Crossroads of the Adriatic Tour
Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia
May 23 - June 12, 2015
Part One - Albania
Page Three - Berat, Albania
Extremely young gypsy mother with baby hanging out on a street in Durres, where we made a stop on the way to Berat
Roman Amphitheater in Durres
After the Illyrian Wars with the Roman Republic in 229 BC ended
in a decisive defeat for the Illyrians, the city passed to Roman rule,
under which it was developed as a major military and naval base.
Durres is the second largest city of Albania. It is on the coast, about
21 miles west of Tirana. Durres is Albania's main port.
Berat Castle is a fortress overlooking the town of Berat. It dates mainly from the
13th century.
Inside the Castle
At Onufri Museum inside Berat Castle.
The Onufri National Museum of Icons is located in the inhabited quarter of Berat Castle.
This museum contains a nice iconographic collection. It is housed in a church dedicated to the
Virgin Mary, built in 1797 on the foundation of an older church with the same name.
It features the work of the Albanian iconographic painter, Onufri, active
during the 16th century. His pieces are notable for the realism and
individuality in his subject's facial expressions and body
positions, breaking with the conventions of the time. I took this photo before
our guide told us that we could not take photos inside the museum.
Narrow cobblestone walkway within the castle area
We ate a delicious lunch at a family owned restaurant within the residential
area of the
Castle.
This woman is the wonderful cook and owner.
Husband and wife owners of the restaurant. He gave her all the credit for their successful restaurant.
Flowers were blooming on the grounds of the Castle.
View from the Castle grounds.
Looking down at the Osumi River from Berat Castle
They were very curious about this strange looking thing in the grass, a turtle; but they did not bother it.
The Mangalemi neighborhood of Berat with a number of 2-story
stone houses with large windows, giving rise to the nickname of
Berat as the Town of a Thousand Windows.
After we finished the optional pre-trip to Albania, our Albanian guide went with us via van to Dubrovnik, Croatia to meet up with our
guide for the main trip. We drove through a section of Montenegro to get to Dubrovnik. As we were nearing Dubrovnik, we saw this
view of the Adriatic Sea.
Link to Page Four - Dubrovnik, Croatia
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