Albania - Going home

Tuesday 23rd April 

I’m quite relived I decided to push into Vlore yesterday, making the most of the strong tailwind, and arriving in time to enjoy take-out pizza and beers in my spotlessly clean hotel room.

The wind strengthened overnight and today everything is in the haze of a dust storm, making it quite unpleasant to be outside, especially near sand.

I bought some baking for breakfast, then picked up my rental car. On the way to Tirana airport I made two stops - one to a lagoon with was supposedly in a nature park but seemed to be surrounded by chemical plants and sewage treatment, making it rather smelly. I then pushed onto Dvore, where I was pleasantly surprised by an excellent 5 course Italian seafood style lunch at a beachside restaurant for just 11 Euro. Albanian tomatoes are definitely the best I’ve ever tasted and the Adriatic prawns were a nice change from chicken. Then continued on toward the airport, taking several unsuccessful detours in search of a barber for a wet shave to use up the last of my Lek and make me presentable for work tomorrow.

I’m now sat at the airport, unusually early, waiting for check-in to open. It’s been a really good few days. The hilly terrain doesn’t make Albania the most accessible cycle touring destination, however for such a short trip I’ve felt very relaxed and safe (bar dog attacks). The excellent offerings combined with the quirks of a region lower down on the established destination list definitely make me want to come back to the Balkans.

Albania - Day 4 (Albanian Riviera and a note on the food)

Monday 22nd April

It would be a unfair not to touch upon Albanian coffee and baking, considering the extent to which it has powered this trip.

Small town bakeries are one room affairs usually with a counter up front, kitchen in the back and a temporary divider between. There will be one shelf dedicated to sweet filo and nut based treats, another to spinach and/or cheese filo pasty and a third shelf for various combinations of half dome sugar biscuits, dusted with icing sugar and apricot jam or cream filling. The biscuits have become a real highlight, possibly some of the lightest and softest I’ve ever tasted. I found one sugar biscuit per 200m of riding ascent to be more than sufficient to keep energy levels high.

Larger establishments will have cake on offer, however this tended to be more cream and overly sweet, even for me.

The bakeries do not sell coffee, but are always located right next to a coffee shop, sparsely filled with tables and chairs, a hi-if, wood burning stove if in the mountains, espresso machine and a shelf of alcohol - these venues double as the town bars. Coffee is always a gritty espresso, with tinned milk on request, severed with at least one large sachet of sugar sat expectantly on the saucer.

Coffee and a copious amount of baking could be had for about a Euro or two, sending me spinning the pedals out of town in high spirits.

This morning I tried a sort of barley and honey syrup based warm gloop topped with cinnamon - sort of Albanian porridge! This was wonderfully warming, I can only hope the hills have been sufficient to warrant all the treats!

Cycling up the 'Albanian Riviera' today provided wonderful views over the sage hills sloping down to turquoise blue waters. Unfortunately the water was more for looking at than swimming in, thanks to recent developments occupying the beaches and flat sections of the coast and polluting the bays.

Of the many rapidly expanding resort towns I passed through, only one seemed to be trying to preserve the charm of the old town. Dog incidence was high, as were prices, and the locals less friendly than elsewhere. Therefore I decided to push on, swapping plans of a relaxing beach camp for a large hill climb to a hotel bed back in Vlore.

Track Day 4 - Sarande to Vlore
https://www.strava.com/activities/2316186049

- An excellent start to the day -

- View up the winding coastal road of the 'Riviera' - 

- Pannier broken by the bumpy roads required some redistribution of luggage around the bike, and was an excuse to stop for more baking -

- The seaside towns were mostly deserted except for building work in preparation for the high season -

- Fortunately I found an open restaurant, and had a delicious lunch, including this fellow -

- I was quite excited to spot this submarine base built into a hillside! -

- Sacks to get me over the pass to Vlore (having already eaten an ice cream, banana, croissant and peanuts). I ended up returning to the shop three times in a row, buying extra snacks before the climb - 

- Road snaking up the pass, fortunately not too busy -

- At the top, with more streamlined luggage setup after the pannier failure -

- These little communist era pillboxes are dotted ALL over the Albanian roadside, apparently at an average of average of 5.7 bunkers for every square kilometer! 

- Luxury! Hotel room and take out for under 15 Euros -

Albania - Day 3 (dogs, honey, nuts and chicken bones)

Sunday 21st April

According to the 2019 Albanian tourism magazine editorial (among various other Albanian tourism reading material dumped on my table by the keen waiter in Permet, wanting to keep me occupied for the minutes it took him to cut up my rotisserie chicken) in Albania ‘Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations’ and after the last two days riding I completely agree (in the literal sense).

