Top ten for ten days – Issue #3 – Small Travel Guides

Top ten places – April 21st->30th.

From April 21st to 30th I’ve visited twelve towns in three different Countries: Montenegro, Albania and Greece. Here is the ranking of the top ten things (mostly places) I liked the most, as usually in reverse order.

The castle (Gjirokastër, Albania, 2017) — **Number #10 – The dark atmosphere of Gijrokastër and its castle**
*Gjirokastër, birthplace of Enver Hoxha and listed in the Unesco heritage has a very peculiar dark atmosphere with its castles and the small crows. Dark enough to get place number 10.*

Minaret and walls (Ioannina, Greece, 2017) — **Number #9 – Ioannina, 9 years after**
To come back in a place after a long time is more or less like meeting an old friend disappeared years ago. This is the feeling I felt when I entered in Ioannina’s castle. 9 years and also place number 9.

Old cross in a cave chapel (Ostrog, Montenegro, 2017) — **Number #8 – Cave chapels in Ostrog Monastery**
*The Ostrog monastery as soon as you see it, it looks too new, then you enter in those incredible chapels dig out of the mountain and then you understand. Number 8.*

Lead mosque (Shkodër, Albania, 2017) — **Number #7 – The lead mosque of Shkodër**
*It happens that you go to see the castle of Shkodër and you are dazzled by a beautiful old mosque almost abandoned. It takes number 7!*

Road between Saranda and Gjirokastër — **Number #6 – The road between Sarandë and Gjirokastër**
*They say that what does not kill makes you stronger. Well, the feeling after overcome the road between Gjirokasteër and Saranda is that one. Since I’m ok, then place number 6.*

Crested Grebe (Lake Skadar, Albania, 2017) — **Number #5 – A quiet Sunday at lake Skadar**
*In spite of some drop of rain, you can spend an enjoyable Sunday, hiking around the lake Skadar and eating some grilled eel. I did it that’s why this is at number 5.*

Sunset in Durres — **Number #4 – A beer with a friend**
*Durrës is not a great place but has a nice seaside and you can enjoy a beautiful sunset drinking a beer with a friend. More than enough to catch number 4.*

Ottoman houses (Berat, Albania, 2017) — **Number #3 – View from guesthouse in Berat**
*Just the perfect place and the perfect view. A house-museum in a Unesco site with a view like the one in the picture. Would this not be enough for a bronze medal? Number 3 is gone.*

Upper Monastery (Ostrog, Montenegro, 2017) — **Number #2 – Hike to Ostrog Monastery**
You don’t need to be religious to reach a peace of mind when you achieve some result after a strong effort. Climbing up Ostrog Monastery is one of this kind of challenges. At the top of the hill and almost at the top of this ranking. It is only number 2.

Ionian columns (Apollonia, Albania, 2017) — **Number #1 – Arcadia in Apollonia**
Apollonia is less famous than Butrint but I loved it and I think its atmosphere is unbeatable. Get into a time machine and be back in ancient Greece or in an ideal Arcadia. And ideals for me are always at number 1.

By the way… have you lost the first or the second issues of the top ten? Don’t worry. You can find them here: Top Ten for Ten Days – Issue #1 and here Top Ten for Ten Days – Issue #2

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