Albania

Back at Terminal 5 making the most of my Amex Companion Voucher bagging return flights to Tirana for £9 return.

Customary views over Terminal 5 from the airplane departing from Runway 27R.

The flight (and the same for the return leg) was really enjoyable with great views over the Alps en route to southwest Europe.

Arriving at Tirana Airport for a few days in a new country, picking up the hire car and immediately heading south for a night's stay at the charming town of Berat.

The view from the hotel room window was spectacular.

The weather was quite cool, to be expected for early April but rain that threatened to dampen the day thankfully stayed away. The town was also relatively quiet, with the anticipated tourist rush presumed for later on in the season.

And for this reason, spending time here was extremely relaxing. The town is easy to navigate on foot, crossing Gorica Bridge and strolling along the River Osum passing a range of quaint restaurants and bars. The backdrop of snow-capped mountains and pine trees that line the top of the ridges make this a really pleasant place to visit.       

An obvious landmark is Berat Castle that overlooks the town. The parking area is around a ten-minute meandering drive from the centre of town. The castle is easy to navigate providing incredible views over the Gorica and the river.

Heading further south to Ksamil for a five-night stay, a beach resort that was under development having secured EU funding for future accession to the union. The beachside areas were very pleasant, as was a visit to the Butrint National Park where the archeological park formed part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There was a bit of bird interest here while wandering around the site; red-rumped swallow, Alpine swift, a calling Scops owl, serin, green sandpiper, greenshank, zitting cisticola, garganey and marsh harrier were highlights of a modest assemblage of species.

Corfu is only a 30-minute boat ride from Saranda. Jumping on-board a fast moving Hydrofoil alights at the port, a 20-minute walk into the city. Corfu is a popular tourist destination for beach dwellers but the town is stunning evidenced by its popularity.

The Old Fortress lies on the edge of town and is easily walkable from both the port and from the centre.

Back in Albania, Ksamil has a few lovely beaches, which I can imagine are very popular later in the season but for early April, the resort was starting to ramp up for the summer season.

The country is very scenic and driving through the country provides views across lush green pastures with a backdrop of the Albanian Alps. 

Heading back north, the resort of Durres lies around an hour west of Tirana. It is essentially one long strip lined with some very agreeable restaurants and bars. The sandy beaches here view west across the Mediterranean so can imagine that this is very popular with city residents.