Cycling tour Southeast: from the Adriatic to the Aegean
A new week, new countries and new adventures awaited me.
You can find the first days of my trip on the Southeast Cycling Trip page:
Day 22 - Tirana - 89 km
With earplugs I got through the night fairly okay, but the pedestrian traffic next to my tent was back again at breakfast.
So my journey continued early. I cycled through small villages, searching for larger supermarkets where I could pay by credit card. I didn't find one until around noon. I still had some instant noodles, so I made them by the roadside. I also cycled over a disastrous bridge, and immediately afterwards, under a motorway bridge, there was a market selling animals and garden equipment. It was very interesting to see what all was for sale there.
The last 20 km were on a highway into Tirana. Since it was Sunday, there were hardly any trucks on the road. The road widened, but there were also more pedestrian crossings, which slowed the traffic. With music playing, it was bearable. The last kilometer was on a lovely avenue with a bike path. In the central square, I met two sprightly seniors who were cycling around the Adriatic coast. I took a few quick photos, and then I had to find a public Wi-Fi connection at Burger King to contact my apartment.
Day 23 - Rest day in Tirana
Well-rested, I did my laundry and went shopping and sightseeing in the city. With its modern skyscrapers, it was very interesting. I also visited the Bunkart-2 Museum, an old nuclear bunker in the city center, which tells the story of the police and army in Albania. Without knowing much about the country's history, it was difficult to follow the individual chapters. The evening ended early again with a pizza.
Day 24 - Elbasan - 60 km
Today I would have liked to stay in bed longer and could have used another rest day. After a hearty breakfast, I headed through the city traffic and into the mountains. Leaving the gated communities of the suburbs behind, I drove parallel to the new highway on the lonely old mountain pass road towards Elbasan.
So it was 13 km uphill all the way, but the view at the top was fantastic. We even saw a 2400 m high, snow-covered mountain. I took a break there and met the author of Albanien.ch , a blog about Albania for thirty years. He took some pictures along the route and also of me on the descent 😄. He also gave me some tips on how I could continue my journey, as my planned route for tomorrow is supposed to be very busy. Unfortunately, the alternative didn't fit into my schedule for Greece. He also gave me a tip to avoid the traffic through Elbasan. The mountain pass road meets the motorway at a roundabout.
The recommended alternative was very pleasant, so I took a short break in the town center, but apart from the castle ruins, I didn't discover anything particularly special. Having only covered 60 km today, I reached my campsite by 1 p.m. and enjoyed the afternoon sun.
In the evening, we had pasta with ready-made Bolognese sauce again, and I chatted with our campsite neighbors. They were a retired couple who had sold everything in Germany and had been traveling through Europe in their campervan for the past two years, backpacking around the world during the winter months. It was a very interesting conversation about freedom and having time.
Day 25 - Ohrid - 86 km
The first time I was woken up was by the rooster at the campsite at 4:30 a.m., and by 6:30 a.m. I was fully awake thanks to the rain. Under the shelter, I was able to have a peaceful breakfast and pack up while still dry. I set off up into the valley. The road is being upgraded to a motorway with a hard shoulder, which is easy to drive on. After 5 kilometers, however, I reached the roadworks. Right in the middle of it, it started to rain really hard. I found a lay-by and put on my rain gear.
At the end of the construction zone, I found the first café I could find, completely soaked. The rain radar predicted only sporadic rain for the remainder of the day, so after a Coke, I set off again. Unfortunately, the forecast was wrong, and it rained continuously until lunchtime. There was quite a bit of traffic until then, and I only took two short breaks for a granola bar. The section of road that hadn't yet been developed had a strip of asphalt in Albania all day, which was occasionally poorly filled. At some point, I lost my focus and got stuck in it. To avoid falling into the traffic, I drove straight into the wall. I only noticed later that my arm was slightly bleeding, and thankfully, my brakes weren't damaged.
After 50 km, I reached a small town around midday. I looked for the first restaurant I saw and asked if they had anything to eat and if I could pay in euros. The woman asked, "Soup?" I replied, "Yes." She asked again, "Salad?" I said "Yes" again and ordered a Coke as well. The few other local customers tried to ask, with very limited English, where I was from and where I was going, and kindly paid for my Coke.
