As our fifth day aboard Sea Cloud draws to a close and I reflect upon an eventful day, guests and crew are experiencing a rare treat: the spectacular sights and sounds of a thunderstorm at sea. The ship, stable as usual, does much to mask the movement of the seas, although everyone has taken extra care to secure their belongings for the night.
We docked in Sarande, Albania, early this morning and headed to the archaeological site of Butrint. This UNESCO World Heritage site offered us a tantalizing glimpse at its long and complex history, including 4th-century B.C. fortification walls, an elaborate Christian mosaic of 6th-century date, and a reconstructed Venetian castle that was captured by Ottoman governor (and later renegade) Ali Pasha Tepelenanear the turn of the 19th century. After leaving Butrint, we next visited the Ottoman Castle of Lekuris, where we sampled local fare and listened to traditional Albanian folk music while enjoying breathtaking views of Sarande Harbor.
Following this full morning program, the afternoon allowed guests the opportunity to attend any (or all) of three presentations, including a digital photography instruction session with photo instructor Max Seigal, a narrative history of Sea Cloud with expedition leader Tom O’Brien, and my lecture on the ill-fated Fourth Crusade. We finished our evening with an elegant four-course meal in the ship’s wood-paneled dining room, barely noticing the high waves as lightning arched through the night sky—a dramatic close to our first day in Albanian waters.
