Day 45: Cycling from Berlin to Athens FINAL DAY

Day 45

Giannitsa > Chalkidona > Thessaloniki 

55.1km

3 hours 13 mins

96m elevation gain

WE DID IT!! We cycled from Berlin to Athens Thessoliniki, we travelled 2,855km across mountains, lakes, rivers, cities and woodlands. It really was an awesome adventure and I am so glad that we took this spontaneous decision. It is true that whilst cycling through a country you get to know a bit more about the locals and the place, rather than staying in the big cities or tourist areas you stay in small towns or villages where people don't usually visit. Of course, I don't think we will ever forget the family down the isolated road in Bosnia and Herzegovina who agreed to drive us to the next town 40km away in the dark and pouring rain. Even the bigger cities, we felt that we would settle in a lot quicker than usual and two nights and a day was the perfect amount of time to explore on rest days and get the laundry done for the next four or five days of cycling.

Champions!!

Re-cap of the incidents:

• 2 flat tyres (both mine)
• 3 incidents with dogs barking and jumping at us (not in a friendly way)
• 3 times I swam in a lake or outdoor pool in the evening, when it was cool and people thought I was mad
• 4 mealtimes where we had to get an extra main course because we were still hungry
• 2 panic attacks (me again) when it got dark and the roads were busy
• 1 incident of falling off the bike (Shanky this time) on a rainy day - luckily he was only bruised

The last day of cycling

We only really had the option of main roads most of the day, there was even a diversion which brought everyone onto the back road I had planned to take. We did cut off some of the main section nearing Thessaloniki which brought us through some farmlands (gravel paths) and into an industrial estate, so that was a bit of relief. We also had to watch that we didn't end up on a motorway nearing the end of the cycle. All along the way today there were cotton farms and harvesting, the trailers had open back and sides, I assume to allow ventilation for the cotton, so there were little balls of cotton along the road as well. We had a nice coffee break in Chalkidona which had some nice cafes and we got an ice drink each and some flapjacks. 

Cotton plants

A field of cotton with the mountains in the distance

A river and quieter road as we got nearer Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

As we arrived into Thessaloniki we came to the seafront and there was a bike lane and a big expanse of sparkling ocean. It was a fantastic spot to end the trip and we got off the bikes for a high five and a photo. We checked into the hotel and then went in search of the vegetarian restaurant, rOOTS, which was yummy and then we went to a few bars to celebrate. We had cocktails and played Uno the card game. We also saw some of the historical landmarks of the city - Roman ruins - and got to bed. We have one last rest day and then we fly back to Amsterdam. Now just to pack up those bikes for the airplane!

Roman ruins including a forum

Bey Hamam - a Turkish bathouse

Day 44: Cycling from Berlin to Athens

Day 44

Ptolemaida > Edessa > Giannitsa

95.7km

4 hours 57 mins

394m elevation gain

We can't believe it but this is our second last day of cycling!! We didn't have much option for hotels so we decided to push a bit more today and to do over 90km, leaving a shorter journey for our final day tomorrow. The biggest news of the day was that I am now terrified dogs are going to attack us, any time we go near a dog, and there are a lot here, they go crazy and start barking like mad or chasing after us. Shanky did have to employ our new water spraying tactic once today, but we survived. Also, for the first 20km of today they were laying a huge pipeline by the side of the road, there were a lot of workers all along the way, plus diggers and for the rest of the day we saw huge lorries go by with additional pieces of the pipeline. They had escort vans as they are so big and at one point we were told to stop as it was a windy part of road. It seems like they have a tight deadline to finish the job.

The awesome waterfall in Edessa

Edessa

We stopped for lunch in Edessa today and ate amazing food at Ousies and the staff were super friendly. In Edessa there is also an incredible waterfall, it's a huge drop waterfall with a ton of water coming down. It made a huge mist of spray at the bottom which was cool and the sound of the water was very loud all around. We could also see that we had even more of a descent to come, as our final destination for the day, Giannitsa, was in the distance. Edessa also has a statue of Alexander the Great, see below.

From the top of the waterfall, looking out over Giannitsa

Our yummy lunch complete with feta cheese, halloumi,
grilled aubergine and vine leaves etc.

Alexander the Great

Sights of note:

• Electricity pylons where you can hear the electricity pulsing through
• Workers laying a pipeline for the first 20km 
• Large solar panels on an industrial scale which I think are for the farmers

Watermelons in Giannitsa

Sunset on the streets of Giannitsa

Day 43: Cycling from Berlin to Athens

Day 43

Kastoria > Ptolemaida

52.1km

3 hours 20 mins

801m elevation gain

It's Shanky's birthday today! We had a huge buffet breakfast and did a shorter cycle today. However, it wasn't easy, we had the final mountain of our trip. So it was one long uphill ascent and then the same going back down, we tried to "enjoy" it as it's our last big climb and thankfully the road was not busy at all and it was a cool and cloudy day so perfect for cycling. We are now in the final countdown to our destination, Thessaloniki, 2 days left now and the rest of the road is flat!