There are an abundance of tracks and graded roads connecting little hillside farming villages across this mountainous country, easily traced from google and satellite images. What google can't tell me, but I quickly learnt, is grazing pack donkeys by the roadside mean it is time to get ready to push! Fortunately the sunny weather meant tracks were mostly mud free so I was able to granny gear up all but the steepest and roughest. Almost harder were the descents, I was occasionally forced to pull over to rest my fingers from braking so hard!

For the effort I was treated to views over undulating hills backed by snow capped mountains, beautiful little villages of vine covered stone houses. While riding I was often accompanied by the sound of birds and running mountain streams, interspersed with the donging of bells announcing a herd of hillside grazing sheep and goats, or some solitary cows.

The people I have met along the way have been lovely, often giving friendly waves and shouts... several cars have stopped to offer me rides and even food. I’d forgotten how cycle touring is viewed in countries which are not used to this approach to travel - many people assumed I was lost, directing me towards the biggest and most direct roads! 

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Albanian dogs, which I have now learnt fall into two categories. The extremely passive and extremely aggressive. Sometimes pretending to be the former until you’re just a few meters away, going uphill, before blowing cover with teeth bared. I’ve never had so many dog attacks, and they don’t event back off using the standard trick of pretending to throw a stone (from experience this is as effective as actually trying to throw anything, and saves the hassle of picking up the projectile).

I had my closest shave yet this morning, saved by a well timed intervention by a passing car who, using Albanian driving agility, managed to nimbly thread his Audi at high speed into the small space between myself and three attacking dogs, sending them scattering long enough for me to remount and pedal off at top speed over the crest of the hill.

The Albanian tourism magazine failed to mention dog attacks, although it did point to restaurant service as one improvement area to help develop tourism. My doting waiter appeared to have taken this on board when he, with a little bow, used his hand to scoop the chicken bones off my plate while I was still eating the rest of the chicken!

The food has been generally good - fresh salad of delicious tomatoes, dill, fresh (not salted) olives, very sour lemons - mostly grown from the back gardens attached to every countryside house. Fried meat and chips, sourdough like bread and various honey and nut based desserts. For about 30p it’s possible to pick up a coffee or pastry - with the Albanian coffee styles harking back its conquested history; Italian or Turkish.

Some other brief observations from the road;

Albanian men appear to regularly buzz trim their hair and meticulously wash their cars at one of the many roadside car washes 'Lavazhos'. I often see kids playing outside, and older women hunched over tending to vegetable patches. I've never been anywhere with so many petrol stations along main roads.

Many grave stones have a picture of the deceased, as do the frequent roadside markers to, presumably, car accident victims. I found these interesting to look at - it is often possible to guess the decade they died from the picture.

Many houses have a teddy bear strung up from the eves or garden gate. This looks a little creepy when the bear is torn, weather beaten, and hanging by a string around the neck. It is, however, apparently a superstition for good luck. 

Toilets are squat and splash, a head shake means yes, driving on the right tends to be preferred if the middle isn’t available.

Track Day 3 - Corovoda to Sarande

https://www.strava.com/activities/2316166860

- When leaving Corovoda I was cautioned by a local man, via google translate on his phone, I had "chosen the hard road" to Permet. The track started off bumpy and got very steep after veering away from this stream, luckily the mud was dried hard -

- Running low on food and having just filled up my bottle from a trickling stream, I was surprised and relieved to be flagged down by this lady who had set up a roadside tea stop on stilts above her apple orchard -

- I enjoyed some delicious fried dough with her orchard honey, walnuts, wild apples and bread, hardly believing my luck. The setup was extremely well organised by Albanian tourism standards, even having a logbook for visitors, showing that during the summer mainly Germans and Austrians passed by every few days on motorbikes or 4x4s - 

- View back down the valley showing sections of the track -

- Smooth tarmac was welcome, not so much the gusting headwind every direction I turned -

- Enjoying a dinner of lunch leftovers. Before sleeping I strung up the rubbish in a tree just in case of bear or dog visitors - 

- Campsite for the night, beside the old road above Sarande -

Albania - Day 1 & 2 (mountain roads)

Saturday 20th April

Birds sing everywhere in Albania. Last night I even needed ear plugs to sleep under the moon song of some little tweeter in a bush next to my tent!

By cycle touring standards there has been a lot good so far - pretty scenery with quiet roads, friendly and unpushy people (filling up my water bottles, sometimes offering a sort of expresso coffee or Rakia shot thrown in with the visit), sunshine and calm air, no bugs and mostly passive dogs. Importantly, sweet and savory baking, mainly filo based, seems to be available cheaply in most towns.

