Category: Greece 🇬🇷

As I have said, ad nauseam I’ve been feeling a bit rough. After the ride yesterday I was surprised that although tired it went surprisingly well. That was until after my meal, a wave of nausea and pain hit me. I wandered a bit, then lay down I rotated these 2 three or four times but they both got worse. I endeavoured to force myself to throw up, interestingly I used to be quite good at that in my drinking days (ps. Just hit 19 years without a drink) anyway I failed despite multiple attempts. Eventually at about midnight, I put in an emergency call to a friend, she calmed me and by the end of our conversation I was relaxed and had decided not to call an ambulance.

I drank some 7Up and a Tropicana took some drugs and everything settled down.

The morning was like night and day. I awoke at 8.40 rearing to go.

The 1st hour of my ride was round in circles. I was trying to avoid a main road and went round in circles in the endeavour. Unfortunately I failed wasting 90 mins of my day.

Once committed the road was flat straight and full of traffic. Unfortunately I put the wrong port down for the boat to Cat Ba island. So when I got there and had been told no I had to do a roundabout route adding another 20kms. I rushed to the ferry boat, time was pressing. I jumped on snd 20 minutes later we landed on Cat Ba island. Cycling hard the last 20kms, the repercussion of going to the wrong ferry was that my last 30 or 40 mins would be in the dark. The Cat Ba mountain view will have to be seen in the morning if it is good enough.

As I rocked up to the Meo Hotel a £10/night bargain. The man said passport please, if I had the energy to sink to my knees I would have. As it was I flopped into one of their chairs and dropped my head into my hands.

Ambling out of the Royal Hotel I went to Daily Dose my favourite coffee shop. Coffee and croissant eaten I negotiated the roads back to the hotel, I think I sort of understand the traffic rules (famous last words 😬) Back to my room and completed the last of the packing.

There were some scales in the foyer me 77 kgs bike 23 kgs. I then got on the bike and pootled off. The route in cities is always convoluted but after multiple stops I got out of town

This route is shortish 67 kms, flat, through suburbs, by a litter strewn smelly canal there are minimal redeeming features.

But despite the low effort needed I got to my hotel completely drained.

Luckily the hotel manager has a friendly taxi driver who is collecting my passport and bringing it here. Saving me a shed load of money and time. Of course there will be worry until it’s back in my hand. I usually get hotels to take a copy of the passport and then retain it in my possession for some ridiculous reason this time i didn’t. 🙄 I know 🤦 but before you laugh too hard just think of the many times you have had a serious oops. I’m just the one honest enough to admit it. 😀

So here we have it just over a month in Vietnam 🇻🇳. I bought the ticket just over a month ago. And to all the people who always say oh Mark you must be super organised with visas etc. I always refute this ability to organise fact. So right after I booked my tickets I looked into visas, hmmmmmm. 15 days or 30 days 🤔 Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. I now have to get a 4 day extension or do some jiggerypokery in Cambodia to make the timing fit. 🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦 yep height of organisation that. I am confused why they send an evisa and I have to print it out.

I had carefully booked a 2pm flight so an easy start from home to Heathrow. But as we all know someone will strike. Baggage handlers this time. I receive a text saying, arrive 4 hours before the flight. Taxi was great 001 Taxis just in case you are interested. Bus, train (bus only takes me to central bus stop at Heathrow).

The staff Qatar Air are fantastic and helpful. But, having checked in on-line I then had to check in again. This gave me 2 boarding passes. Then at the bike drop I then checked in again and got another 2 boarding passes. Seems ridiculous.

Qatar Airport is immaculate, obviously still full of football memorabilia. Practically every shop is a designer shop. The food, even a sandwich is way overpriced.

I have been feeling a little ropy for a few days and the second leg was getting to me. I know who I’m blaming for this illness.

One of the bank cards I was going to use has expired (more evidence of organisation) but I still have others. I bought a sim.

Of course Hanoi airport is mayhem. My taxi was not there but eventually turned up with the help of the hotel.

I hope you almost have a fantastic new year’s eve and your 2023 is spectacular.

2 weeks on the Tuscany Trail. It’s just over 500km on and off road. Some of the off road bits you would struggle to call gravel, I believe a rock garden is a better description.

