Monthly Archives: September 2015

06 & 07 September 2015 – Albania; Elbasan and Lake Ohrid

3 Replies

I didn’t know what to expect from Albania, however it has proven an unexpected delight, with very friendly and welcoming people, and some great scenery, especially latterly.

Routes and stats for the 06 and 07 below:

–> 06 September – to Elbasan
It was a bit stormy overnight, with the odd rain shower, however I slept pretty well until 05.30. Then the dawn ‘chorus’ began, with donkey’s braying, dogs barking, and cocks crowing; the full works, no sleeping after that.

Seeing as I was awake I got up early and was on the road by 08.00 after bidding goodbye to the Dutch campers, and settling up with the campsite. It looked like it had been a good wedding party last night, despite the power cuts, with a solitary member of staff trying to make a start on cleaning up.

I rode South East from Barbullush, following the road I thought would take me back to the main route and Lezhe. It didn’t. The road got a bit bumpy, then stopped, with one branch ending in a river, and the other in a fence and earthen bank; I may have missed a turning, or more likely my map and Garmin weren’t in sync with Albania. My choices were to retreat, ford the river, or push my bike over the earthen bank on to the road which appeared to continue; I chose the latter.

This proved to be an ‘interesting’ decision, as the road didn’t strictly speaking continue, but rather enter the back of a military base. I thought it all appeared a bit army-like, however everything looked unused and decaying, so I thought it was probably a relic of the communist era, and there weren’t any warning signs. I pedalled on, before noticing a casually dressed bloke drinking water for a hose pipe next to one of the barrack shaped buildings. I stopped and asked if this was the right way to Lezhe, and he pointed around the corner and said gate, smiling slightly. Around aforesaid corner I arrived at a steel gate complete with soldier armed with a Kalashnikov; he looked very bored. Another couple of soldiers arrived on a moped, and after a brief discussion during which they laughed when I said I must have taken a wrong turning (they had rudimentary English), I was ushered through the gate and on my way, turning down what I hoped was the right road to Lezhe; I was somewhat relieved to get away from the guns.

There followed a rather uneventful ride to Tirana, during which I tried to stay off the main road which was exceedingly busy with cars and trucks. Unfortunately the side roads were very pot-holed, or un-surfaced, so it was bumpy and slow going, and a bit depressing with all the rubbish piled up.

I passed a lot of weddings; either convoys of cars going down the road with horns beeping, or big parties at people houses, with enthusiastic dancing going on to Albanian music; looked like a lot of fun was being had. I also passed, or had to dodge, a variety of from animals on the road, which just seems normal for Albania, along with the house/donkey drawn carts and fantastic old tractors. At one point I was startled when a snake slithered out from under a bush by the roadside and wriggled across the road, narrowly missing my front tyre; it made it safely but made me jump – must have been nearly a metre long.

The outskirts of Tirana were challenging to navigate, with lots of random and erratic driving, some of which was on a 3 lane road with no real order to it; anything goes apparently. I paused in the centre of the capital for a banana break, but didn’t stop long, as I still had a way to pedal to make it to Elbasan for the night, and several hills to vanquish.

I followed the SH3 to Elbasan, which proved a longer ride than it looked to be on the map; the road wiggled about a lot due to a long climb; another 1,000m plus day in ascent. I stopped in a small town called Petrele to grab some more water and a few snacks, and had a great chat with a young lad minding the shop. As with all Albanians I’ve met so far he was friendly, smiling, and interested in what I was doing and where I was going; he was fascinated by my bike and gadgets.

The road up the mountain was quite challenging, coming at the end of a fairly long day, with lots of switchbacks and three ambushes by roadside dogs; they barked a lot, chased me for a bit, but I either out-pedalled them, or they stopped when I got off my bike – quite good motivation for getting up the hill. I also received quite a few motivational high 5’s from kids by the roadside, on my way up the 750m ascent. The views on the way up and from the top were great, with an unexpected monument to a local cyclist right near the top.

Being up in the mountains, and with a bit of cloud cover, made for much cooler temperatures, which came as a welcome change and made the climb a lot easier, however it was still a relief to make it to the top and begin a great descent down toward Elbasan. The day’s trend for passing animals on the road continued, as I dodged around a herd of goats, several turkeys, and the odd donkey.

Elbasan is a fairly large city, but not quite as bonkers traffic wise when compared with Tirana. I made my way to Hostel/Restaurant Edlido, and despite not having booked received a very warm welcome. Edlido has a dormitory room with kitchen/lounge and bathroom, and is a perfect stopping point when cycling through the country; I could house Smaug in the kitchen area too. It cost €10 for the night, including breakfast, however I also chose to eat in the restaurant, and to enjoy a couple of cold beers after a long day cycling; 115km. I had a great chat with one of the owners, and I think it was his mother than cooked me up a simple dinner of chicken, cheese and chips, perfect. All the staff were really friendly, and the locals all said hello; big football match tomorrow between Albania and Portugal, so it was lucky I arrived today as hostel booked out tomorrow.

