A Couple of Days Ride Outta…….

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.

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.