There has been camping/new tents, modern hotels, the most splendiferous old hotels, arches, ice cream, old towns, cobbled streets, tourists, ice cream, uphill struggling, down hill carrying, near ankle breaking walking, ice cream. Thunderstorms so devastating, wind so hard, ice cream. You getting the picture. 😊

Today I set off alone again, a sad picture I cut too, slouched over the handlebars. But a cool 45 ish kms around the outskirts of Rome. I was devoured once by the police for a burst water main. I saw a few buildings of Rome, but didn’t stop. I encountered one grumpy cyclist, many more happy ones. My route took me down a long private road that ended at a locked gate and i had to force myself and the bike through a hedge (there was already a hole made by others) the back route would have been way too long. Ate a feast of a lunch. Enjoyed my new headband and started wearing the Giro d’Italia hat I got as a present when watching the Giro earlier in the year, it has travelled approximately 4000kms and I forgot to give it to whom it was intended.

Now we’re into the off season campsite prices have cooled a little. But the shop not having any cold bubbly water is a frustration. Also after my shower today was the first day I thought about putting my shirt on to take the edge off the coolness.

Yesterday near the end of the day as I was riding I met 2 Canadians Ivars and Kim. They had just stopped at the top of a hill and I as usual fired 100 questions, Where? Why? How? How long? How far? Your bikes? Your gears? You know the usual stuff.

As I left Kim reminded me the second campsite was the one to go to. I did think for a moment they would be going to the 1st campsite. That thought lingered only a millisecond, they were Canadian, renowned for their amenable disposition, they wouldn’t give me a bum steer from only 5 mins of meeting.

I eventually got to the campsite, pitched tent and relaxed. To my relief Kim and Ivars came in soon after, their route had sent them down some pretty muddy paths.

After cleaning up and getting sorted Ivars asked if I would like to join them and discuss trips etc. I readily agreed. We spent an hour or so talking. I’m so jealous of some of the routes they have taken and Ivars pictures are a class way above my scattergun approach. What a joy to sit down and talk. Thanks Ivers and Kim for a great evening. 😃

As I packed up in the morning Kim and Ivars were leaving at the same time, sorry no pictures.

My route to Pisa went up and up for the first hour, cream croissants, other patisseries and double espresso fuelled my way. At one of the cafes the guys, never seen a woman in those type of cafes yet, said I had to miss an extended bridge and use another route. I heeded their warning and was rewarded by a spectacular route which at one point turned into a serious off road mountain bike route necessitating walking and carrying. A local showed me the way at a couple of points as I was hesitating, he wavered away the Do Not Pass Here sign. All was good and the final steep switchback road was a full test on my brakes.

The rest of the route was flat as a pancake. But it got me to Pisa.

Well despite my day off in Croatia I made up some kms yesterday, the Monte Zoncolon was on my mind, I would have hated to get this close and not had time to ride it. After all it was one of the prime reasons I took this route.

I heard riding the route up from Ovaro was the harder direction, hmmmm why would I take any other route.

I designed the route last night and when I got out on the road somehow (sheer incompetence) I had neglected to notice the designed route was anticlockwise not clockwise. Added to that there was a large street marked in Tolmezzo blocking many of the streets.

But after some calming 😌 moments I followed the GPS route backwards. My bike void of any luggage felt fast and nimble.

The climb twists and turns ziz zagging. 3 or 4 times I did have to focus and steel myself, seeing what looks like a near vertical face in front of you to cycle up is momentarily daunting.

But I gave the climb too much respect, I mostly climbed sitting down with just a few occasions standing up, but these were on the dlightly less inclined parts and only to relieve the pressure on my ass. There is always the chance that if I had pushed just a little harder I may not have made it. As always different days/time/fitness/etc/etc all contribute to how one is feeling while climbing, but the Angliru, a couple of years ago, there were points I could only just turn the pedals over.

At just over 8 kms I was quickly at the top

I was going to put some more kms in but saw this campsite by a lake and couldn’t resist.

After my day off I forgot to set my alarm so woke at 6.15. I do seem to have got this morning packing fine tuned. Unfortunately I undid a strsp and forgot to do it up again. Grrrrrrrr. I hate losing stuff.

The wind had died and although the route undulating views to left and right were spectacular, out over the sea or in towards the forested mountains. You can ask for little else.