One other traveller turned up a bit later on, a Greek man travelling North. I think he may have been travelling up to Croatia or Italy in search of work; nice chap but language barrier prevented communication slightly, plus he looked shattered (think he was walking/hitching). After a great dinner and some planning I had an early night, keen to see more of Albania and make it to Lake Ohrid tomorrow.

–> 07 September – Lake Ohrid (112km)
Breakfast at Edlido, Elbasan, proved a treat; omelette, cheese, bread, butter and jam, and some warm milk because I don’t drink coffee. It was raining a bit when I got up, however it stopped shortly after I pedalled away, post bidding goodbye to my excellent hosts.

Leaving Hostel Edlido - sun coming out

Leaving Hostel Edlido – sun coming out

Thus started a long climb up the valley, following the river over the mountains to Lake Ohrid. The road continues rising for about 40km, a gentle ascent at first, with a few flat or downhill bits, before getting a lot steeper. The countryside was lovely, with verdant tree covered mountainsides, and lots of orchards and farmland.

I passed a lot of people waiting by the roadside for the regular minibuses that trundle up and down the road either way; I think demand outstrips supply, especially today – wondered if lots of people were heading to Elbasan for the football, or maybe I was seeing migrants making their way through the country to the EU. I passed through several small towns, stopping at one before the climb got a lot steeper, for a cold drink and ice-cream.

The last bit of the climb, completing a 1,000m ascent, was pretty gruelling, with lots of switchbacks and some heavy traffic in the form of lorries. Industrious car/lorry washing pull-ins were set up at regular intervals along the road, with water spouting from hose-pipes to advertise their presence; tempting to ride through them. They obviously do good business as lots of lorries had stopped to get the dust cleaned off their windscreens after the big climb over from Lake Ohrid.

At the top of the climb I paused for breath, and noticed three other cycle tourers doing the same in the shade of a restaurant. Tom, Jorn and Clara (English, Dutch, Swedish) are also on their way to Greece, and had been pedalling through Albania like me, with very similar experiences as far as the friendly populace goes. After introductions I decided it would be fun to travel with them for a bit; brilliant to have some company after quite a long solo stretch, during which I was starting to get slightly lonely. They are on their way to Thessaloniki, so I may well travel with them up until then, before continuing on to Istanbul.

After zooming down the hill we stopped for a swim in Lake Ohrid, a very refreshing experience. I’ve discovered I’m much more likely to do things like stop for a swim if I’m with company, and I think it’s the same for a lot of other people; shared experiences are often better, and if you’re on your own you just tend to keep on pedalling.

After cooling off we continued on to Pogradec, a largish town at the Southern end to the Lake, still on the Albanian side of the border, passing people selling fish by the side of the road. I could have opted to go through Macedonia, however the route down to Greece through Albania is shorter, and I was really enjoying the country; plus I had company now 🙂

 

We stopped to buy supplies in Progradec, which looks like it’s developing into a tourist spot. A few cool drinks, some crisps and an ice-cream restored energy levels, and we hard-boiled some eggs for later; they wouldn’t have survived transit. I’m going to have Albanian Leke left over I think, as it’s very cheap to live here, however I’ll just save it until next time I visit!

The road South took is up another steep climb, and with the sun beating down it was pretty hot.  Thankfully the climb wasn’t too long and we were able to turn off the main road and on to a smooth side road down towards the border with Greece. This road proved to be a highlight of the day (aside from the swim), with some beautiful scenery, several small farming communities and towns, and more high 5’s, smiles and waves.

We eventually found a spot to wild camp, in a fallow field about 100m from the road, and out of sight of the nearby village. It was also suitably far away from the barking dogs, of which there are many. To be honest people are so friendly here you’re more likely to be asked in to their homes to stay, and given food, than turfed off a wild camping spot; have heard this from several people. I think they are just happy to see other people visiting their country, and interested in who you are and what you’re doing.

After pitching the tents we settled down for the night, feasting on hard-boiled eggs, bread, cheese and ham; I added a few condiments to the mix to spice things up a little – can’t beat a bit of mustard of chilli sauce to liven things up. It’s fantastic to have some company again, and was very pleasant to spend the evening chatting, laughing, watching the stars, and swapping stories. There was also a small wild-fire up in the mountains, which we decided must have been started by a dragon as not sure how anyone else would have got up there; will have to keep an eye on Smaug! Saw a greta shooting star too.

Dragon in the mountains

Dragon in the mountains

It looked like it might be a bit wet and windy overnight, so we battered down the hatches, and hoped Clara’s tent didn’t leak (it’s slightly broken), before having an earlyish night. On to Greece tomorrow; the border is only 30km away.

