charleysblog

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 […]

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.

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

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

Dear friends and family, I am finally out of the Shengen group of countries. I used up 86 days out of my allotted 90, saving the last four in case I want to layover in a Shengen country while flying back to the US in a couple of months. I do feel the pressure off,

Dear friends and family, I came across a YouTube video about leg strength being the single best indicator of longevity. Of course, doing what I am presently doing, it attracted my attention and my desire to believe it. I actually did a little research and the reason is that people who have strong legs are

Dear friends and family, The Shengen clock keeps on winding, and I only have ten more days allowed in this country, so I have to keep on riding south towards Montenegro.  I’ve been pretty darned tired each night after riding so no blog for a few days. I’m now in Zadar, which is the oldest

Dear friends and family, Last evening I got a knock on my door, which surprised me since I thought I was the only one in my apartment building and an unknown visitor. There were two women there who introduced themselves as the neighbor downstairs and the neighbor across the alley. They said in very broken

Dear friends and family, I am holed up in my Botel, a ship built in 1936, tied up directly in the center of the city and used as a hotel. The wind is howling again, as a bura wind, when it gets roaring it takes a couple of days to settle down,  It’s 32 degrees

Dear friends and family, I was the only guest at this B and B in Rabac. They offer breakfast included, so my hostess each day has rounded up something to cook for me and made me my gourmet coffee as well each day. I got up yesterday early to prepare myself and my gear to