Day 17 - Broken Frame

Ride cut short by the frame breaking!


Amazing coastline...

... with a private beach house, only accessible from the Sea. Amazing :)

Frame snapped on the drive side chain stay, I suspect this was cracked in the Montenegro incident (less than 200mile ago) and finally failed whilst climbing.

Rescued from the roadside by two friendly firemen Darko and Pajo who pull on the knowledge of the local community to find a same day solution. The welder need the frame stripped down so Anka kindly provided her husbands garage! Wonderful experience, the kindest most helpful people you could ever hope to meet... I will still be smiling about this in London :)

Work in progress

This seems a lovely place for my rest day :)

Local dish made from scratch including wood fire just for me! After dinner wine made by the landlord Robert and consumed with my new German friend Bernd :)

Day 16 - Uneventful

 Just what I needed an uneventful day! 

 

 Back to the EU, and Croatia's formal name which I still don't understand?

 

Oranges, oranges everywhere at least you know they're local as all the land is committed

Crikey that's less than the Tax in the UK, more than 7 bottles worth for around £8!

Looks a nice place to stop

Day 15 - Dubrovnik and friendly faces at every turn [17th May 2014]

Historic Dubrovnik then into Bosnia :)

Cliff and Maryann, on a motorhome summer tour... may see them in my local come July :)

Incredible walled city

...areas of damage during the war.

Beautiful centre :)

Not sure why he has a shiny nose ;)

Lunch by the sea

I love the Dalmatian coast :)

The motley crew, my friend and veteran cycle tourist Laurent from southern France two German girls heading to Israel and a Croatian guy heading to Istanbul, maybe.

Cant read this without thinking Dracula, and getting to me destination before night fall.

Ston castle and its beguiling curtain wall weaving over the hillside

New friends at my overnight stop in Bosnia, I buy them a goodbye drink and settle my bill and but am unable to leave until we are all staggering drunk!

Day 14 - Survived Montenegro

Made good my escape and found a lovely guest house just outside Dubrovnik.

Packed and ready

Game face on, no fear (quaking inside)

No time to thoroughly check out the damaged wheel, but it runs freely enough so tube change and go.

 

 

Stunning scenery...

 

Away from the towns, the roads are quiet and I start to relax...

Then I see this, and think a photo without crash barrier might be nice...

Some how forgot, the roads where full of wanton killers.

 

A diver heading down the hill decided it take me out using the car coming the opposite way, by deliberately swerving across the line just before he drew level! I looked him square in the face as the other inched past me wondering if I would survive such callousness and all I saw was anger - bizarre! Back feeling worse than last night.

 

Chatting to a friend later, moments later he sent me this:

 https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/europe-eastern-europe-the-caucasus/topics/driving-in-montenegro-a-guide-for-the-unwary

 

During the day I had another 2 incidents, one with another truck pulling a punishment pass this time hitting the handle bar and another with a car hitting the rear pannier as they over take. I am astounded that I have managed to stay on the road! and in one piece!

 

Really quiet road and find another problem with the bike thanks to the noise of a busted mudguard, roadside repairs.

Final section of stunning scenery, with a ferry and despite being the country's only port the waters a crystal clear.

At last the border :)

So pleased to see this sign!

That's a big pig ;)

Huge dinner with great service, even I cant finish it!

Day 13 - Friends and Killers on the road!

On the road I met a fellow cyclist Daan from Amsterdam who is cycling to India in aide of an Orphanage, we exchanged gifts and stories from the road and set about getting his bike into good order... his ten speed system was working as a seven speed but clunky and slow after the rains, team effort, a little elbow grease and we had it sweet once more :D

Over the border from Albania to Montenegro. Roads immediately deteriorate but not as quickly as the driving... only had a short ride into the nearest big town 'Bar' and was expecting a warm reception as before but could not be more different! En route suffered many near misses, was hit by a truck pulling a 'punishment pass' and clipping the front pannier and finished a Km outside town by being run off the road with a 'killer Muppet' doing c80mph on the wrong side of a blind bend using the tarmac all the way to the edge on my side. After this I hobbled the broken bike to the nearest hotel Garmin could find, enroute I stopped to switch shoes as walking any distance in cycling shoes is slow and uncomfortable. However after being harangued by Kosovan's ogling my kit for the second time I gave up on opening my panniers and marched head down to the Hotel. Once there I had a little dinner in my room courtesy of my friend Sungwan (Day 4), and had an early night nervous of going out for dinner or socialising.

Thanks Sungwan the Sergeant 'Prescott' dinner, it was super spicy and great pick me up after a tough day :)

Next morning I plotted my escape from this unpleasant little country, the only time I have planned the route elevations and all...

 

Day 12 - Wind and rain brings the day to low finish

Early bath, defeated by the elements and resultant grinding of the drive train

Incredible scenes, the farming is like I learned at school about medieval Britain and their strips of land. Amazingly most of it is being harvested by hand using sickles and scythes, hardworking people but always happy to wave and say hello in spite of the rain and toil. The produce is sold by the side of the road, wonderfully tasty :D


This section of road is prohibited, but Google, iPhone and Garmin all fail to find any alternative route and I don't fancy carrying it on my shoulder through the hills and fields!

At the height of the rain I find temporary reprieve with a coffee...

Walk on the beach in the finest communist resort of Durres, maybe it looks better in the sunshine?

And my Hotel again reasonable rate, but linen was the worst so far and the restaurant wanted over £30 for a main course, the fast food joint served up kebab, chips and beer for £2.10... not sure they have the balance right yet ;)

Day 11 - Century Ride

Covered over 100miles today, first time with this mammoth 40Kg bike luggage combo! Well chuffed :D

 

 

Found out today that my detour through Western Greece was unnecessary as the border crossing is open despite the army guys that guard it telling me it was closed! lol

Early start with a few emails, sat on the balcony with my feet up... holiday feeling :)

Border crossing in sight, good bye Greece hello Albania...

Looks at a little underwhelming.

The rivers are an amazing colour and perfectly clean!

Wonderful roads, the best so far and being improved!

Wrapped up tight today as the weather turns wet and cold.

Not sure how to use this!

The modern subsistence farmer: Donkey, hey and mobile phone :)

Epic descent from the only hill climb of the day :D

No photos of the evening, but a surprisingly good night. Reasonable hotel, great local food and very friendly people. A little Italian goes a long way in overcoming the lack of English, and the effort seems to be appreciated :) This is not what I had expected of Albania - would definitely visit again!