04 & 05 September 2015 – a brief stop in Montenegro, then on to Albania

4 Replies

The country total is starting to mount up for this tour; Albania is number 17!

Routes and stats for the last 2 days below:

–> 04 September – to Montenegro (121km)
I’ve climbed over 1,000m on each of the last 3 days, and regularly well over 500m for the last 9, with one day exceeding 1,500m; the Croatian Coast is not for the faint-hearted, but it’s worth it.

Today I left Dubrovnik behind, after a good day off, and pedalled South East. On my way to the border with Montenegro I tried to use up my remaining Croatian Kuna; I did quite well, buying food and replacement toothpaste shampoo etc, but then found another 100 Kuna stashed in my panniers, so I’ve got about £20 worth left for next time I visit!

There was quite a queue of traffic waiting at the border, but I bypassed most of, pulling in beside some Austrian motorcyclists just before the checkpoint; hello’s duly exchanged.

Once in Montenegro the roads seemed to get a lot busier, and the driving more erratic. I don’t know in which countries it’s illegal to drive whilst on your mobile phone, but people have been using them all along the Dalmatian coast; makes me nervous. I’m also getting irritated with coach drivers, who all pass far to close for comfort. I know they could give me more room as I don’t have the same issue with lorries.

I cycled along the coastline around to Kamenari, where I could have got the ferry across the narrow stretch of water to the other side of the bay, and avoided an additional 25km haul, however I decided it would be for more pleasant to take the scenic route around to Kotor. It proved a good decision, with lots of small villages and some fantastic scenery. It looks like a lot of it has been redeveloped for the tourist industry, but it’s all been tastefully done, and hasn’t spoilt the bay. I loved Perast, where there were quite a few English people on holiday. I stopped for a break and an ice cream.

Once I reached Kotor I had to pedal through a long tunnel (1.6km), which was a nasty experience due to the traffic, fumes and dust. It did however cut out a long climb, and I made it through unscathed, joining the road to Budva.

Budva is a big tourist town on the Montenegrin coast, and is supposed to have a ‘kicking’ nightlife, not that I was likely or wanted to see it. I stopped at the tourist info on the way in and asked about campsites; they directed me to an open one, rather than the one I had intended to go to which was closed. I found Avala camping, which was a bargain at €6 a night, and set up. It’s a bit of a noisy campsite, as it’s next to the main road, but has a supermarket just next door, decent wifi, and a friendly owner. The only drawback was there were no convenient trees for my hammock, however I can’t be lucky all the time.

I grabbed some food and a few cold beers from the supermarket, then relaxed. Convincing Lobster to pose for a still life with the beer and cycle tour festival bottle was tricky, however bribery with chocolate always works. The Niksicko beer, although sounding unappealing, was very refreshing, and pretty similar to the others beers I’ve been sampling down the coast from Slovenia. I do miss a pint of ale though, and am looking forward to visiting the Fat Cat pub in Norwich when I get back, for several; think it just won an award for good beer again, brill.

–> 05 September 2015 – to Barbullush, Albania (111km)
One night only in Montenegro, then it was on to country number 17, Albania. I was keen to lay my fears to rest over what awaited, having been quite anxious about the route and where I’d be staying. Things almost always work out one way or another, with camping, wild camping, hostel or hotel opportunities, and people seem to live successfully in all these places, so what exactly am I worrying about?!

From Budva to the border wasn’t a particularly long way, however the road decided to go up & down all available hills along the coast, which proved pretty taxing. I stopped to buy a few supplies, and to get some more Euros out just in case ATMs aren’t working in Greece; could be handy in Albania too. To get to the border I had to turn inland, and climb up a fairly long pass, through some picturesque Olive groves and farmland, before descending to Albania; I stopped for an ice cream before crossing, just to keep energy levels up.

My sat nav and phone kept changing their mind as to what time it was as I pedalled along. I thought it was early afternoon, then it was before midday, however when I got over the border it was early afternoon again and seemed to stabilise; not sure what all that was about. No stamp in my passport for Albania; got one for Montenegro though – the only one of the tour so far 😦

I had the best greeting of the tour to date as I entered Albania; high fives from two children on the other side, waiting by the roadside. Pretty neat and something that would repeat itself several times over the next day or two. As I cycled along I noticed the cars were all a lot less expensive looking, aside from the tourist ones (Italian, Dutch and German mostly). There were also quite a few mopeds with large trailers attached to their fronts, transporting all sorts of things from whole families to farm goods, and in one case a bed; they looked a bit rickety to me. There are more modes of transport on the roads in Albania; cars, lorries, motorbikes, bicycles, combinations thereof, horses & donkeys, with or without carts etc. Everyone appeared really friendly, with lots of smiles and hellos; I lost count of the number of people who shouted hello today. Could Albania be the friendliest country so far?

