Category: Greece 🇬🇷

After a great night’s sleep I woke up with the sparrows. Packed out the gate just as its light. I thought I had got out and would be alone, how wrong I was the road was teeming both ways with cars hooning it at full speed and at that time in the morning it’s always a case of let’s see how close to the cyclist we can get. Many a time I was fearful for my life and I rode onto the rough gravel/grass edges. I can promise you there ain’t much space there.

I started seeing cars queuing and anticipated the Montenegro/Croatia border was coming up. But I pedalled on.. and on…. and on…and on. I did stop and asked a guy in in UK numberplate car how long he had waited. 3 hours already. Finally up a steep hill, the border loomed. I sped in front of the 1st car and was through In no time. 10kms of queuing. That’s a long wait.

So into Croatia and away from the Euro, very confusing.

I was starting to get particularly agitated by the amount of traffic on the road and so I started to make a few adjustments to my route. I found a road running parallel and I turned off the main road.

I know I had been living in a fools paradise of small inclines and easy ups. As I’m sure you all know life works on a punishment/reward system.

Oh the punishment was so severe just after mid day the heat is stifling all my clothing are sodden with sweat even on the flat but the road turned up 2 brutal 5km climbs. My legs thrombing in pain as I try and drive the pedals round. I’ve stalled to an embarrassing crawl 60rpm. What few drivers coming towards/were greeted with my open mouth sucking in breath. Each climb I stooped hald way up for a breather once in a bbq area and the other in a work yard

But on the reward, 😲 views to die for of the beautiful dalmatian coast.

And then the downhills. I never pedal down, the freewheeling was spectacular.

You know I like to be first out of the campsite. But it seems in Albania I am going to be up a little earlier than 5.30am. At least 4 campervans went out before me and 4 people were updating breakfast.

But I jumped on my bike and pedalled out. Stopping as I went along for coffee, yoghurt croissant bit of fruit. Well anything to get rid of my last 1300 Leck. It’s about €10. I got rid of of the 300 but still had a 1000 in my pocket. Wish I had bought a round of coffees in the last cafe I stopped in.

The queue of cars waiting for the checkpoint was a 2 or 3 kms long. Its ways nice cruising padr the cars that had sped past me earlier. It was still early in the morning.

The customs guys are next to each other they just hand the passport through the door, and I am in.

Now desperate for a coffee I searched put a beach side bar and it took me a good few minutes to work out the Eure was the currency in Montenegro. Doh

The coast road it very busy with a lot of cars cutting close and there was a tunnel of about 300meters. I was so scared. I was encouraged by another cyclist who had just been through the other way. But eventually I plucked up the courage and somehow got a car to slow down and drive behind me as I cycled in the middle of my lane.

Today there is hot cloud cover small drops of rain and promising rain snd thunderstorms over Dubrovnik in the next few days. There is a very liklihood I’ll get rained on. I will also getting blisters on the heels of my hands, despite wearing gloves.

There are many more cyclists out on the road now. I try to stop to all of them just to have a chat.

I stopped at a camp sight who said they only had a small slot, it was so sloping, it wasn’t even a spot and they wanted €15 for it. I rode on to find this one friendless and €10, sorted.

No one told me there was a time difference between Greece and Albania. So when my alarm shook me from my slumber at 5.35, it was really 4.35.

I packed up, sat down on the seats at the front , logged in and discovered my dilemma. No real dilemma, it was light and I was ready. Found coffee and a chocolate croissant and hit the road.

The route today was a combination of small town roads a little gravel and a majority of main roads with trucks and cars hooning past. I stopped a few times to try and find an alternative but the distance penalty was so severe.

I was a bit angry and frustrated by the road situation, but I made quite good headway. Half way along the ride my left knee started to ache a bit. This is a perennial problem and may my 2 or 3 days withthe pedal to the metal has not done it any favours.

I counted my Lekë unfortunately not quite enough for a hotel. I followed my Garmin the campsite. The receptionist took 1200Lekê pointed to the carpark…. OK there and went on to tell me no shower either. Now with the heat, the early up, the Kilometers done I completely misplaced my sense of humour. I had to give myself a serious relaxing talk 🧘‍♂️ (not quite, but nearly).

I took my money back and rode off on a mission to find a hotel. But 400meters away was the campsite I was really looking for. No tented up and relaxing.

Really there was not a lot to take pictures of, maybe a video of me talking to the first camping place would have been funny 😄

It seems my Garmin does not seem to want to download 😕 but 116 kms. 5 hrs 30 mins. 21kph. 353m up.

I woke at 3.30am, so frustrated just lay and looked at the ceiling 😒

But it made it easier when the alarm went at 5.30 I was packed snd ready to go. I spied a bakery last night and a bun was what I needed, 5 mins later I found a cafe and coffee really is my friend.

As I said I was non plusses by the ride yesterday, today could not have been more of a contrast. Although mainly down hill the gorge I travelled through made my heart soar with joy 😊. The twists the turns, water falls cascading down, gravel and tarmac shared.

Half way down I stopped at a village most of the houses derelict but a small cafe with a few men inside. I asked for a double espresso. The owner spoke a few words of English…. football is always mentioned. As I went to pay he said coffee from me and try as much as I could he would not take any money. Once again my heart swells wit human kindness.