I promised myself a serious one coffee in Rijeka. I cruised into town but unfortunately did not feel the love so just carried on. Eventually way to the north of town I asked a guy he pointed to an umbrella quite close, I rode to it a coffee shop attached to a supermarket, I was so disappointed. Then asking for an Amercano in a big mud, the girl just made small coffee in a big mug. I wonder why she thought I wanted a big mug for it not to fill to the top?

My favourite pass time is picking up food from random shops and eating what I get.

Riding up to the border crossing the thunder was ear splitting I nearly jumped off my bike each time and on one occasion a lightning flash struck so close. I have no idea what to do in thunder and lightening. What I did do was put my rain jacket on and keep riding.

The border crossing was a desolate place and the guards were friendly until, I gave them my Greek resident card, he said and passport which I duly supplied. He said, only Europeans here no other nationalities I said but Greeks residency, he said no Brits. I was just a out to get on my knees when he said but as you cycled. He didn’t need to say twice, I was on the saddle riding hard with a thsnk you shouted over my shoulder.

It was sll down hill now but just when the rain started to come down first lightly then so torrential it would have been madness to carry on. I stood under a roof. Sometimes as the thunder broke the whole Igarage I leant against vibrated.

I looked for a hotel, none close or within my price range. So immediately the rain stopped I rode on. Nervously the route turned off road

As i left the campsite at 6.30 the owner was up and about. 1st time any worker had been awake as I leave.

A pretty mundane day today, Komoot seemed to take me through the most industrial areas of Split. Including over this railway bridge

As I got closer to my scheduled campsite there was alternate torrential rain then sunshine and as I was slowly going up a hill in one of the dry moments, a car overtook slowly then another car I noticed just about under my arm, yes actually next to my elbow!. Millimeters away, the driver was concentrating on his phone and only my shouting and his girlfriend shouting averted him from obliterating me. There were a good few choice words shouted.

My route took me inland into the mountains again. Slowly meandering up. I had seen this town name, Gornje Igrane and mistook it for a Gorge name but following the road there with minimal traffic and beautiful views. Like it matters its was not s gorge when I got there.

The road then plummeted down towards the sea a classic engineering masterpiece of a shelf road. A sheer drop down to the sea to one side and vertically up on the other, rocks prohibited from falling on the road by wire netting. 😲.

Then as I neared the sea I saw a sigh to the Skywalk Biokovo. A small queue of traffic. Hmmm could be interesting. The gate keeper told me cyclists don’t have to wait. I proferred the 35Kuna demanded and Rode up the near vertical switchback for 17kms.

The Skywalk is a glass bottomed bridge in a semi-circle, there is nothing below or above snd scary to go onto.

The ride down was exhilarating. At the bottom I swung into Makarska and filling up with baked goods snd ice cream. I sort of lost interest in riding further. So I swung into Autocamp Krvavica for the night.

Now you’ll notice I usually put a picture in here showing the views. I took no pictures of them views. Doh.

Out of the campsite endlessly up. The legs still jittery from yesterday. The new roads are not even on the Garmin yet. Luckily I was following the old road. High above the sea, wow the Dalmation coast is suiting my eyes fine, Georgeously azure, sail boats cutting through the water pushing out a foaming white wake, and the coastline green with pine forests, small inlets with hamlets nestling amount the rocks. And I was part of this my pedals turning slowly alone in my thoughts. Oh the luck of the early morning cyclist.

I was heading for Troanj and the hours ferry to Polče. The road went over a high mountain range and way down in the distance I spotted Troanj, luckily the route turned off the main track and onto a rough serpentine path taking me all the way to town.

They hid the ferry ticket office but my detective powers are close to Sherlock Holmes’s and ticket bought I sat in a cafe and ordered an omelette. I showed the waiter what size I wanted and he said double portion, I readily agreed, like I care about the price.

The blisters on the heels of my hands are getting more painful, I am now wearing more padded gloves, hoping they might relive it.

I got on the ferry a happy full man and by half way across I decided, despite the early hour, to stay the night at the nearest Campsite, 4kms away.

So I loaded up with a few food supplies and set up tent.

As I was loitering Stéfanie and Christophe rode in. They are travelling south about the same route as me. Just so good to swap stories. You know I am the quiet one so they did most of the talking.