots of older Albanians just soaking around me.
I found my own "private" bath to soak in.
After soaking in the last thermal bath that was up canyon, we continued hiking up. The walls reminded us of the Narrows in Zion. It was hard to turn back because I wanted to keep seeing "what was around the next bend." It was a nice easy hike that crossed the river lots and was a cool temperature, but we eventually decided to turn around and head back.
Some more small pools for soaking and healing.
There were many more people in the big pool when we returned from hiking in the canyon.
Feeling rejuvenated and like spring chickens after all of those healing minerals, we headed back to Permet where we ate lunch before hitting the road for the 3 hour drive to Berat. Because the infrastructure is not very developed, it takes a long time to get to different places because you have to backtrack a lot. As the crow flies, many of these places are not very far from each other.
There are fruit and veggie stands like this everywhere. The Mediterranean diet is a healthy one.
Berat is known as the city of 1000 windows and when you arrive, you can see why. The Ottoman architecture is beautiful and clearly people appreciate the sun based on all of the windows. The city itself is over 2400 years old and is under the protection of UNESCO. As we strolled through the cobblestone streets, the city was very alive with residents who have maintained their customs and are very proud of their heritage.
For dinner, we ate at a restaurant which overlooked the city - the view was incredible. We ordered the menu which featured traditional Albanian food. It included so much delicious food. We wish we could have eaten it all, but we both felt like we were going to explode! The whole meal, including excellent Italian wine ran us about $35. After dinner, we needed to walk off all of that food. This is a very Albanian thing to do. Everyone was out walking - the young, the old and everyone in between. The streets, bridges and parks with people just out for an evening stroll. In general, people are dressed quite nicely for their walk. This city is vibrant!
Dan walking down the road for our guesthouse. Driving there was super fun.
The streets here are awesome and kind of like a maze. Albanians also believe is flowers (which is a great thing to believe in).
Check out our dinner view,
Check out our food for dinner - Oh emm geee - soooo gooood!
The dip in the middle tasted like it was made with ricotta cheese (fergesa). We'll have to try replicating it with Mill Bridge Farm ricotta.
We ate dinner on the terrace that on the roof of the gray building above the white car. The food and view were outstanding!
The gelato place was packed. We had to battle our way in which is how we knew it would hit the spot.
We were in good company in Albania with our love of gelato. So many Albania's were walking around holding an ice cream.
Last year, Dan bought a book about canyoning in Albania, so that's how we ended up deciding to go adventure there. I read about the beautiful mountains, but what tipped the scales in Albania's direction was what I read about the food - it's kind of a mix of Greek, Italian, Turkish, and more. And with a mountain range named the "Accursed Mountains", we kind of HAD to check it out. Before we left, we had to get our ducks in a row, including creating our "geriatric garden" (raised beds) and putting the plants in the garden, getting and training a puppy, packing a lot of gear, wrapping up things things at school for my work and putting together the master spreadsheet for our trip. And before we knew it, it was time to depart. It was a long travel day, but we finally made it to Dhermi, Albania. We said goodbye to our pups, Maya and James and then headed off to catch the Concord Coach with a quick stop to get the salads that we always get for flights at Market...
There was not time to be jet lagged because we had things to do today. The weather and wind cooperated, so we grabbed some breakfast at a bakery on the beach and then headed to meet the paragliding folks. Because, why not go paragliding on your 1st morning in Albania? Plus, today we got proof that Kara and Dan were on a beach during a vacation - unheard-of. Check out the color of that water - it really is that blue! A delicious breakfast from a bakery on the beach. A bakery on the beach The paragliding launch spot One of our pilots using some flagging tape at the end of a stick to figure out the wind - very high tech. Setting up the paragliders We did introductions with our pilots, set up the gear, waited for the right wind and figured out who would fly with whom - they divided up our weight, so I went with the bigger pilot named Guisne. I was told that all I had to do was run when I was told to run and then hold the camera. That sounded easy. So, I was excited, but not nerv...
Dan thought it was a good idea to do Benjes Canyon today despite the fact that it is a more technical canyon and very few people even do canyoning in Albania. So, I was a little anxious the night before thinking that we might die in a canyon in Albania. I am writing this blog now, so we obviously didn't die - yay. The morning started off well with a yummy breakfast in the garden of our guesthouse. Then we packed up our gear and headed off to find Benjes Canyon. We had to go several kilometers on a dirt road which would have made our rental car company very unhappy. We drove very carefully though. Breakfast in the garden of our guesthouse Our guesthouse There were even little pizza fritta - just like I learned how to make from my Italian mom and Nana We parked at a church that was tricky to drive to. The approach to the canyon was about an hour of hiking in the hot sun on a faint trail. It seems like we have spent a lot of time sweating since we have been in Albania. Eventually, we...
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