I pressed on as the gorge spat me out onto the plane I put my head down and rode on. I had a destination in mind. Everything was aching and I really had to focus. By this time the scenery was flat and bland. The route seemed to take me onto a motorway for the last 25 kilometers, and the guys looking on were not helping (ok so I don’t speak Albanian so it’s my fault) but I found a dirt road running parallel to the motorway.

I know I should very excited to enter a new country, and with the people I have talked to have only had positive things to say. So after hilly/mountainous ride to the border I’m feeling a bit well as I said, underwhelmed.

I have been a bit scared it’s been a fair time since I have negotiated a land border crossing. I rode out of Dispilio at about 7.30 sun was shining and tge views over the lake spectacular. It also seems this area is the Greek capital of their fir trade. Shop after shop of fur, who knew.

The mountains are high and covered in a forest of pine, just the kind of habit that bears live in, I saw none. But the climbs were not to arduous and when I found myself in front of the Greek customs I felt a little surprised, I thought they were at a higher elevation.

Customs were easy both sides, the police waved me to tge front of the queue.

A few Kilometers from tge customs I met a couple of Swiss guys on their way to Istanbul. I swerved over to chat, there are not many touring cyclists and it’s good to just pass on knowledge. They suggested I look round Korçë. The road was straight and I got to Korçë pretty quick and way too early to stop. But stop I did, found a hotel.

After 2 days off the second to avoid the thunderstorms that tore through Kalambaka on Sunday, I was desperate to get back on the road. My route took me on and off road. Let’s face it hardly any road pictures are worth taking so ionly took ogg road and interestingly some are pretty much the same.

On one off road section I saw some saw some paw prints that were way too big for a dog or cat or a cow and my mind started to think about this region and the animals that might be roaming in the mountains. Then this sign came up.

I booked a hotel.

Once again I rode too far. My legs are tired.

So spectacular. My second visit and so pleased I did.

I walked slowly to the bank at 8.30 there was still a small queue. All I wanted to do was change some notes. But the sneer the woman gave me when I asked. Anyway that’s sorted.

Riding into Trikala I spied a bike shop, Vaskos Bikes, and took the opportunity to pump my tyres.

Kalambaka was only 50kms away and a slow ride therefor sightseeing and what may be 2 days rest due to thunderstorms.

I had no Garmin freezing problems today. Although when I was trying to route to the campsite the Garmin persisted on trying to take me on a 5km loop for a 1km journey, I ignored it.

My Garmin froze 😲. I rashly bought the new 2040 solar, how perfect for my trip in the sun. After the first day I put it in the sun to recharge the only slightly depleted battery, to my dismay 30mins later I checked, Solar charging has been temporarily suspended. Above 50⁰ it blows up the battery it seems. Then Thursday morning was I was zooming in and out the whole thing froze, I did the classic turn off then on 3 times still frozen. I fired upmy phone onto komoot and used that to get me to a cafe, not the easiest of tasks holding the phone in one hand and riding. Luckily by this time the Garmin had unfrozen and it guided me but did freeze 3 X more over the rest of the day.

I needed to change some large cash notes so sailed into a bank to be informed they didn’t change notes. I asked why. Maybe Greek English understanding was lost here.

Coming out of the mountains onto the plain was spectacular, although the road was a bit suspect.

I rode to Achilleas Spring, just by the aide of the road, i was quite excited. Its just a spring, not too interesting. It was only as I was walking back to my bike that I notices how many tissues and wet wipes then mounds of defecation. I’m sure this site could be better looked after.

Eventually I stopped in a small hotel in Karditsa. There are lots of bikes there and as always a rather stodgy pizza 🍕. But thats how birthdays go, you can’t always have the best pizza.

The alarm rang at 5am (I left it on for a little longer than necessary the surrounding campers had made noise till late)

I made coffee, it was very dissatisfactory, I’m going to have to practice. Then 2 kiwi fruit for breakfast, pack and put the gate at 6.05.

The sun is just up snd the temperature could not be more conducive to cycling. 3 flashing lights at the back snd 1 at the front. I hope I’m seen.

As I cruised into Chalkida having already stopped for a mpougatsa. I suddenly realised all my plans of getting a small bit of bike innertube from the shops wasn’t going to happen everything is still closed at 7am I rode on.

My big find near a garbage bin was an old umbrella that I cut a section from. I’ll stick that to the bottom of my bag that’s waterproof.

I have ridden this route before and despite my previous knowledge I didn’t fill up with enough water or eat anything else. So when the route turned left and took me up the rough off road track I crossed my fingers in hoping there would be food and water somewhere.

Up and over (no pictures, look at the spring blog). As you go down the other side the views are spectacular but the road takes me through the weirdest of towns usually there is no one there. But a more thorough search threw up a cafe. The woman easily persuaded me to have 2 toasties.

At this point, 10.30ish, I assessed my situation 59kms in and I was thinking another 50 more. I

I met 2 cyclists who had cycled from Poland and were heading for Athens then turning back.

I pushed on to a campsite I had selected. I thought early but I had ridden 118kms so that is OK.

I put some Sugru inside and outside of my front bag, hopefully later I will stick the umbrella material over the top. I also put some Sugru over my mug handles so I can pick it up off the cooker.