Europe #14: Vlore to Saranda
February 24 – Vlore to Saranda – part 1
It was a lovely sunny day as I headed off from my luxury appartment in Vlore. Google showed three routes to Saranda and I chose the coastal route (see map in photos). The plan was to get to a little place called Dhermi where I would stay the night somewhere, then complete the journey the next day. 60 km a day didn’t seem unreasonable.
The first 20 km were nice and flat; then the road turned inland and started to rise continuously. I passed by a small park with youngsters dancing in a circle to music. Dancing in a circle seems like a common thing to do in Albania. Up ahead was a snow-capped mountain and the gradient got steeper and steeper. The road got more and more twisty and I finally had to admit defeat and get off and push. Pushing a heavy bike up very steep hills is quite painful. And this hill did not stop. It was getting late and I knew that I wouldn’t reach my goal for the day. After a few km of this I found an isolated place that offered food and I had some soup. They recommended a place to stay just up the road, so I booked in and sorted myself out. Apparently, I still had a way to go until the top of the ‘hill’. It looked like it would take me three days to get to Saranda.
February 25 – Vlore to Saranda part 2
I hoped that my legs were still working as I woke up, and to my surprise they were in reasonable shape. I had a really good omelet for breakfast (no charge) and set off. Immediately the gradients were too severe to cycle, so I was pushing again, and this went on for a few kilometres until finally I reached the top. Over the next few minutes I descended down the side of the mountain with snow-capped peaks one way and the sea view the other. It was by far the most extreme decent I’ve ever done and rivalled anything I know about in the Alps. You can pick out the zigzags in the distance on one of the photographs below. One problem for me was that being on the brakes all the time was quite painful. Of course, I was assuming that the brakes would keep functioning; its quite amazing that they coped in the circumstances. It was exhilarating and scary in equal measure. At the bottom, I called into a cafe that was shut, but they offered me soup. It was horrible. It was a sea of olive oil and I couldn’t see beneath it. I fished around and found beans in some tasteless liquid. Bland beans in olive oil.
Then it was back to the old routine of pushing up steep, seemingly endless hills, then diving down to a small village and then repeat, stopping off now and then for a coffee or a can of Coke. I passed through Dhermi, where I had originally planned to stay overnight and continued on to Himare, right down by the sea. I decided to find a place to stay there and, after eating some rather delicious meatballs, I started wandering around. The seafront was deserted. I could have found a regular half-star hotel, but for some reason I noticed a couple of women having a chat and asked them. One of them said that the other (not a word of English) had a room. She asked how much I would pay, and I gave the going rate (generous as I’d find out…). They walked me down to a ramshackle building, up some crumbling stairs and there was the room. It looked OK. They tested the toilet, which you had to flush by pulling a string in the cistern. I slept OK, not realising the challenges ahead.
February 26 – Vlore to Saranda part 3
I woke at 6am intending to give myself as much time as possible, in the light of past experience. Went to the loo, but the flush didn’t work – no water in the cistern. Taps didn’t work – no water anywhere. Switched on the light – no electricity. No worries, so I set off in similar vein to yesterday. But then it got worse. As I climbed, the wind got up and in a matter of minutes it was gale force, coming straignt at me from the south. I’ll swear that the gusts were around 60mph – I’ve never experienced wind like it. Of course, it was picking up grit from the road and sand blasting my face. This is why there are few photos from today, I didn’t want to damage the lense. There were times where I had to make an effort to cycle down hill. I was blown off the bike three times. Sometimes I had to stop pushing and just brace myself and the bike. I could see gusts approaching by their effect on trees ahead. Then I could brace. This went on for around 6 hours.
I stopped at a small restaurant, which was closed, but they did me an omelet. I asked about the buses that ran between Vlore and Saranda. Some take bikes. The next one was in 10 minutes. We flagged it down. No luck, they wouldn’t take me. Then it got worse. It started to rain. I looked at the weather forecast for Saranda – it was rain. So I dragged out all my water-proofs and put them on over everything else, said goodbye and thanks for the omelet, and rode off. The next couple of hours were not good, as you can imagine, but gradually the gradients got a little less severe and I was able to get on the saddle more. There were a couple more horrendous climbs and descents before the route took me inland a little and the weather improved. Saranda was now just around 15 km away and I arrived just before dark, had a nice chicken and chips (sorry, fries) before meeting up with Kiel and his mum who showed me to the flat. Keil (the English speaker) is a first year student in the capital Tirana, studying software engineering. Great to have someone to talk to. I’ll describe the flat and my thoughts about the journey there later.
