Four Countries twenty two days

Four Countries twenty two days

So different from my usual tent to tent bike journeys. Showers every night instead of every week. Company and friendship each step of the journey. No solo pilgrimage this time. The EuroVelo bike routes have focused on the rural villages and back country lanes.  With tourist traffic building to a summer high we are gratefully out of the way of the convoys of tourist buses and motor homes. It is always a relief to get off the linking highway stints.

The terrain has made the cycling a challenge.  The mountains drop straight down to the sea. Every small beautiful coastal village has a steep climb back out. The gravel is loose so a fight for traction on those sections. It still feels safer than the highway traffic.

The tourist destinations we pass are mostly by chance. Our itinerary is determined by pedal speed and what there is at the end of our 80 km average. The experience is enriched by the locals we meet at each stop. Sazan our Albanian host still contacts us every day. Buck has a friend for life even if neither understands a word. Last night we virtually joined a mafia birthday party (we knew there must be a reason for Sazan’s two new black BMWs).

Montenegro passed in a two day flash, even on a bike. The special gifts for Brian’s birthday were the views unfolding down to Kotor.  Croatia is showing marked differences. Good food and cheap appartments still making the tent redundant. The sheltered passages, bays and islands clearly make this are a sailors dream. Our connecting ferry rides have given us a taste.
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Last night we blundered into Roman history looking for a meal  Diocletian's Palace Is literally just around the corner. Built for the emperor’s retirement, it is uniquely still occupied by shops, restaurants and hotels. A true living monument. I am fascinated by the centuries of wear on the cobble stones polishing them smooth. Simple things. Rest days always have a list of chores. Bike maintenance high on the list but today maybe a bit of relaxing and wondering at the past.

Sazan always watching us from Albania

Lasting memories from Montenegro

Adriatic coast a sailors dream

Zuljana apartment hospitality and homemade vino

Starting our island hop at Orebic

Thrust into the tourist world of Roman history in Split

Alleyways and restaurants within the Castle