After leaving Butrint I headed into the mountains to the Blue Eye, a cold water spring which bubbles up in a 50m deep pool
The water is crystal clear and you can see right down to the bottom
I had the most magical swim of my life
With the powerful currents of cold spring water swirling around me
Surrouded by trees and the sound of the birds
At the moment the area around the Blue Eye is undeveloped
You have to park at the bottom and walk 1.5km to reach it
However, they are currently building a road all the way up and will likely build restaurants etc. around the river
Its a shame this beautiful natural spot that has been a hidden secret will become commercialised, we can only hope they do it tastefully
Next I drove on to Gjirokastra
Known as ‘The Stone City’
It is a UESCO World Heritage Site and a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town
Gjirokaster dates back to 1336 when it went by the Greek name Argyrokastro, and was part of the Byzantine Empire
It later became part of an Orthodox Christian diocese before it fell under Ottoman rule for the next five centuries (1417–1913)
From there I went even further inland, driving along roads like this
With views like this
Until I reached the thermal springs of Benje
Sometimes I have to pinch myself to check I’m not dreaming
Soaking in a naturally warm outdoor pool, with views of snowy mountains, has to be the best way to start and end a day
I stayed a couple of nights, wild camping right by the springs with some other vans
Then visited a local campsite
It’s so easy to wild camp in Albania I could easily not go to campsites at all but sometimes it’s nice to support little family farms/campsites like this (and it’s only £4). Donna and her husband, the campsite owners, were so lovely. They brought me Raki and a cube of very sweet preserved watermelon as a welcome treat
In the evening we had a fire with some of the other guests, Femke and Frank from Holland
Donna explained to us a little bit about farming in Albania, the Albanian economy and the struggles people face as living costs continue to rise and wages stay very low. It was lovely to share travel stories with Femke and Frank who are 1 month into their 6 month trip.
I used the time at the campsite to have a spring clean and sort out my garage space
The weather is now very warm (between 20 and 25°c in the sun) and it feels like summer. I cycled along the river into the town of Permët
I randomly decided to get a haircut. I asked in a little corner shop whether there was a hairdresser nearby (using mimes and actions). The ladies chattered away in Albanian, getting very excited and making phone calls. At the time I couldn’t quite work out what was going on, but it turns out they had called the hairdresser for me and checked she was available and then rang one of their husbands who came round to walk me there. The hairdresser didn’t speak English but she called in one of the passing college students who translated for us. It was a lovely experience and the cheapest haircut of my life, at the equivalent of £3.40