 

I briefly diverted to Shkodër, a big town not far from the border, to withdraw some Albanian Leke, then continued South to Bushat, turning off the main road and heading for Camping Albania in Barbullush. I ended up missing the turning as I was too busy looking at Albania life going on, so had to back track, adding about 6 km on to my ride. Camping Albania is a good set up, with a large restaurant and swimming pool, and decent toilet block, and a grassy field to pitch in, bliss! Unfortunately the restaurant was closed due to a wedding, however that gave me the opportunity to visit the village and grab a few supplies; basic stuff but fine for dinner – bread, cheese, jam, crisps and a couple of cold beers, with sardines and a tinned couscous salad added from my panniers, a veritable feast.

Four Dutch camper vans turned up around the same time as me, so I spent some time chatting with them, before doing some planning; campsite has wifi, but it’s a bit intermittent, especially with the power cuts that kept happening. I think I’m heading for a hostel tomorrow, after what’ll be a long ride to Ebalsan. There aren’t any campsites on route until I get to Lake Ohrid, the day after tomorrow, and there don’t appear to be that many in Greece either, so there may be some wild camping coming up, however I’m more likely to go for a cheap hotel or hostel as I really value a shower at the end of the day, and that extra bit of peace of mind.

As I closed shop for the night the sky was being illuminated by flashes of lightning, quite along way to the North, and the wind was getting up. Could be in for a rough night so I deployed the guy ropes. Next update could be a few days away, depending on wifi.

02 & 03 September 2015 – Dubrovnik

Leave a reply

 

Route and stats for 02 September below:

Nothing for the 03 September as had a day off in Dubrovnik, a fine city!

–> 02 September – to Dubrovnik, with a brief stint in Bosnia Herzegovina
My legs felt tired this morning, for the first time in a while, so it must be rest day time. I decided that once I got to Dubrovnik I’d have a day off, for sightseeing purposes, but mainly just some R&R before the stretch to Istanbul. I still had 121km to pedal today, so I left Uvula Borovic in good time, riding over the hills to Ploce. I passed some beautiful lakes as the road curved inland to go around a river estuary; nice change of scenery.

Then, wonder of wonders, I had a flat section for at least 10km, through a flood plain, before a long climb over to Bosnia and Herzegovina. A lot more farming activity was evident on the flood plain, with lots of roadside stalls selling fruit, veg, Fig jam and olive oil.

I had to get my passport out again at the border crossing, however they weren’t particularly interested in me or Smaug. I was only in Bosnia and Herzegovina for about 10km, passing through the town of Neum before the border crossing back into Croatia, via another arduous climb; it’d be easier if it wasn’t so hot again. The border guard going back into Croatia were a lot friendlier, waving me through and interested in where I was pedalling to; not sure if it was professional or personal curiosity. I rejoined route 8 heading South towards Dubrovnik.

There were islands to my right as I rode down the coast, past Ston, then up a long climb at the top of which was a small market. There were a couple of cycle tourers taking a break there, so I paused for an ice cream and cold drink too. They turned out to be from Slovenia, and were on their way back there after cycling to Montenegro. They confirmed there were more hills to come, and we all agreed the heat was a little too much; more people saying it’s hotter than it should be for the time of year. I passed several cycle tourers going the other way today; good wave/hello count!

Continuing down the coast I passed through Trsteno, where there are two enormous Plane Trees, both about 450 years old and providing some lovely shade. After sweating profusely I finally made it to the outskirts of Dubrovnik, and stopped for another cold drink; I chatted to two mad Austrians and a couple of motor-cyclists – I met the latter again at the campsite later on.

I had to cross the bridge then pedal up another big hill, before looping back around the harbour and on to Camping Solitudo, on the peninsula to the North West of Dubrovnik. The campsite is conveniently situated for visiting the city, being only 4km away, and whilst not brilliant was perfectly adequate for my needs; had free wifi, trees for my hammock, and the bathrooms were good, so I could forgive the litter and hard pitches.

To put it bluntly I was knackered when I arrived, and after setting up fell asleep in my hammock for 2 hours; after an ice-cream. I decided I’d stay at the campsite for two nights, rather than try to find a hostel in Dubrovnik for tomorrow night, which would be more expensive, crowded, and more hassle than worth. So tomorrow would be a rest day, with a bit of sightseeing for good measure.

–> 03 September – rest day and sightseeing in Dubrovnik
I still ended up cycling about 10km today, however it’s amazing how much easier it is to go up hills without all my luggage on the bike. I think I was due a rest day, it having been two weeks since my last one in Marseille; seems like longer ago than two weeks, having seen so much since. I very happy with my progress though, and pleased that it’s less than 1,000 miles to go to Istanbul.

My planned lie in failed, despite several beers the previous evening; I’m just hard-coded to get up and out of my tent by 07.00, or earlier. It’ll be interesting to see if I can keep this routine when I get back the UK; without the sleeping in the tent bit too often though. It would be handy to have some time before work to do a bit of writing, or just do something different instead of rushing straight to the office; maybe a run.