Europe #13: Relocating to Saranda
February 19 – Lushnjë
The first of three stops on my way to Saranda. Cycling out of Durres was not good – basically along a motorway for ages. Stopping for a snack a couple of times I arrived in Lushnje in good time to find a cheap hotel and a quick look around the town centre. As usual, it was a mixture of old and new with the centre being mainly westernised. There was a large group of middle-aged men playing dominoes in the park, as there was in Durres.
February 21 – Vlore
After staying in Fier the previous night, I arrive in Vlore – a coastal port and beach destination, and the third largest city in Albania. The airbnb is on the 9th floor and is quite luxurious – packed with mod-cons. A balcony overlooks the sea, so I’ve done some washing and the clothes are hanging outside in the sun. Quite hot in the sun, but cool in the shade.
Europe #12: Durres street art and cigarettes
February 11
I was beckoned over by a chap drinking coffee while I walked down the street. We, with his friend, had a good chat. They offered me a cigarette. I declined. I asked them what they did for a living, and got the impression that they really didn’t want to tell me.
February 12 – Street Art.
One thing I’ve noticed for its absence is street art. Nothing at all – until I chanced upon a side street next to the amphitheatre. I was told that the main artist had some backing from the council, otherwise it wouldn’t have been done. There are plenty of old buildings that could do with some colour – maybe it needs an Albanian Banksy?
Europe #11: More on Durres
January 31
Seaside! Durres is the main port for Albania, so you’d expect lots happening on the seafront. But it’s not the most popular beach destination – there are better ones further south towards Greece. I’ve only been to the local beach area where there is no sand. I may get down to the sandy beach further along the coast sometime. For now, these photos show what’s on offer.
February 7
Not a lot to report – we’re having a cold snap at the moment – down to zero at night and up to 6 daytime. So I still haven’t touched my bike. It’ll be a bit warmer by next week and I must get more exercise as I’m putting on weight.
There are lots of stray dogs. It seems that people just chuck unwanted puppies out onto the streets, where they learn to fend for themselves. They are normally quite docile, but can get a bit rowdy at times. They don’t seem to care about the temperatures at night – sitting on cold stone slabs. So here are some photos of local dogs.
Durres has an ancient amphitheater that they are quite proud of, so I went to have a look. I must say that it wasn’t that impressive, but this is not Rome. There was a group of people making a Youtube video, so I had a good chat with them. They came from all over – London, USA, Malaysia. As you can tell, it was cold.
February 10 – Byzantine market square
The market square was the traditional centre of ancient Durres (then Dyrrah). It was a contemporary public building to emperor Justinian and Anastasios in the early 6th century A.D. There’s a well in the middle, but I don’t know if it still works. This site is about 100 yards from where I’m living now.
Europe #10: Durres impressions
Thursday January 26th.
I’ve been here over a week now, so I’ve had a chance to look around and take some more snaps.
Albania used to be communist, a sort of satellite soviet state, until the fall of the Soviet Union. It was very underdeveloped at the time but is now undergoing westernisation. This is clear when looking around the backstreets, which are full of old decaying buildings mixed with brand new developments. So it’s a mixture of very old and very new, as you can see from the photos. The main streets are full of modern shops and restaurants and are connected by old alleyways that show the old stuff. The front and back of main street buildings are quite different.
Internet connection is important for my tuition work, which has been going well up to now. The WiFi in the flat is very good, but there has been one problem which was solved fairly quickly. But there’s free WiFi everywhere. My favourite place is a coffee shop called Mon Cheri where you can get cheap coffee and use their hot desk. I know I can go there to work if necessary – it’s usually quiet in the early evening.
About food. No problem buying food, just getting used to Euros and Albanian Lek; both are accepted. Credit cards are generally not accepted except in the largest stores and the poshest restaurants.
