In the evening, after we came back from Butrint, I had the last swim in the sea. The night before it was a scary storm with a lot of rain and huge lightnings. We also saw a lightning strike the sea, which was a new experience for me. It was as if a war cannon fired an iron ball and it hit the water with a lot of fire and a very loud bang. Therefore when we went to Butrint the weather was not as nice as before, still warm but not so sunny anymore. And there was no one else swimming in the sea :)

The following morning we got a Ferry from Saranda to Corfu, for the afternoon flight to Gatwick. It was the most stressful day of the holiday. Everything went well on the ferry but then we arrived in the port in Corfu, we waited 20 minutes for the bus going to the airport, and then the bus was very slow due to incredible traffic conditions in Corfu town. I couldn't believe it and I wished we walked from the port instead of taking the bus. About 1 kilometre before the airport we asked the bus driver to let us out, as the bus wasn't moving much, and we run very fast, with the bags and a suitcase, to the airport. We arrived 45 minutes before the flight and we made it.

Butrint National Archaeological Park

On Wednesday we went to Butrint National Archaeological Park. We took a local bus from Sarandë that takes half an hour one way and costs €2. The park is definitely worth visiting. The entrance costs €10 and it's absolutely worth it. Additionally, there are nice cats in the area trying to get some food from the visitors, funny to watch and relax. On the was back we stopped in famous Ksamil. We didn't like  it straight away, it's built for tourists, has restaurants, bars and nothing else. The sea around Ksamil is beautiful and apparently there are some really nice beaches, but we just wanted to get out of there. We spend in total half an hour in Ksamil, walking around and waiting for the bus for Sarandë. It was the only place in Albania we didn't like.

Sarandë

The following day we took a direct bus to Sarandë. I felt very unwell at one point and I thought I was going to be sick. A lady in front of me vomited first, so the driver stopped and after that he drove slowly, and the road was pretty straight in the second part (not a lot of bends in the mountains anymore). Because of that I started to feel better. I believe it was altitude sickness that I usually don't have, but this time there were so many road bends. Our top floor apartament in Sarandë is incredible. The view is the best I have ever had in my life, it's a huge balcony facing the sea, beach, town and Corfu island in the distance.

In the evening we had a walk around Përmet and we climbed the famous Përmet Stone. The views from the stone are beautiful and the climb is not bad as there are metal stairs. I would say it's a must do activity in Përmet (as everything else we did haha).

On Monday we did water rafting on the river Vjosa. It was a wonderful day out and not expensive either. We spent 3 hours on the river with other people and rafting instructors. In September/October the water level is quite low, so the rafting wasn't scary or rough. It was wonderful to be in a boat in between mountains in total silence, apart from us talking. We were also swimming in the river and jumping to the river from rocks of about 2 and 5 meters high (I went with the lower one..).

Gjirokastra

On Sunday we went to Gjirokastra, it's a world UNESCO town and castle. It takes 1 hour by bus from Përmet to Gjirokastra. It was nice but very touristy (maybe because it was Sunday), so I was glad when we were on the way back to the quiet and beautiful Përmet, after 3 hours in Gjirokastra.

Përmet

On Thursday we took a bus to Përmet. The public transport is very complicated in Albania, so we struggled to get there. First we got a minibus to Sarandë, then to Telepena. The driver left us in a place on the road with a restaurant and anything else. We waited for another bus to Përmet for over an hour. Eventually I started hitch-hiking. We got a lift by a Greek man, who was a taxi driver, and he charged us €20 for a 40-minute ride. We were annoyed because we were hitch-hiking and initially he didn't tell us he was a taxi. We saw him the next day when we were figuring out how to get to the famous thermal waters. He took us there for a very good price, €10 (20 minutes drive) and he also picked us up. So at the end it all worked out great. Thermal waters and canyon were wonderful and I was glad I wasn't on a tour being rushed by a tour guide, as other people were.

Porto Palermo Castle

On Wednesday went to the beach in the morning, and in the afternoon to Porto Palermo Castle, triangular-shaped, 19th century fortress built on an isolated island that is now connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. It felt wonderful to be there, especially that it was sunset time and again it was so quiet. The castle is definitely worth visiting when staying in Himare or another nearby seaside town. From Himare it's a 20 minute ride on a public bus and it costs £2 one way.

When we left the castle at about 18:00, the sky was incredible.

Himare Castle

The following day we went to the beach in the morning (3-minute walk) and in the evening to Himare Castle (1 hour walk up the hill in the strong sun). It's so quiet there.. remains of the castle surrounded by mountains and sea views too. For someone coming from a big city like London, this silence and not seeing crowds was mind-blowing.

The next day we went to a beach called Lavhinia beach, it's one hour walk from Himare through the forest. It was a very nice walk and swim. However this beach is not as nice as the one in Himare, the water is more transparent in the town, and our apartment is 3 minutes away from the beach!

Himare

On Monday we took a bus to Himare. The journey took 4 hours and cost €15 each. Himare is a beautiful little town with nice beaches, and the water is clean, very transparent and not very cold.