After a few chores I pedalled the 4km to Dubrovnik Old Town, over the hill, and spent a few hours looking around. It’s an amazing walled city, with so much history, and loads of fantastic architecture to gawk at; there were crowds of other tourists also doing a lot of gawking. I can see why it was chosen as the location for King’s Landing, for the TV adaptation of the Game of Thrones books; very fitting. If you want a bit of history check Wikipedia – might have been founded by the Greeks, was allied Ancona (Italian city) versus the domination of Venice in the Adriatic, part of the Ottoman Empire for ages, had famous merchant fleet, and was put under siege and shelled by the Serbians and Montenegrins in 1991. I wonder if the Croatians get on with Serbs and Montenegrins now, as the shelling looked pretty destructive from the maps I saw, despite the city having been demilitarised and listed as a UNESCO work heritage site. I took a lot of photos.

I found a bookshop and managed to buy a map that will get me as far as Greece, which is a relief. I could have probably managed with my Garmin device and my phone, but they could always break or run out of power, and I prefer a paper map in many ways; good confidence boost to have one. I probably don’t need one once I’m in Greece, as I’ll just follow the coast, roughly, all the way into Turkey and on to Istanbul. Post bookshop I continued my meanderings, with an ice-cream stop for refreshment purposes.

I am developing a theory about Irish pubs/bars; I think they must be magic, with a way of insinuating themselves into a street in any given city and appearing quite in place, and not strange. It’s a bit odd when you think about it; why are there Irish bars/pubs nearly everywhere? I think they can probably move about if they want to, but no-one will think it odd or even recall it being there, or having moved, because they’re magic…obviously.

Having done enough sightseeing, and in need of some serious R&R, I retreated to the campsite after lunch, and had a very pleasant siesta in my hammock. The rest of the day was occupied by reading my book, route planning, acquiring a VISA for Turkey, a visit to the beach near the campsite, eating, and contemplating the route ahead; but not too much, as that just leads to increased nerves and over thinking things.

Tomorrow it’s back on the road to Montenegro. Blog posts might get a bit intermittent prior to Istanbul, depending on Wifi, campsites, and opportunities to charge my laptop. I can’t use my phone in some of the countries I’m passing through, as it’ll cost far too much, however I’ll try and Tweet my location whenever possible.

Have a good weekend everyone 🙂 (and good luck with the house move Norman and Sheila)

P.S. Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors – had to rewrite this twice due to crashes (Wifi cut out)

31 August & 01 September 2015 – Trogir, Split and Podaca

5 Replies

I don’t mind admitting the last few days have been quite tricky. It’s not so much the cycling, which whilst demanding is still very enjoyable, it’s more the thought of what is yet to come. I’m slightly anxious about the route to Istanbul, through Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, then into Greece and Turkey. I know it will be fine, as loads of people have cycled it and I keep reading blogs about how great it is, however I won’t be 100% happy until I’m there and pedalling it. In fact I can’t wait to get to Albania etc and lay my fears to rest. I’ve just made it to Dubrovnik and am going to have a day off to do some prep work, and have a rest, before the ride to Istanbul which will take another 12 to 14 days. Getting out of your comfort zone is a great thing, but can be challenging when a bit of fear sets in, and you have too much time pedalling to dwell on risks that aren’t going to materialise! I think this is one of the challenges of cycling solo; if you’re pedalling with someone else you have a companion to mull things over with, and to share responsibilities on route, risks, food, accommodation, money etc. Anyway, as I get closer to Montenegro I’m getting happier about what is yet to come, and am looking forward to more adventures.

Routes and stats for last day of August, and 1st day of September below. It seems amazing it’s September already, however thinking back it does feel like a long time ago that I set off from my house in Norwich.

–> 31 August – to Trogir
102km pedalled today, and it’s definitely getting warmer again; it’s especially hot where the road cuts through a canyon, or an artificial cut through with rock on either side, and no breeze – can get sweltering!

Breakfast on a Croatian beach, as the sun comes up, is definitely something I can recommend, with a few early morning swimmers getting the day off to a good start, and people readying their boats. Very peaceful and beautiful. I consumed the dinner I’d bought from Lidyl, but not eaten due to Nordsee camping offering better fare; ham, cheese, baguette and fruit set me up nicely for the ride ahead.

Nordsee camping - great campsite for a stop

Nordsee camping – great campsite for a stop

I rode off towards Split after bidding Nordsee Autocamp a fond farewell, looking forward to seeing what the coast had to offer today; it just seems to get better, even if it is almost constantly hilly.

My first stop was in Sibenik, a moderately sized and old town about 20km away, where I paused for a wander about, and to buy a new charging cable for my iPhone; I ended up buying two just in case, as they only cost a fiver each, which is about a third of the UK cost. Sibenik proved a picturesque town, full of German, Austrian and Italian tourists, as well a narrow streets, charming bars and restaurants, and medieval looking buildings; not sure how old they actually are.