After lunch, it was another 8 kilometers uphill to the border with North Macedonia. I pushed my way to the front, but only because it was still raining. Without needing a passport stamp, I was able to cross the border very quickly. A few meters downhill, and I caught sight of Lake Ohrid. The rain finally stopped during the last 20 kilometers along the shore. Arriving at the hostel in the old town, a hot shower and a good burger were the first things I needed. Unfortunately, it wasn't filling enough, so I went out for a Nutella pizza with another cyclist and an Australian miner I'd met at the hostel, enjoying good company. After that, I fell into bed early, exhausted.
Day 26 - Rest day Ohrid
Even though I was alone in the hostel room, I was only half-rested, but I used the day to explore the beautiful little city steeped in history. I also went shopping and had another burger, although it wasn't as good as the one the day before. At the hostel, I met a cyclist with whom I could continue on to Thessaloniki in Turkey. We'll see. I packed everything up early and fell into bed.
Day 27 - Bitola - 70 km
Sharing a room with others made for a rather restless night, but with only 70 km to cover, I took my time and didn't set off until 9:30. The scenery along the main road wasn't particularly exciting. Two continuous climbs on the shoulder were manageable, without being too steep. What struck me along the way was that, unlike in the previous countries, there wasn't a lot of litter lying around on the roadside. Seconds later, I passed an official landfill, nestled in beautiful natural surroundings.
Very long descents and a tailwind meant I was back at the hostel for lunch. Completely exhausted, I then explored the bazaar and pedestrian zone in Bitola. For dinner, I went out again for pizza.
Day 28 - Florina/Thessaloniki - 37 km
Since my hostel roommate had caught a cold and coughed all night, my sleep hadn't been very deep, but I managed to wake up promptly at 7:30, just like the last few days. I quietly packed my things and made breakfast, waking the owner, who was asleep on the couch.
So I cycled towards Greece. I reached country number 10 just an hour later with a strong tailwind. Unfortunately, I had my first bout of pain in the medial collateral ligament of my foot today. Arriving in Florina, 10 km later, I looked for a supermarket for lunch, since I could pay with euros again there. During the break, I decided to take the train from there to Thessaloniki. I had already looked at the route the day before as an alternative to avoid the approaching rain and the overpriced accommodations along the way.
So I cycled to the train station and booked a ticket online for €10. Since the line only runs twice a day (5:20 and 14:20), I had to wait a bit, but because of the time difference, it was an hour less, and I enjoyed my lunch. Since the train accident in Greece in 2023, the section from Florina to Edessa is only served by bus, but taking my bike on board wasn't a problem. In Edessa, I changed to the train and then traveled through every little village along the route to Thessaloniki.
Due to roadworks, we had a 40-minute break along the way and then reached the city at 6:30 pm. I took a quick look at the promenade and the Mediterranean Sea on the bike paths before cycling to the hostel. "Zeus is loose" is a modern and great hostel right in the city center. For dinner, I just cooked myself some pasta.
Day 29 - Rest day in Thessaloniki
Well-rested, I first bought myself some breakfast and then enjoyed the view of the park in the city center from the lounge until lunchtime. For lunch, I chose a gyro restaurant and then went to see the city's highlights. It was almost too cold for a T-shirt and shorts.
It rained in the afternoon until just before sunset, when I grabbed a burger and saw a beautiful rainbow. With my phone battery almost dead, I watched a movie with some friends and, tired from doing nothing, went to bed early again.
Day 30 - Sightseeing + Thessaloniki Airport - 15 km
I enjoyed the leftovers from yesterday's breakfast again, this time with a beautiful view and sunshine. I was able to store my luggage until I had to be at the airport at 5 p.m. So I took advantage of the lovely weather to see a bit more of the city and bought myself a pizza for lunch. Otherwise, I simply enjoyed the peace and quiet with music in my ears.
With a strong tailwind, I first set off along the coast and later on the city motorway towards the airport. Following a bus and stopping at practically every traffic light, I made my way out of the city with the rush hour traffic. The airport access road isn't designed for cyclists or pedestrians, but there wasn't too much traffic. Inside the terminal, it was a strange, yet proud feeling, waiting for my mother to come out. Together we then drove to the hotel and enjoyed a beautiful sunset and a delicious dinner.
Days 31 to 34 - Beach vacation
Apart from a few IT updates, I just lay on the beach, ate well, and enjoyed the peace and quiet. It rained a lot in northern Greece, but not where we were.
Conclusion
A wonderful week ended with a beach holiday. Even the rainy day was bearable thanks to two rest days. The list of countries visited has now grown to 10 (sounds great, doesn't it? 😄).
The next blog post will continue our journey through Greece towards Türkiye.
