Total from Bewdley:  3756km:  Daily total:  96km; 1200m of climbing

I am sitting in a cafe in a clean, attractive modern city which is plainly at ease with itself. There is a “beer festival” on at the moment (as it happens) and almost universally well dressed people are strolling around the pedestrianised parts of town in the early evening sunshine. If anyone had told me 3 weeks ago that this would our experience of Albania I would have seriously questioned their sanity. But Albania has been a complete revelation. We have, of course, only seen a small part of it but it has been almost universally impressive, full of welcoming friendly, people very reasonably priced and a land of outstanding beauty. So that is perhaps the main revelation to us from this trip so far – the unexpected wondrousness of Albania.

Continue reading Day 18: Librazhd to Korce →

Total to date: 3660km:  Today:  86km 1170m climbing.

Today was a good day, in fact a really good day. The rain storms of the last couple of days seem to have ushered in some cooler air and we both slept well with the relatively cooler temperatures, not even needing the AC, Too early for breakfast we brewed up our own coffee before setting off at about 7. Round the enormous Skanderberg Square (a famous 15thC warrior) and along the wide boulevards. Even though Monday morning the traffic did not live up to the write ups, although keeping eyes peeled for potholes and cars veering in unexpected directions was still required.

Continue reading Tirana to just beyond Librazhd →

Total to date 3574km:  Today – 30km.

The night was not brilliant because, following the storm,it was too hot and humid with the door to the balcony closed and we had the noise of main road and mosquitoes if the door was open. I thought that mosquitoes were not active during rain storms, but they looked for shelter and a bit of blood to suck, just like every other … (various smilies came to mind but none are printable so you will have to fill in the gaps for yourself). The air conditioning that had worked when we arrived continued to be dormant due to a total lack of electricity.

Continue reading Day 17: Fushe-Kruje to Tirana →

Total:  3544km:  Today 98km and 400m of climbing (a flattish day)

I am writing this looking out on a dramatic thunderstorm – pouring rain, forked lightening and booming thunder. Luckily we are under cover…..but I am jumping ahead. This morning was the beginning of our first full day in Albania and first day that felt an adventure in somewhere that was very different to Western Europe, with all the ups and downs that brings.

Continue reading Day 16: Shkoder to Fushe-Kruje →

Total:  3446km:  Today 112km (a record so far) – 1100m of climbing

Today started last night – at about 12.30am when we were awaken by very loud “house” music thumping out just below our room. After about 10 minutes I decided to investigate and found, to my astonishment, that the DJ had set up on the hotel balcony, just below our room and was booming sound out to the square.

Continue reading Day 15: Kotor, Montenegro to Shkoder, Albania →

Total to date: 3234km:  Day: 104km and 1100m of climbing

We managed as early start from Dubrovnik, much easier to negotiate our way out of the old city at 6.30am. Like all these towns and cities nestled into pretty bays and harbours surrounded by hills means only one thing to cyclists – a sharp climb from a standing start – and Dubrovnik lived up to this with a steep climb immediately out of the city then a long climb once on the main road (D8 of course) before plunging back down to sea level.

Continue reading Day 14: Dubrovnik to Kotor, Montenegro →

Day 13: Exploring Dubrovnik

Today we acted like normal tourists in one of the world tourist destinations of choice – the old town of Dubrovnik. So much has been written about the old town that there is little extra to say but once again the photos can do the talking. We started with a walk around the city walls in the morning cool that was just superb.

Continue reading Day 13: Exploring Dubrovnik old town →

Total to date:  3130km:  Today: 88km and 960m of climbing.

We allowed ourselves a modicum of a lie in today – 6am and off by 7. We climbed away from the bay, past the blackened trees that had reached the very edge of the village, but soon turned along the coast along a small road to the next village – flat and good for getting the legs going again overlooking the calm sea.

Continue reading Day 12: Trstinik to Dubrovnik. →

Total to date:  3042km:  Day totals 99km – 1400m of climbing

Today was a brilliant day. It had everything – fantastic scenery, blood pumping ascents, scary descents, ferries where the timetable God had us in his good books and ending with a lovely meal in an idyllic fishing village.

Continue reading Day 11: Jelsa, Hvar Island to Trstenik, Pelijesac Peninsular →

Total to date:  2943km:  15km today

Today is Sunday and a day of rest for us after a week on the road. After our early starts we had a lovely lazy lie-in in our comfortable apartment.

Continue reading Day 10: Split; Ferry to Hvar and just 15km cycling →

Total to date:  2928km:  Day totals: 90km and 600m of climbing

What makes this day different to the day before and the days that will follow? Possibly not much to be honest – but we are 90km down the coast. So what were the high and low points of the day.

Continue reading Day 9: Sibenik to Split →

Total to date:  2838km:  Day total: 88km

So it’s official. We are in the middle of a heat wave in this part of Croatia. It’s not our imagination or even totally bad planning! Even the locals complain about the heat.

Continue reading Day 8: Zadar to Sibenik →

Total to date:  2750km : Today 56km : 420m of climbing

Today almost started with a disaster. As we left the cool pansion at 6.45am with its air conditioned room Bernie noticed her stand was not working (that is her bike stand rather than her positional posture). We stopped, I unhitched the trailer and fiddled with it until it was working ok. We then pressed on out of town. A couple of kilometres later I suddenly shouted “Where’s your trailer?” which, with hindsight, was a monumentally stupid remark.

Continue reading Day 7: Pag Town to Zadar →

Total so far:  2694km :  today 81km and 1020m of climbing

As we thought, heat would be one of our major issues and hence the alarm went of at 5.30 to get an early start and beat the heat at least for a few hours. We packed up our impromtu camp by the car park (much nicer than it sounds), the only delay being the search for matches. because no matches meant no coffee! Having emptied every bag and abandoned the hope of a cuppa before setting off we found them in the most obvious place that neither of us had managed to look! However even if we had been deprived of our caffeine boost we would have quickly woken up.

Continue reading Day 6. Camp Ulja to Pag Town: 81km and 1030m climbing →

Total distance:  2613km Daily totals:  99km, 1060m of climbing, total exhaustion but a great day.

Our quiet secluded camping place at the far end of the campsite proved tranquil and we both had a good night. Up at 6.30 and away by 7.50 – the once known and ingrained routine started to become familiar again. Continue reading Day 5: Medveja to Camp Urja, beyond Senj →