APRIL 17, 2025
Permet was on our scheduled route and we made a brief stop to check out some sites that we had read about.
Permet has a huge stone in the centre of town. It is 42 metres (138 ft) high.
There are 101 steps to the top where one gets a nice view of the city and the Vjosa River. There are some old archaeological remains of the fortress that once sat on top.
This town was a planned stop. I really wanted to see the Dorm of St. Mary’s Church of Leusa. As with most holy places, it is located at the top of a very high hill, with a crooked narrow road leading up to it. This place was not at the top, top of the hill, but nestled into the side of it, surrounded by trees. It was magically breathtaking, even from afar.
It looked ancient but was built in 18th century.
The frescoes and richly painted murals were added in 1812.
An old lady opened the doors for us, and graciously waited while we took in the absolute beauty of the interior. Sadly the murals on the outside of the building were nearly all destroyed by vandals.
We had to drive right past the 1944 War Monument, which commemorates the sacrifices and resilience of the Albanian people during intense conflicts of the time and region. Sadly, it was not well kept. It had tiles missing and the site was overgrown with weeds.
Our next stop was Langarica Canyon. It is a stunning natural wonder located within Bredhi i Hotoves National Park, a few kilometres outside of Permet. The canyon has soaring cliffs, hidden caves and hot springs. The hike is 5 kilometres and there are places where the canyon is only 3 metres wide with cliffs soaring 150 metres above. However, we were not prepared to be hiking through a river, as it was not the dry season.
We did hike a short distance to Kadiu Bridge, near the Bënja hot springs. This elegant arch bridge was built in 1760, during the Ottoman era, when camel and oxen bearing caravans passed this way. It has withstood raging floods and earthquakes, testament to the workmanship of the time.
The Bënja Hot Springs are open-air pools that were created by local people after property disputes caused the infrastructure that once existed here to fall into disrepair. Don’t you love bureaucracy?
The sulphurous water and mud are said to cure a myriad of ailments. The temperature of the water is only 28 degrees C (70 F). It was not warm enough for me to venture in.
Entrance to the pools is free of charge.
Leaving the side road to the hot springs was not as quick as we thought. We got caught behind a goat traffic jam. There were hundreds of goats being herded along the narrow road. Traffic in both directions had no choice but to stop. Once an open spot became available, the herders sent the goats up the hill. I got a really good video of it all, but I can’t upload it to this blog.
One herder was carrying something in his hand that I initially thought was a rabbit. It turns out it was a baby goat and the mother was chasing along behind him, bleating like crazy. I guess the little guy could not keep up with the herd, so he was carried.
We were on our way to Korce….
An Old Lady with a Backpack 
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