As it was already really hot, it would have been rude not to stop for an ice-cream too. I think ice-creams are going to replace my tarte du jour feature, at least for a bit.

Gelato - vanilla and strawberry, very fine

Gelato – vanilla and strawberry, very fine

Re-energised thanks to the well-timed Gelato I cycled onwards, staying on the coast road despite what looked like a short cut inland; would have involved a mega climb so I avoided it. The scenery on the coastline is better than it is inland in any case, with clear turquoise water, yachts sailing slowly about (not a lot of wind), small towns and villages, and beaches with lots of folk enjoying a swim.

After a few more hills I made it to the aptly named Marina, where there were lots of Sunsail yachts moored; think it must be the start/end point for flotilla holidays. I stopped for another ice-cream, then at a market to get a few supplies; Croatia is so much cheaper than France and Italy!

My destination for the day was a campsite next to Trogir, a largish town with more old medieval buildings, which I forgot to take photos of. The ride down the coast had been wonderful, and I was glad to see it isn’t as yet overly spoilt; there are lots of small towns, and apartments to rent, but no massive hotels and not a lot of building activity I could see. Hope it stays that way. I turned right to the peninsula next to Trogir, and made it to Rozac camping. The campsite was pretty full but they had small spot where I could pitch my tent. I set up and promptly fell asleep in my hammock for two hours; so comfy, how did I manage without one?!

After watching the sun go down (it’s getting dark earlier) I had dinner at the campsite restaurant, choosing to enjoy another mixed grill rather than bread and cheese; might not be such opportunities in the wilds of Macedonia.

Oh, and I had one of those moments today, when I forgot my towel when taking a shower; realised halfway through. Thankfully, although small, a buff also makes quite a good towel!

On to Split tomorrow, and another webcam opportunity, then the road to Dubrovnik.

Well done to my boss (TLK) on starting his own UK mini cycle tour; hope the weather improves for you!

–> 01 September – Split and Podaca; touring month 5 begins
I didn’t have the best night’s sleep, as my camping spot was next to a road with speed bumps, and consequently quite noisy. It was a nice view of the sea to wake up to though, and I’d been comfy, even if I was a little grumpy due to lack of shuteye.

Morning at Rozac camping, nice sea view

Morning at Rozac camping, nice sea view

Although tired I had a long way to go today if I wanted to keep to my rolling 200 miles every 3 days target, so I pedalled off from Trogir in good time, deftly making my way through queueing traffic, whilst being careful not to catch any cars with my panniers. I cycled 127km in 7 hours and 11 minutes, with just over 1,000m in climbing, so not bad going.

I paused for a break in Split, after only about 30km, riding down to the waterfront to look for the webcam, and to enjoy an ice-cream, which I think I’m getting addicted to; strange as don’t really eat them in the UK, however I guess it’s the right climate for such things here.

After waving hello to GCHQ Norwich, and accidentally withdrawing 100 Kuna rather than 1,000 from an ATM, d’oh, I continued on passing through various small towns, and some great scenery.

By the time I reached Makarska I was feeling very hot, and pretty tired, so turned off the main road and down into the town for a break. It proved to be a good choice for a pause, with a lovely quayside, lots of expensive boats, and a choice of ice-cream vendors. I reckon it’s a bit of a pricey tourist town, but very pleasant-looking.

A park provided a good spot for a sit down in the shade for 30 minutes, to cool off and re-hydrate. Several backpackers were doing the same; a popular spot. I’ve started seeing more backpackers in the last few days, with a lot of people hitch-hiking, or attempting to flag down a lift by the roadside. Hitch hiking seems to be a popular and accepted method of travel in Croatia; I even spotted a sign for an official hitch-hiking waiting spot today! In general hitching a lift is far more common in mainland Europe compared with the UK.

After a welcome rest I pedalled on to Dreverik, then Podaca, over a few final hills before reaching a campsite for the night; Uvala Borova camping near Gradac.

Uvala Borova proved to be a much quieter campsite, with lots of space and right next to the sea, so a swim was possible again. I pitched my tent and slung my hammock, then relaxed, easing tired legs over dinner and a few beers from the small campsite market. As usual everyone was really friendly, and although I didn’t have any long conversations, lots of people said hello, and the campsite dog decided to keep me company for a bit; may have been the smell of salami.

It as good to have a chat with my brother Will, Louisa and their kids via FaceTime, even if the connection was a bit intermittent. Seb, my nephew, tried to tell me his new joke, about bees, however I kept missing the punchline; he wanted to make me laugh and fall out of my hammock, although that might have been more of his mother’s idea!