The view of Lake Kastoria this morning

Half way up the mountain and we could see the lake 20km away

We are on the right road to Thessaloniki -
not back to Albania please!

The Greek cyclist

We had a much smaller hill in the second half of the day and a local cyclist on his road bike cruised by our side to have a chat. He was intrigued about our trip and gave up some tips in the local area and how to sit comfortably on the bike, we told him we were aching. Before he jetted off he offered to give us his number if we needed but we were only a few kilometres from the hotel so we declined politely. As we approached the hotel, we could even see it, there were three crazy dogs barking wildly on the road we were headed on. After the incidents in Bosnia and Albania I was not keen to go past them while riding. So we got off the bikes to make a plan, just out of the corner of my eye I saw a cyclist coming down the other road, so I said let's see what he does. 

As he came closer it turned out it was our Greek cyclist friend. He assumed we were too tired to cycle, but we explained our predicament, he promptly jumped off his bike and walked us past the dogs. He chatted away calmly all the while explaining about stray dogs here in Greece and that a good tactic is to spray them with water or to try to talk to them to calm them down. We walked by and there were 8 more in the field to the right and then two behind a fence on the left who continued to bark wildly as we all walked past. We were saved! Thanks Greek man.

A Greek church on the cycle today

Messing around at the hotel

Shanky's birthday cake - it was yummy and gooey inside

Day 42: Cycling from Berlin to Athens GREECE

Day 42

Korce > Bilisht > Greek border > Mesopotamia > Kastoria

69km

4 hours 50 mins

924m elevation gain

We set off in Korce and soon enough found ourselves in a nice park complete with a bike lane and an outdoor gym! It was a lovely surprise but naturally didn't last too long. Out on the main road a strong headwind slowed us down towards the border, we had to take it in turns to be in front and to take the force of it. We had a nice coffee/Fanta stop in Bilisht where some locals were drinking beer and then headed onto the border which was very busy, but again we skipped to the front of the queue as it seemed like a long wait. 

The park in Korce with a bike lane

The road to the border with Greece

Sights of note:

Apple harvesting in Albania 

Abandoned petrol stations (all across Albania) 

A bike lane in Albania!

Apple harvesting

Arriving in Bilisht

Greece

As we entered Greece there was suddenly a huge amount of infrastructure and new roads, we headed onto the "local road" which quickly turned into a gravel track, rather than the motorway which took a longer route to Kastoria. However, I soon realised that the motorway we saw was actually brand new and has not yet been updated on the map. It was in fact a direct route to Kastoria but we could no longer jump on the road as there was a high fence the whole way along so we stuck to our route. 

We passed a few towns in search of lunch but to no avail, everywhere we tried were only serving drinks. Finally in Mesopotamia we asked in a cafe and a friendly old man pointed us towards pizzeria Elite where we got some nice pasta. We then only had 10km to our destination at lake Kastoria but we had lost an hour so it was later than planned. We still arrived in daylight and checked into our hotel - I had a swim in the pool and everyone was agape wondering how I could swim in such cold water. Most of the Greek people I saw were in coats! It was chilly but very refreshing after the day's cycle.

Blue hills in Greece

Day 41: Cycling from Berlin to Athens

Day 41

Prrenjas > Pogradec > Korce

70.5km

4 hours 24 mins

1,013m elevation gain

We had the steep climb this morning up to the lake and we agreed it was better to arrive in the morning light. We enjoyed our cycle along the lake - there was even a path for us, however, on the path many obstacles stood in our way such as drains, gravel sections, cars and fruit or fish sellers who had their stands the whole way across the path. It was still nice to be closer to the water and we could even see fish as we cycled along the route, so we were happy. 

Up the hill we go... bye bye Prrenjas

Over the top and we see Lake Ohrid!!

Pogradec

Just as we approached Pogradec there was some more "moving roadworks" we were flagged straight through but cars seemed to still be going both ways. This time there was a few posters with their new plans which included a very fancy looking bike path - I'm not sure that will happen. We did see a lot of local cyclists though, so a bike path is definitely needed. You could also hire bikes along the lake front beach. This is where we headed for lunch and we had pizza at a restaurant right over the lake water, which was peaceful.

View of Pogradec beach from our lunch spot

Afternoon ride 

After Pogradec we headed due South along a main road which this time had a sort of bike lane which was nice. It was a side lane that fit us more comfortably, unfortunately they lay a pipe there so there's a bump in the middle most of the time but it's not so bad. As we came out of Pogradec we had another steep climb up over another mountain, but after that the road was mainly a gradual incline so we seemed to get to Korce pretty quickly. 

