Several sounds woke us up while we were perched at the edge of Lake Mursi. A Shepherd moving sheep and goat passed us, a small funeral at the church down the road, and a worker dumping rocks along a fence. So, with that encouragement, we got ourselves out of bed.

After Breakfast, we decided a walk along the water’s edge would be nice. We didn’t get far before we noticed burs accumulating on Salsa’s Paws. We quickly returned to Holly the Camper for some emergency removal. For no further than she walked, she had a ton of them.

Once that was done, we took a short break, and then figured we just needed to head further down the road to the next stop. This camp was at an Olive Mill or Press, where they take the olives and squeeze the oil out of them. Sounds like a simple process. Just like it would be to find the place, right?

Get prepared for another Happy Detour! The instructions on Park4Night said to look for a Green Sliding Door, it will be unlocked, just open it and come right in. We found a green door, we got it open, we got through it. Problem is, that was the neighbors, not the campground. A fence blocked us from going forward, and the loose gravel on the hill kept us from going back.

We called the host of the Olive Mill Campsite, and he was there in about 15 minutes, He repeatedly said, “No Problem,” but Kasey and I didn’t feel like it was no problem. He and his father pulled up the fence posts, made an opening wide enough to get through, then moved rocks and smoothed out the dirt road with a backhoe so we could get through.

We made it up the hill, and right past the campground one again. Another Happy Detour U-Turn, and we were finally in place.

This was all followed by rainy days and nights joined with the wind. Apparently, the area was being served a heavy dose of rain and bad weather.

Finally, a day came with the with the skies mostly clear, and we were able to get a tour of the Mill. We also got Salsa used to walking in boots.

After hanging out for several days, we decided to make our way. We couldn’t head any further south without entering Greece, which we can’t because we don’t have the days on Schengen Visa. We decided to park for a night on our way to The Blue Eye. It was near the town of Mesopotam, with an Aquaduct Feature.

It rained again, this time not so severe. It was bad enough to cause a problem we will get to. Our first delay would be the large herd of Sheep that need to pass by.

The second would be that Holly wouldn’t move, only the tires would slide. Yes, we were stuck again. We didn’t even get a chance to have a Happy Detour! We called the only person we knew in the area, Jon, the host of the Olive Mill Campsite. He said he could be there in a hour.

When he arrived, we was in a white pick-up truck. Apparently, a new friend he found in the nearby town that would have something that could pull us out. It was a smaller truck, but had bigger tires, and big winch on the front, that pulled out of the slippery mud and grass. They both did all of this for free! A handshake was the only payment they asked for. We have met some great people in Albania!

In a rare moment, we actually remembered to take a picture of a meal before we had already dug into it. Kasey made spaghetti.

We got on the road, paved and dry, and made our way to The Blue Eye. Even though we would be parked, it would be in a paved parking lot, where we believed we would safe. Actually, we felt secure with the four legged guards on duty. They only asked for food for payment. Plus, they got along great with Salsa.

The Blue Eye is a spring the bubbles up from down below. How far below? They don’t know, divers have never gotten that far down. Albania has two of these features, this one in the south being the most popular.

Our first night the rain and wind came back with a vengeance. So strong in fact, that it blew over the ticket box office shack in the parking lot. No one was in it, as it was closed down for the off season.

Fortunately, the weather cleared enough for us to brave the 2Km walk to The Blue Eye around the reservoir that it creates. Up one side is paved trail that goes up and back down about 50 meters. The other side is more rugged, and we didn’t have the time, nor was Mother Nature going to allows to take it.

Upon returning, we noticed the parking area was a bit more crowded. While two of the new campers that were there packed up and left, one remained. An older, smaller camper than our own, it had Netherland Plates on it. The woman came over and spoke to me while I was changing over to other gas bottle. We ran out while Kasey was making dinner.

They were a wonderful couple, and we spoke them quit a bit in the morning. We were both heading to Gjirokastor next, but they were going to continue in a free space, while we were ready for another campground.

We arrived in Gjirokastor, found a grocery and shopped for just about everything we needed. We headed on to find the Campground we had picked. It had a gate draw, but the hosts knew we would be arriving. We opened the gate and pulled in, looking for space close to the entry as the area looked like it was being redone. Well, we didn’t get far, as Holly slide deep into the sandy parking area.

Yep, Stuck Number 3, and it felt like we were out. With a What’s App Message, about six people showed up to help shovel, place boards, and push us out. The area had been recently flooded, and it left the ground like driving on the beach. Something Holly is not designed to do.

We decided to find a spot where we could park on a solid surface. Just down the road was the perfect place. Why I didn’t pick in the first place, I don’t know. So we will be staying at Camp Ora RV for a few days.

The hosts at this site are very friendly and helpful. They have a gravel area for campers too, but they had closed it to repair it from all the rain. We were parked in front of the restaurant, on solid concrete bricks. We have water and electric right at the pitch, so this is a great place to stay. We are on the edge of town, so it can be a bit noisy, but it calms down at night.

The second night, we decided to take in a meal at the restaurant, It was delicious. Not a lot of choices, but the food tasted great, and the service was beyond good. We also spent the day doing laundry, and asking questions about the area. We are hoping the rain will stop long enough to enjoy some this town they seem very proud of.

The weather finally tried enough for us to take a walking trip down to the main street through town. It took about 20 minutes, but our first stop was an ATM to get some more local cash. Nest stop was up the street, and down a side street into a Pharmacy. We got most everything but the medicine for the dog, but we did direction to the veterinary pharmacy.

Next stop ended up being a Barber Shop, where I got my hair cut. The man was very precise, and as we found out, has a sister in Boston. Next we found a photo spot so Kasey could get another picture printed to hang in the camper. Next door was a Pastry Shop, and we were lured in. They also happened to have Gelato. Along the way back to Camp Ora, we stopped at a Grocery Store to pick up a few things.

The next day, we took a taxi up to the old town area and made our way through a WWII Tunnel, and eventually to the castle.

We were hungry from all the walking, so we stopped into an eatery. Another connection, as the owner had a sister that lives in New Jersey.

Before we left Gjirokaster, we had another plate of fries and the tzatziki sauce they make. There was enough of the sauce to last a couple more meals.