I’ve eaten out a number of times – pizza, sea-food salad, burgers, kebabs, meat balls. Always good quality and large amounts – no nouvelle cuisine.
Europe #9: Albania!
January 19 – Arriving in Albania
No problems getting to the airbnb. In fact, the hosts were there cleaning up, so I was able to have a quick chat. Young couple, very nice. They make a thing about being into retro, and it showed in the flat, as you can see below.
Bought a few things from the mini-market next door and spent the rest of the day getting the internet working and finding my way around.
Photos show my front door, which leads to steps up to my flat on the second floor. Next door is a coffee shop and a mini-market which is very handy. Just up the road is a fruit and veg shop.
Europe #8: to Albania
January 15-18
Off on the trains again. So the plan was to get to Albania and catch the next ferry (they go every week) so I didn’t have time to spend anywhere on the way – maybe on the way back…
To Pisa, via Genoa and La Spezia. Stayed at a cheap hotel and off early to catch the train to Ancona via Florence and Faeza. Booked into another cheap hotel. All going according to plan. But not for long. Here is a timeline of the events as theu unfolded over the next few days.
Sunday 15 – booked in for two nights at cheap hotel ready for Ferry on Tuesday evening. 110 Euros.
Monday 16 – wandered around waiting for tomorrow.
Tuesday 17 – Got to the check-in early to be told that the ferry had been cancelled due to bad weather. The photo below shows the bad weather and I think the captain might have been right! I was asked it I’d like to go on the rearranged ship on Thursday, so I said yes. Where should I stay for the extra two nights? I made the really bad decision to try an airbnb on a yacht nearby. I paid cash – 80 Euros for the two nights. Getting on board coincided with the most extreme hailstone squall that I’ve ever encountered. I nearly lost the bike in the sea trying to get it on board using the rickety gangway. Totally soaked and very cold. In fact, on board, the only dry place was the ‘bedroom’. After about half an hour, I realised just how impossible it was going to be to stay there for two nights and days so, giving up the eighty quid, I packed up and, with difficulty, headed back to the old cheap hotel where I booked in for the next two nights.
Wednesday 18: with no need to get up early, I didn’t. Had a wander around until mid afternoon when I got a phone call from the Ferry company saying that the ferry was leaving today. I asked when? They said, NOW. I will not describe the difficulty I had getting to the ship via check-in and passport control, it would take too long, but I got there and tied the bike up along with what seemed like hundreds of huge trucks. In the space of three days I missed three lots of paid-for accommodation.
Of course, the ferry was late to leave and, due to bad weather, took longer to get across – eighteen hours in fact. Overnight. Coke Cola and mars bars for sustenance, along with a large piece of cheese I found in my rucksack, for which I was grateful.
Europe #7: Bordighera
January 13-14
On the first evening, looking out of the common room window, there was an extraordinary sunset (see photo). So many differently coloured layers. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I spent a couple of full days in Bordighera, which I liked a lot. It’s the town where Monet came with Renoir and found inspiration. Palm trees and orange trees and not too much modern hustle and bustle. Lots of interesting alleyways and stairways with cafes and coffee shops everywhere. In France and Italy, the pavements are wide enough for cafes to have tables outside, so there are always people on the street relaxing. It gives such a different vibe to that of Britain’s streets. I loved exploring (getting lost in..) the alleyways of the old town.
Europe #6: to Bordighera
January 12.
Time to leave Avignon and make a decision about where to go and how long to take. I could have just got on my bike and cycled slowly along the coast, taking in Cannes, Monaco, Nice, and so on. This was my original plan, but, not only was it rather cold and damp, I really felt the need to get to a place and settle for a while, which meant getting to Albania ASAP. So it was back on the trains: three (via Marseille and Nice) took me across the border to Italy. The train stopped at Ventimiglia, which was about ten miles from my airbnb in Bordighera. I cycled there along very nice cycle paths.