Me and my shadow with the mountains in the background 

A surprise in Korce

We randomly checked into a hotel we found by the city centre and headed to an online recommended restaurant which was great - restaurant Alfa. They had live music from an Albanian duo who were playing what I know as Greek wedding music, so that was fun. Then lo and behold, three men walked in - who were the cycling Brits from yesterday!! So we were reunited once more and we had a drink with them to again share notes and discuss next plans, they are even staying at our hotel so we should see them at breakfast!

Live music at the restaurant

View from our hotel room of Korce

Sights of note

• At the lake, two boys and their grandpa catapulting rocks at some unsuspecting ducks who were having to dive down into the water to save themselves
• Many people out harvesting the corn in the fields
• More donkey carts
• We stopped for an afternoon drink of Fanta and some guys were heckling their friend who drove by on a tractor, we think pretending there was something wrong with it and then laughing at him when he checked it out
• My wonderful tea cup at breakfast in Prrenjas (restaurant Botanika - where we also had a yummy dinner last night)

More donkey's bottoms

Breakfast tea mug

Day 40: Cycling from Berlin to Athens

Day 40

Tirana > Elbasan > Prrenjas

108.9km

6 hours 38 mins

1,896m elevation gain

One stretch from today is our favourite piece of riding so far. We headed out from Tirana on our route and onto the motorway, yes bicycles and even pedestrians are allowed, there's a hard shoulder for slow vehicles like us and then three more lanes for other traffic. Soon we came off the motorway (under construction) and spotted three touring cyclists ahead of us and we caught up with them when they stopped to take a photo. We rode along with them for a while and shared stories, routes and plans for the road ahead. They are three British guys who started out with a bigger group but they all got a bad dose of food poisoning, so a few more had gone home and one stayed in Tirana. Coincidentally they fly out on the same day as us from the same airport!

A fantastic day of cycling

Cycling on the motorway

Plans Change

This is where I need to update you on our plan, we have now decided to make Thessaloniki our end destination. We are slightly ahead of schedule but we need to get back home for some meetings/friend's visiting etc. so we are heading East to the slightly closer Thessaloniki and flying out of Greece in one week. It now feels weird that we do finally have a deadline but we should make it there in time and with one day to sort out the packing of the bikes for the plane.

Our favourite stretch of riding to date

As we said bye to the Brits we headed up on the old road towards Elbasan and passing through Gracen. Basically they have built a new motorway with a 2km tunnel through the mountains, so all of the traffic goes along there and we had the old road completely to ourselves and it was stunning! Bicycles are not allowed in the tunnel. We had a lot of climbing but it was totally worth it, viewing mountains for miles and many different views every time we turned a corner. We also had a great stretch of downhill riding and we could see Elbasan from afar. 

Mountains for miles

Looking out over Elbasan

The winding downhill stretch

Elbasan and afternoon riding

We had lunch in a huge cafe/restaurant that has a garden behind the stone city walls, which was a lovely spot to re-fuel. We did a lot of riding today and we were trying to reach Lake Ohrid, but we didn't quite make it that far before darkness descended. The road out of Elbasan was still beautiful with mountains and great viewpoints but it was busy and a fairly narrow road, so not as pleasant. We stopped at a hotel in Prrenjas, just below the steep climb to the lake - we decided to leave that until tomorrow!

Lunch in the garden of the city walls - Elbasan

Views from the afternoon

Sights of note

• A limo belonging to one hotel along the route to the lake
• Cycling on a motorway
• Lots of fruit sellers on the side of the road with pomegranates and apples, Asia-style

The hotel limo

Day 39: Cycling from Berlin to Athens

Day 39

Rest day in Tirana

Bicycle artwork - going both ways - on a bridge over the River Lana

It turns out that Tirana has a lot of people on bicycles as well as bike workshops, lanes and artwork. We visited the Bunk'Art 2 museum which is in an old nuclear bunker from the Cold War and tells the Communist history of Albania. We are vegetarian food at the aptly named Veggie restaurant and we drank beer in the sunshine. 

A bicycle in the main square

Bike lane!

Bunk'Art 2 entrance of the bunker
- photos of those tortured by the secret police

The decontamination rooms in the bunker

Drinking beer in the sunshine with the Buddha

There was a thunderstorm earlier in the day when we had to hide at Sophie's Caffe for half an hour. We planned our ongoing route which will be to now head East towards the border with Greece. Also, we managed to persuade a dry cleaners to take our laundry as the hostel we tried only had a washing machine and there are no laundromats here in Tirana.

The covered market with some Tirana herons

The vibe of Tirana