Dear friends and family, It has been over a month since I left Albania and returned to the US. This is my reflection on this last bicycle tour of southern Europe. I had a great trip, both the first part with Liz and the latter part alone. The highlights of any bicycle touring for me […]
Reflections post Europe tour Read More »
Dear friends and family I am still in Saranda,in southern Albania. Night before last I had an incident that reminds me of my naïveté with foreign travel. At about half past midnight, as I lay sound asleep in my bed, I heard a noise in the hallway of my apartment. I woke to see a
Temporary expat life in Saranda Read More »
Dear friends and family, I sit on the balcony of my apartment in Sarande, which is a resort town near the bottom of Albania, near the Greek border. I rented a place on the fifth floor, right in the center of town, only about a couple of hundred feet from the seaside promenade and the
Sarande, no more riding Read More »
Dear friends and family, I had a lovely stay at the lodge near the summit of the Llogara pass in the National Park of the same name. This lodge reminded me of the National Park lodges in a place like Glacier National Park. In this case it was privately owned and leased on land from
National park, Fear and Flow State Read More »
Dear friends and family, I am staying at a bed and breakfast in the old town of Vlore. That means that they have three rooms above the bar. They serve coffee and drinks in the bar and pizza for dinner for guests if you ask. They also make me a big breakfast every day. My
Hard ride, more Albania Read More »
Dear friends and family, I made it to Durres,which is on the coast again. This is a very modern feeling city, with many high rises and a promenade along the waterfront that goes for miles. There are many hotels and cafes that line this waterfront promenade. It seems like about one fourth of the businesses
Durres, coffee shops, ego Read More »
Dear friends and family, Well, I finally broke free of the “Hotel California” effect of the group staying at the hostel in Shkoder. I added one more day to the stay I had scheduled when I wrote my last post to seven days overall. I got to see the first day of their Karneval, which
Finally leaving Shkoder and learning of others’ challenges Read More »
Dear friends and family, I feel like I have entered not only a new country but a new world. As I rode into the country of Albania and approached the city of Shkodër I noticed bicycle lanes filled with bicycles and the streets filled with them and everywhere they were parked outside stores and restaurants.
Albania oasis, bikes everywhere Read More »
Dear friends and family, Yesterday I crossed the border from Montenegro to Albania. Sometimes I think to myself that I should have researched more or asked about crossing the border or some such thing. But, then once I get to the border I get: Two customs officers waiving me past all the waiting cars to
Goodbye Montenegro Read More »
Dear friends and family, Today finds me in Budva, back on the coast. I spent a week in the Bay of Kotor, first in Herceg Novi and then in Kotor. These are both inland protected salt water cities dating back to prehistoric times, due to the good harbors of protected waters. Montenegro feels really different