Just another day in Paradise

Seems like it has been a very busy week.  Monday ("P" day for the Missionaries) we loaded the sister missionaries into the car and headed south for a town called Saranda.  Rumors have it that it is a very beautiful place and the drive to get there goes through some beautiful mountains.  Well, the rumors

Quaint picturesque little village

are true.  Even though it was rainy and overcast the trip was "jaw dropping".  What an unusual opportunity to drive there.  Perhaps the most awesome experience was coming down the mountain and seeing the sea stretched out as far as was visible.  If compared to the Lewiston Hill it would be about another 1000 feet higher and a little steeper.  So you're driving through this mountain, pine tree area and then there it is..... 3000 feet down and almost straight down.  Makes me shiver again thinking that we actually drove down that road.  When we came back about 3/4 of the way up the grade we ran into some dense fog.  Maybe that was good so we  couldn't see how far down the bottom was but it was bad because we could hardly see where the road was.  What an adventure! 




Vlore from the hill top

I've also been looking for a way to climb to the top of that hill overlooking the Vlore bay.  I finally found the path leading to the top.  You walk up this alley of a street until almost the end then take a path straight up a dirt bank which leads into a beautiful olive orchard.  There is a fairly well defined trail going up to the  top of the knoll. But it is steep and about 200 yards through the terraced olive grove.  But the view from the top is awesome.  I mean just unbelievable ---- a 270 degree view of the bay. This is such a pretty place. 


Very Beautiful by quite steep

Three lane road

We had a beach cleaning activity, the full-time elders and sisters moved back into their apartments, we had an assessment test to administer to the institute and seminary students, English class was not too well attended this week,  we still are a ward without a bishopric, and we've participated with the  missionaries in teaching a couple of investigators.

 We had to inspect the Elder's appartment in Barat so we took the time to visit an ancient castle on the top of this hill.  A very unique place.  Made me wonder how they built the place or hauled all the stones up to the top to build it.  Maybe they just cut the top of the hill off to get the stones...hummm?

View from the castle in Barat