After leaving my new friends I stopped at a little mountain village called Borsh to fill up the van with fresh spring water from the mountain. Whilst I was there I found the most amazing café built around a waterfall, so popped in for a coffee
Then climbed up to the nearby castle
It was just me, the sheep and the goats
Not a single other person in sight
The gates were tied shut with a shoelace
I decided nobody would mind me going in if I closed them again after me
I continued my drive along the mountain roads, stopping at view points along the way
From one of these spots I saw a few vans parked by the sea
I went down to join them. There were four vans altogether, parked right on the beach
In summer this is the site of a little collection of beach bars, but in winter they’re all closed and nobody minds vans staying there. One retired French couple had been at this spot for over one month. I stayed two nights
Soaked in the sun from my swing chair
Swam in the sea
And washed in the fresh water river that flowed down from the mountains right into the bay where I was staying
Wild horses played with stray dogs
And the sunsets were incredible
From there I drove to Sarandë, one of the big coastal cities. I didn’t stop because it was just a collection high rise holiday flats that were currently empty as it’s out of season. Most things were closed and it was a strange vibe
I continued to the Butrint Nature Reserve
Found a lovely free parking spot with great views over the wetlands
These wetlands are of global importance as they support several endangered species of flora and fauna
There were so many birds, frogs, crabs etc. that could all be seen from my doorstep
In the distance you can see Corfu
One day I found these two rabbits under my van, definitely not one of the native species!
It turned out they belonged to my van neighbour – a German lady who lives in this caravan with her seven children
A short walk from my park up were the ruins of the ancient town of Butrint
Inhabited since prehistoric times
It has been a Greek colony, a Roman city, a bishopric and was briefly occupied by Venetians
Before it was abandoned in the late middle ages
It was such a peaceful place with the wild flowers, forest, ancient stones, warm weather and glimpses of the surrounding wetlands
Near where I was parked was a hotel. I went to have a coffee in their garden each morning. I got chatting to the staff. They offered me use of one of the hotel bathrooms, a private space in the bar to use their wifi, and the cleaning lady did all my washing for me, including drying and folding (all for free)
I went with some of them to the beach and drank with them in the evenings
What was going to be a one night stop turned into several, and although I was only there a short time it really felt like home