A 1000m climb over 10km up Mt Tomorri yesterday again highlighted how once off tarmac the Albanian roads can be tough with steep gradients making some sections unridable. Pack donkeys in the area are often the first warning signs!

Nevertheless getting off road has been really rewarding, with some excellent views and the roads almost to myself. Other than the occasional herd of belled goats or sheep attended by crook equipped Shepards (I found out why later), or a beat up old Mercedes tooting as it rattles past.

Albanian houses seem to be built with the aspiration for three floors. It is usual to see a one or two story house with a flat roof sprouting steel rods skywards ready for the next level.

The flat coastal area from Vlore to Fier is full of new houses, roads, generically clad industrial buildings and, pleasantly, investment in pedestrian areas and roadside beautification. Travelling inland the towns become noticeably poorer, although much more charming to look at. Another feature of Albanian houses is making use of the garden or flat roof to erect frames to grow what appear to be vines, giving the house a rustic appearance.

So far I’ve felt so comfortable here I would happily trade the tent for a bivy bag. English has been spoken sporadically, and the people seem proud of their region if less so the county or politicians.

The early morning sun has almost dried my tent so it’s time to pack away. Because of the slow going yesterday, I doubt I’ll make it to Lake Ohrid as originally planned. Instead I'll head to Sandra and up the coast to Vlore, although am a little concerned about how busy this road may get.

Track Day 1 - Vlore to Berat
https://www.strava.com/activities/2316111889 
Track Day 2 - Berat to Corovoda
https://www.strava.com/activities/2316142031

- The back road to Berat provided beautiful olive grove and vineyard views, along with very steep tracks - 

- Photo on the move past the famous Berat old town, I didn't make a culture stop - 

- Riding out of Berat along a valley of vineyards - 

- I cooked some couscous and veggies for dinner, camped in what I think was an olive tree grove at the head of the valley - 

- Riding up the lower slops of Mt Tomorri, accompanied by donging bells of the grazing herds -

- The pretty green slops gave way to bare rock quarries as I ascended - 

- View from a high mountain pass, the snow line was as low as 1500m - 

- Entering the mountain village of Gjerbes on the far side of Mt Tomorri -

- Despite there being no open restaurants, I was relived to find someone happy to cook an excellent lunch for a few Euro, including filling my bar bag with leftovers and some homemade cheese for dinner (Note: I have not taken up smoking) -

- Coming around the mountain, the road improved, providing a sweeping decent past quarries and gullies down to Corovoda - 

- Back in the green belt on the way down, my fingers were getting tired from all the braking! -

- Sort of ice cream made by two stumpy old ladies using a machine which looked like it was from the 1950s -

- Followed by a gentle sunset decent through a beautiful valley above a river gorge -

- I enjoyed a refreshing river dip and leftover lunch before bed, keeping a stick handy by the entrance of the tent in case of unwelcome nightime visitors -

Albania - Pre-departure

Thursday 18th April

If the quiz show Pointless asked 100 people what they would do with an Easter Bank holiday weekend, solo cycle touring in rural Albania would probably be a winning answer.

At least by the raised eyebrows and mildly wry smiles I've received since booking this last minute getaway. Nevertheless, it did not take much pre-trip research (googling this and this) to convince me this is a great idea, and set some pretty high expectations...

• Google search says it is cheap, the weather is good, people are nice and the food & scenery look great. Even the FCO gave Albania all but a big two thumbs up.
• Google maps and street view show an abundance of back roads connecting mountain and coastal villages through pretty, if hilly, countryside.
• Reward flight finder found low cost flights, perfectly timed for the bank holiday.

‘Why cycle?’ is because exploring by bike is satisfying and worthwhile. Often at the time (Type 1 fun - like riding a beautiful descent into a remote valley or trying new and unusual food) and almost always after the fact (Type 2 fun - reflecting how lucky/ridiculous a situation was).

Because this is a short solo trip to an unfamiliar country, I have done more route planning than usual. Coming up with a circular route starting in the coastal city of Vlore, looping inland to the old city of Berat, then over some mountains and back up the coast.

- Unusually even multiple bail options have been planned -

I'm writing this on the train to Gatwick where I will catch the  evening BA flight to Tirana airport, from where I will drive a rental car to Vlore, and start the ride early Friday morning. 

The wheels are already off, as my somewhat cobbled together attempt to arrive at Gatwick airport, less sweaty than usual, with 25kg of awkwardly boxed bike & camping equipment, did not work. Self destructing between the house front door and Derby train station inter platform area.

- An ominous omen of what is to come? My attempt to fit wheels to reduce bike box faff is not yet in the league of Indian Jugaad or Brazilian Gambiarra -