I did a  bit more route research reading up on Albania etc, and stumbled upon the blog of a couple of other cycle tourers who’ve just make it to Albania: http://longhaultrekkers.com/ . I might try to meet up with them if we follow the same route; they’re head of me but travelling more slowly, with a dog in tow; email sent.

On to Dubrovnik tomorrow, then probably a rest day; need to do some shopping and have a day off the bike, plus Dubrovnik will be a good place to visit. Wasn’t it the setting for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones?

29 & 30 August 2015 – Pag, and the Adriatic coast

3 Replies

Routes and stats for the 29th and 30th below. Cycling down the coast of Croatia is proving delightful, if a little hilly. I’m really enjoying a swim in the Adriatic at the end of each day.

–> 29 August 2015 – a short ferry crossing to Pag
At the moment I’m attempting to pedal 200 miles every 3 days, which works out about 110km a day; today was a moderate day, covering 106km, a few of which were on a ferry to the island of Pag.

Packed and ready in Selce

Packed and ready in Selce

It’s definitely warm in Croatia, with temperatures reminding me of cycling in Spain. I’m used it now, however it makes sleeping in my tent a bit uncomfortable, especially as it’s humid as well. Thankfully I now have my hammock to lounge in, as long as there are adequate trees and no threat of storms; would be a bit inconvenient if a thunderstorm broke halfway through the night! Mosquitoes also seem to have reduced in number, which is a relief, however that could change at any moment so I’m keeping the super-strength repellent handy.

I made a good start to the day, waking up early and pedalling off down the coast on the D8 to Novi Vinodolski. The road followed the coastline pretty tightly, with some lovely scenery. The downsides were the traffic and hills, however the first was tolerable and the latter good for the legs. The hills also break up the route a bit, although I don’t want to take on too many big climbs in this heat.

After a few bananas, passing through Senj and Lukovo, and past the turning to Jablanac (love these town names), I rode down a steep hill to the ferry terminal at Prizna, to get the boat over to the island of Pag. A lot of tourist traffic had the same idea, with a long queue of waiting cars and a few groups of motorcyclists. The majority of the tourist traffic seemed to originate from Germany, certainly all the motorcyclists, however I also spotted lots of cars from Austria, Slovenia, Poland, the Czek Republic, Hungary, Italy, a few from France, and one from the UK. Seeing what other nationalities you can spot is quite a good way of passing the time, and in this case demonstrates just how many people are descending on the Croatian coastline nowadays. It’s certainly very popular, and I can see why with a beautiful coastline, relatively cheap prices, friendly people and interesting towns. One cautionary note; I’ve nearly been short-changed twice so far, which would have cost me about £20 in total, so worth checking your change carefully if you visit.

The more I read about Eastern Europe the more I realise how much it has to offer. There’s so much history, and so many interesting places to visit. If you’re into your water sports the coast has loads to offer, and there is no doubt good climbing and walking to be had further inland. I could spend a few months just touring around the Balkans; think I’ll have to come back!

Anyway, being on a push-bike I skipped to the front of the queue, along with the motorcyclists, and had an ice-cream whilst waiting for the ferry, followed by a cold beer just to ensure I was properly hydrated. A road cyclist had the same idea as me, and we both used the cold beer bottle to sooth our hot heads.

Once on board I chatted to a few Germain motorcyclists on their way to Montenegro. I seem to run into German motorcyclists everywhere when cycling, from the North of Scotland and all throughout Europe, and now down towards Turkey. They are always good to talk too, and were complimentary, and a little taken-aback, of my pedalling efforts; though I agreed it would be easier on a motorbike. I sometimes have to remind myself that I’ve pedalled a long way, having covered over 6,500 miles so far on this tour, and having seen such a variety of landscapes and weather, from ice and snow up in Scandinavia, to the heat of Spain and Southern Europe. It’s starting to get darker earlier now, so I’m wondering just when it’ll begin to get cooler.

The ferry couldn’t take all the waiting traffic, so I was glad I was on a bike for the short 15 minute crossing to Pag; must’ve been about 2km.

Pag looked a bit desolate when I arrived, with lots of dirt and rocks, and not much vegetation. There was no shade on the climb over to the other side of the island; man it was hot. I pedalled down to Simuni where I’d spotted a campsite on the ACSI app; it turned out to be more of a resort, and mostly for camper vans or people staying in the chalets, but it had a small if hard area for people to pitch tents on. Thankfully there were a few trees so the hammock was once again a win.

I set up, then headed straight for the sea for a swim in the Adriatic; much-needed after a very hot cycle, and good fun diving off the floating platform. The resort was busy, but had a good atmosphere, with several small bars, a few restaurants, food stalls (bought a hot-dog, it was nice) and small markets/tourist shops. I bought dinner from one of the small supermarkets then relaxed in my hammock for the evening, doing a bit of reading up on the countries to come; route looks fairly straightforward but I do need to get a few more maps, hopefully in Dubrovnik, so I’m not reliant on Garmin or my phone. Also need to apply for a VISA for Turkey, but that’s a 5 minute job at some point in the next week.

