Fresh chicken and a man of odour
Balkans cycling trip, Day 22 27 July 2017: Greshicë – Kotë We enjoy the rain and Turkish coffee in a small village and later cause the death of an innocent animal because we want fresh chicken. After crossing the Vjosa River we struggle hard to cross the hills on terrible roads before Peshkepi only to…
Rural idyll and smell of oil
Balkans cycling trip, Days 19-20 24-25 July 2017: Golem – Ura Vajgurore More visits to repair shops, donkeys, lovely lakes and delicious cakes. A long and tiring but also relaxing journey from the bustling tourist resorts and industrial cities to Central Albania’s farming country with a drop of oil. Distance: 102 + 10 km Total…
Back streets and parasols
Balkans cycling trip, Day 18 23 July 2017: Vorë – Golem A light half-day ride to the crammed seaside resort Golem just south of Durres. We stop in a sleepy town where the red star is still a central element of the main square, survive the deadly holes on the road and marvel at the…
Goats and bridges
Day 16 (21 July): Shengjin – Ulez Distance: 50 km Total distance: 917 km The last night in Shengjin I checked the map and our route once again and I noticed that the road we wanted to take was not just very low category (meaning that it could easily be a gravel road) but it…
Watermelon and grubby workshops
Days 14-15 (19-20 July): Shkodër – Shengjin Distance: 65 + 20 km Total distance: 867 km Three years ago when Aron and I were on our way back to Montenegro, we spent two days on the beach in Shengjin, a popular holiday destination for Albanians. We liked the laid-back atmoshphere and the campsite, where hens,…
Hairpin bends and helpful priests
Day 13 (18 July): Vermosh – Shkoder Distance: 89 km Total distance: 782 km After a wuthering day of doing practically nothing, we were all ready to cross the mountains although we knew it wouldn’t be an easy ride. Two passes were ahead of us. The first one, 1355 m over sea level, seemed to…
Shivering and lazing
Balkans Cycling Trip, Day 11 Just a cold, rainy day when we all we did was wait for the sun to appear from behind the clouds. 16th July 2017: Plav by the lake Distance: 0 km Total distance: 658 km This was the first day the bikes didn’t move a metre; they stayed chained to…
Technical problems and a new country
Balkans Cycling Trip, Day 9 We follow rivers all day and enter Montenegro. Some serious technical problems make us a little worried and then it seems impossible to find a suitable place for camping in the narrow valley. But in the end we can enjoy the hospitality (and strawberries) of a Montenegrin family. 14 July…
A near miss and friendly neighbours
Balkans Cycling Trip, day 8 We climb the first serious hills of our trip in Central Serbia and I nearly get hit by a careless driver. Breathtaking views of artificial lakes and another heartwarming experience with the friendly Serbs 13rd July 2017: Tatinac – Bistrica (Nova Varos) Distance: 85 km Total distance: 505 km The…
Donkeys and lots of rakiya
Balkans cycling trip, Day 7 A relaxed day with new friends, both human and non-human, and lots of rakiya. Just for the taste of it. 12 July 2017: Chilling out in Tatinac village Distance: 17 km Total distance: 420 km The churchyard was quiet and we knew we only had to cycle a few kilometres…