We also took Dajti Ekspres teleferik in the afternoon (4.2 km cable car). It was built in 2005 by an Austrian company to promote tourism and provide access to Dajti Mountain. It offers panoramic views of Tirana and the mountains, and at the top it's possible to do hiking and there are panoramic balconies. In the evening we met with Ermal from Couchsurfing. He told us a lot about the history and culture of Albania. He invited us to a café for the best in my life ginger tea (strong and tasty). It was great to be in Tirana, I didn't expect it to be a city with such nice, modern atmosphere. The weather was really nice too.

Albania - Tirana

We arrived in Albania on 20th September. It was very easy to find a bus from the airport to the centre of Tirana, and then to find our apartment. The whole next day we spent in the centre of Tirana and also on Dajti mountain. First thing in the morning we took cash from ABI Bank cash machine, that was the cheapest option (all cash machines charge for withdrawal, and everyone needs cash as it's still a very popular method of payment in Albania). After that we went to Skanderbeg Square, visited the mosque on the square and Bunkart 2. I like the atmosphere in Tirana: small bars, cafes, markets, people having coffee outside. I am really surprised how nice the city is.

Poznań

In Poznań, on the evening we arrived, we met with my dad and friends. Then Fausto got very ill with a horrible influenza A and had to stay in bed for the remaining three days. I went to my dad's house and visited my friend's parents, it was great to see them (friend's parents) after about 15 years.

Wrocław

We spent almost a week in Poland, one full day in Wrocław and four days in Poznań. Wrocław is a beautiful and big city, but Poznań, although smaller, has a unique atmosphere that we like very much. Poznań is also cheaper, especially when it comes to food portions in restaurants, as we were leaving restaurants feeling hungry, although we ordered the same traditional dishes as in Poznań. In Wrocław, we liked the Market Square, Old Town and the Multimedia Fountains at Pergola. We are not into churches (I saw too many of them in my life), especially if there is an entrance fee.

On our last day, 23 April, as our flight back home was in the evening, we took a small boat (€3 one way) and visited two of the Three Cities in Valletta. They were beautiful but to be honest we were tired from hiking, and also both Malta and Gozo are hilly, so to visit something you need to climb up and then down, and like this all day. The residents must be very fit as they do it every day. I definitely felt much fitter at the end of our holiday than at the beginning, because of the hiking and the constant walking up and down for over a week.

Tuesday, 22 April , was the best day of our holiday weather wise. We came back to the beach in Marsaskala and I had a swim. The water was cold but crystal clear, and it was wonderful to swim in it. The beach itself has rocks instead of sand, so it was a little bit uncomfortable to lay on the hard surface on a towel. Some people brought sunbeds with them. In the evening it started the International Fireworks Festival in Malta and it was the opening evening in Valletta. The fireworks were going on for 2 hours non-stop, very loud, and it was wonderful to watch them from Lower Baracca in Grand Harbour. It was a majestic pyrotechnic display by local and international fireworks factories.

On Monday back to hiking.. we did a coastal hike of 12 km from Marsaskala to Marsaxlokk. The sea colours were incredible, I think I had never seen sea colours and patterns like this. The hike took about 5 hours with some small deviations and I enjoyed it a lot. In Marsaxlokk we spent about half and hour looking for a suitable restaurant to eat in, and we came back home by the public bus. The public transport in Malta is excellent, but also it's not expensive to travel by Uber. We had a travelcard valid for both Gozo and Malta and it cost about £1.50 per journey. The bus took us close to our accommodation.

The following day we took a bus and went to Mdina and Rabat. Mdina is Malta’s old capital. It's also called the Silent City and there are many signs around the city urging people to be silent, and no cars are allowed in the city other than for a few residents and other exceptions. It's an ancient walled city considered one of the finest in Europe and it's on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Rabat is a town right near Mdina with many bars and restaurants. It's also very beautiful. In the evening we took a taxi from our accommodation in Valletta and went to a nice pizzeria, situated near the ferry port.

Malta mainland

On Easter Friday, 18 April, we took a ferry to Valletta on Malta island. The ferry takes 45 minutes and costs €7.50 one way. The journey was very comfortable. Our accommodation is very nice and comfortable, although nothing like the apartment in Gozo. We visited Valletta. The city is beautiful but too crowded for my taste. For dinner I had a national dish of Malta, which is a rabbit stew called Stuffat tal-Fenek. It was really nice. Fausto had fish but he was very disappointed as it was frozen not fresh (we found out later that it wasn't the season for this fish).

Comino

On Thursday, which was my birthday, we took a boat to Comino Island. The boats cost €10 return and take about 15 minutes one way. On Comino we did a hike of 8 kilometres, round the island. It took about 3 hours. The island is very small and apparently there are only two people officially living there. Again, it was a beautiful coastal hike. In the evening we went to a nice restaurant near the port and I had seafood.

At 11.57 pm there was an earthquake of 3.5 magnitude. I saw the walls shaking and the first thing that my brain made of it was that the neighbours must have been arguing (haha). Then I realised that we never heard any neighbours in the amazing apartment, and it was impossible for people to move the walls. I realised that it was an earthquake, and the next day I read about it online.