Saranda: Blue Eye Springs and Gjirokastra

Wanderingdragon
Stephen & Anne
Fri 21 Jun 2013 15:24

39.52.253N 20.00.191E

 

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A view over Gjirokastra from the Castle we visited. The Castle is now home to the Albanian National Museum of Armaments.

 

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Anne and Lucy next to a US Air Force 2 seater Lockheed T-33. The plane was forced to land in 1957 after developing technical problems and flying off course. The plane was first exhibited in 1969  as an “American Spy Plane”. This proud trophy of the cold war was made a symbol of the external threat which the communist leadership maintained was attempting to destabilise and overthrow socialism in Albania.

 

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In the great hall are the remnants of weapons from world War II.

 

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The clock tower was erected in the early 19th century. It has not worked since the first world war when the mechanism was damaged and then removed.

 

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A view of the blue eye lake – we were not expecting it to be anything special.

 

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The source of the river and lake was a giant spring that we think comes from all the snow on the mountains. It was amazing how much water was coming out of the ground.

 

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The spring creates this large fast flowing river – the spring is just around the corner at the top of the photo

 

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Around the river there is an abundance of wildlife

 

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Stephen & Anne standing in some very refreshing ice cold spring water. The source of the spring is in the top left of the photo. We really enjoyed our visit to the spring and lake – it was most spectacular.