Albania's Long-Lost Roman City

BBC's Malcolm Billings finds his way to Butrint, an almost-forgotten Roman city buried in the forests of the Albanian coast. It's a brief but interesting read about some of the challenges of post-communist historical preservation and archeology. To name one considerable hurdle, native archaeologists are practically non-existent so that in addition to work on the site, they must be trained. The entire preservation effort is the product of the passion of two British lords and an American entrepreneur, something of an odd alliance but engaged in some very important work. The ruins sound spectacular and clearly illustrate the sweep of the region's history - Roman ruins, a Venetian fort, an Ottoman bastion, strong points from Enver Hoxha's Communist regime.

It's unlikely that I'll find myself traipsing through Albania anytime soon, but suffice to say if I do Butrint will be on my list of destinations.