The hardest part was getting to the airbnb which was up a steep hill and then many flights of steps, as you can see from the photo. As I arrived, the other person in the airbnb noticed me and gave me a guided tour of the place. Nice common room, kitchen, bedroom and my own well-equipped bathroom. And a bowl of luxury chocolates. I can’t remember the chap’s name, so I’ll call him Pete. He offered me some wine and we had a good natter, even though I’m sure we only understood 50% of what we each said. Another good end to the day.
Europe #5: Avignon
January 7-11
My first proper experience of a small French city. I basically wandered around pretty aimlessly. Notable places included the Pope’s palace, from which I had good views of the river and the famous bridge, the Irish pub and city walls. Otherwise, pretty much as I’d expected with a mixture of old and new. I didn’t feel like taking many photos – just snaps for the record. I could have done a lot more, like take a tour of the Pope’s Palace and various museums and attractions, although there weren’t that many; so just chilling out and thinking about what I was going to do next.
Europe #4: Lyon to Avignon by train
January 6.
No problems catching the train this time. The journey was pleasant, especially along the banks of the Rhone river and coming into Avignon. I had a nice breakfast at the station as I was a bit early for check-in at the airbnb. When I got there, I was greeted by Camelia and her greyhound. The house was pretty fancy and gated. Later, I would be introduced to the family – hubby, seven year old daughter and two year old son (who would have at least one tantrum a day). My room was really well equipped with a coffee machine, TV and local guides and maps. My own bathroom was also very modern. I’d booked in for six days thinking that this was the first time that I have been to a French town/city that was interesting enough to explore at my leisure. A nice change from the frantic train connections.
I slept well, knowing that I didn’t need to get up early for anything.
Europe #3: Train to Lyon via Paris
January 5.
Up early to cycle into Caen and catch the train to Paris. My plan was to catch a second train to Lyon after cycling across Paris from station to station. I nearly missed the train in Caen because I couldn’t find an entrance to the station, and it was wet and windy which slowed me down. In Paris, I had nearly 90 minutes to cycle across town to the other station for my connection to Lyon, where I had an airbnb booked. But it was a nightmare. The lady from Google was no help, and I couldn’t hear her against the traffic noise anyway. I eventually found the station and by the time I’d got on board and sat down, the train started off. Another couple of minutes and I would have missed it. My airbnb was a few miles out of Lyon and the Google lady sent me down a blind ally. At last I got there and found a terrific little modern apartment in a converted garden shed behind the host’s house. So a nice end to the day. Didn’t take any photos.
Europe #2: Ferry to Caen
Tuesday, Jan 3rd. Didn’t want to get out of bed – it felt so good! Turned on the Google lady giving directions, which worked well. Direct Ferries said I should get there an hour and a half, or more, before the ferry leaves, but it’s a LIE – nobody in sight – deserted. Eventually found someone who pointed me to a small bicycle shed. “You’ll find some bikes in there,” the helpful man said. I waited there for around 45 minutes before another guy, looking rather bored, took pity on me and ushered me on board. I was the only cyclist. In fact I was the only person on board for half an hour, so I wandered around the decks, which was a bit weird. Had a bite of breakfast when the cafe opened and sat down to read ‘Lives of the Artists’ by Vasari.
Uneventful crossing, but it was cold, wet and windy in France. I cycled against the wind for nearly an hour to my airbnb, which was in a small town called Benouville, half-way between the ferry port and Caen. The airbnb was quite posh and the host was friendly, although he spoke little English. I stayed for two nights but didn’t see him after the introduction.
Off to Europe on my bike! #1: Train to Portsmouth
Off we go! Easy train ride and straight to my airbnb. It was a bit strange – through an open gate, down an alley between two buildings and there was the host urging me on. She was working, so in a rush. ‘Leave the bike out here – it’s quite safe’. This was not to be the first time that I was a little bit concerned about the safety of my bike. No choice but to trust. Up rickety stairs to a very small basic room. I had to get up at 5.30 to catch the ferry, so went to bed. I was still coughing a lot and feeling grotty, but the bed was fantastic – really comfy. So I slept well.
Avon photo trip with Ed Drewitt
Ed Drewitt is more than an expert on birds. He knows the details of each environment - plants and animals and their relationships with their habitats. This was a wonderful trip from the centre of Bristol all the way out to the Severn estuary. Great to see the surrounding from a different viewpoint.