Nearly a full moon tonight; I wonder if they have werewolves in Croatia, seems likely…

–> 30 August – to Pakostane (autocorrect trying to hard to change that to somewhere a lot further away)
As far as I’m aware…I didn’t get bitten by any werewolves during the night, however I believe I’ll have to wait until the next full moon to be sure.

Full moon over Pag, Croatia

Full moon over Pag, Croatia

One thing I was sure about was my washing hadn’t dried overnight, in fact it felt wetter; it’s pretty humid at the moment and I think damp washing just absorbs more water. I’m looking forward to it getting a little cooler, and less humid, and to freshening up some of my more smelly bits of kit and clothes; heat + damp + panniers aren’t a good combination; everything just festers a bit during the course of a day pedalling.

I left Simuni camping in good time, pedalling up and over to the town of Pag, then  down the island towards the mainland. I passed what I think were fish farms, as well as several restaurants with pigs being spit-roasted by the roadside, in big ovens; smelt pretty good. There’s a bridge connecting the island to the mainland at the Southern end, with a nice looking small castle down near the water’s edge.

After Pag I turned right toward Zadar, and had to tackle a series of hills before making it to the coast again. I think there are still a lot less hills than if I took an inland route, but I’m not really sure what’s over the coastal mountain range; maybe it’s flat! I need to get hold of some maps detailing Albania, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey, so I can get to Istanbul via the most efficient route, not get lost, and hopefully avoid too many unnecessary mountains.

Unfortunately I noticed my back tyre starting to go flat near Zadar, after the bike starting skewing about a bit when going downhill. I pumped it up, but needed to change the inner tube; it could wait until the evening as only a slowish puncture. I continued down the coast, past many an inviting beach with people swimming and snorkelling, or yachts drifting lazily in an idle wind. My next stop was at Lidyl, for a late lunch and to pick up a few supplies. Lidyl has proven a boon whilst touring in Europe; it crops up everywhere, is good value, and has everything food wise you need. It may not have had a good Tarte du Jour option, but I did pick up a few nice pastries, and an ice cream for good measure.

I suspect the supermarkets around here, including Lidyl, are catering for Germain and Austrian clientelle, hence the great Frankfurter sausage roll; seen so many German cars.

After a shorter day, covering 97km, I made it to Autocamp Nordsee near Pakostane. I didn’t mind a shorter day, as it’s good to give the legs a break, however I’m trying to pedal 200 miles every 3 days, keeping the total rolling, so I’ll need to put in a longer day at some point.

The campsite owner, who I think was probably German, found me a small corner to pitch my tent, and only charged me 50 Kuna, bargain; thoroughly nice bloke. The campsite seemed to be hosting mostly Germans, with a few Croatians thrown in for good measure. Needless to say there was a lot of beer being consumed, and a fair amount of food from the campsite restaurant; I thought I’d better join in.

After a cold beer I set about mending the puncture in my rear tyre. I hate mending punctures, and this one was particularly hard work in the heat; sweat was running off me in streams by the time I finished. Unfortunately I couldn’t patch the inner tube, so replaced it with a new one. The puncture was actually on the inner side of the tube, and had resulted from what looked like wear and tear, and a bit of stretch; or maybe the shop pinched it when they fitted it, not sure. Either way it’s mended now and touch wood seems to be staying inflated. The thing I hate most about mending punctures is the doubt that sets in as to whether I’ve mended it properly? Did I pinch the tube, or miss the pin that caused the puncture? Is it going to go flat again immediately? I suspect a lot of cyclists have exactly the same concerns! Hopefully that’ll be it puncture wise for the next 1,000 miles or so. I also adjusted my brakes, then thought I’d better have a shower and least rinse my cycling gear; everything pretty manky after the ride and repairs, including me.

I managed to squeeze in a swim prior to the shower, but had to take care to avoid Sea Urchins, which were present in numbers, and a bit like mini mines on the sea bed. Stepping on one is bad news, as the spines tent to break off and are hard to remove. I hadn’t noticed them at first, and don’t have any sea shoes for swimming in, but froze when my big toe clipped one and I noticed I was surrounded. I made it out, still having enjoyed a cooling swim, but had to remove a few splinters from my toe; think I got it all out, but I’ll have to keep an eye and employ vinegar treatment if any of the spine is still embedded; really don’t want an infection to take hold!

I decided to eat at the campsite restaurant, and enjoyed a lovely sea view for my meal, with a couple of cold beers to wash everything down. It was a nice atmosphere, and very friendly at the campsite; one to recommend if you’re passing through. Being right next to a beach is also a big win. Needless to say I slept pretty well, despite it being hot still.

Tomorrow I continue on towards Trogir and Split.