|
Updated from May 17 2016: Game of Thrones: When Dragons Attack!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map315-L.jpg We are continuing our dawdle along the Adriatic coast. Our mileage for the day is less than 100 kms. If we moved any slower, we'd be heading towards Istria! When we packed our bags onto the bikes, Neda noticed the neighbourhood cats in Sibenik had left her a little present. Apparently they didn't like the cat pee smell on Neda's seat from Medulin and decided to add their spray in a territorial one-upmanship (one-catmanship?) Neda was not impressed. They didn't pee on my bike. :) Everytime I approach Neda on her bike, I sniff really loudly and scrunch my nose. Neda gives me the evil eye in return. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8576-L.jpg Glad to be leaving the cats of Sibenik behind It's a short coastal ride to Trogir, a beautiful port town. We're now in the heart of Dalmatia and Neda tells me that the people here speak very differently from Istrians. She tells me that whenever Dalmatian people talk, they sound very happy. In Croatian, the word for "beautiful" is "lijepa" (lee-YEA-pah). In Dalmatian, they pronounce it LEE-pah, so it always sounds like they are smiling when they talk. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0122-L.jpg The weather in Dalmatia is LEE-pah! Neda knows her country so well. She's timed our ride down the Adriatic coast perfectly with regards to the weather. Our sunny streak remains unbroken. This is soo unusual. I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop - like a freak hurricane will touch down on us tomorrow or something... |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0125-L.jpg
The name of this castle is Kamerlengo Castle I love that word. Kamerlengo. I love the way it feels on my tongue when I say it. I've loved it ever since I read it in that Dan Brown novel: Angels and Demons. I love the fact that Ewan McGregor plays the camerlengo in the movie. Kamerlengo. :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0135-L.jpg Inside Kamerlengo Castle. Kamerlengo. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0076-L.jpg The view of Trogir from the top of Kamerlengo Castle. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0080-L.jpg
Are you reading Angels and Demons? Spoiler: The camerlengo has a bomb! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0142-L.jpg They should rename Trogir Harbour to Kamerlengo Harbour https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0091-L.jpg We walk around town and everytime I see "Kamerlengo" on a sign, we laugh like little kids. By "we", I mean "me"... Kamerlengo. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0152-L.jpg
Central Square in Trogir, Cathedral of St. Lawrence (Katedrala Sv. Lovre) in the background. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0126-L.jpg The Clock Tower is a famous feature in Trogir https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...C_0175_0-L.jpg The old city is on an island, this the bridge that connects it to the mainland |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN8639-XL.jpg
Just outside of Split, is a very special fortress We're both huge Game of Thrones fans and the Fortress of Klis is where they filmed the exterior shots of Meereen, where Danaerys freed the slaves and kept her dragons in the dungeon. Very cool! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0164-L.jpg From the outside, the fortress is not very imposing. It doesn't look like Meereen at all! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0175-L.jpg You can almost imagine dragons flying over the valley below and the Adriatic shoreline. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0197-L.jpg
It's obvious Neda is not a Targaryen, unlike Dani, Jon and Tyrion... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl.../collage-L.jpg In one of the buildings, there are stills of the Fortress of Klis from the Game of Thrones You can see in the picture that Neda is holding how they've CGed more buildings to make up the city of Meereen. I think they mainly used the fortress for the ramparts, as they played a big role in the Crucifixion of the Great Masters as well as the long line of people waiting to see Daenerys. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0215-L.jpg Peering over the edge, looking for dragons |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0217-L.jpg
We walked all over the fortress whistling the Game of Thrones theme song https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0221-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0227-L.jpg If you don't watch the Game of Thrones, the best part of the fortress are the views from the top |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0232-L.jpg
Village just below the fortress https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0216-L.jpg More breathtaking views https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0265-L.jpg Inside, these slots were used by archers to defend the fortress https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0260-XL.jpg We want more Game of Thrones! |
Stunning guys bier
I LOL reading about Neda taking the piss outta cats everywhere :rofl: |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/316.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map316-L.jpg Split is Croatia's second-largest city and is located right in the heart of Dalmatia. We're staying here for a few days so we can take our bikes in for regular maintenance. There have been a a couple of niggling issues ever since unwrapping them from our winter break that we need checked out. My motorcycle has not been starting up very well in the mornings and has been running very rough lately. We take the bikes into service one by one so we have transportation while in Split. So while my bike is in the shop, we ride Neda's bike into the old city to look around. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0230-L.jpg This is what Split is known for. Bacvice Beach. Split is one of Croatia's most popular tourist destinations. Mainly because of it's amazing weather and beautiful turquoise waters. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0325-XL.jpg Sun-seekers enjoy the sandy beaches at Bacvice Neda used to tell me of all the times she used to walk the beaches in Pula and just pick seafood up out of the waters and eat them raw. I find this hilarious, so I make fun of her all the time when we're just walking around normally and I point at something random on the ground, "Are you going to eat that?" https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0292-L.jpg But as we walk on this beach, Neda picks something up off the sands and shows me nature's buffet: an aquatic snail called a limpet https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0296-L.jpg ...and she eats it! I'm equal parts grossed out and fascinated. But I decline nature's buffet... |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0275-L.jpg
We park the bike at the center of town. As we walk away this cat walks purposefully towards Neda's motorcycle "You know what she's on her way to do, right?" I tell Neda. "NOOOO!!!! DAMMIT!!!" We watch as the cat walks up to Neda's bike and then turns around to look back at us. It's a staring game, and cats always win staring games. She's not going to pee on Neda's seat while we're watching and we can't just wait there forever. So we shrug our shoulders and continue on. Actually, just me. I had to drag Neda anyway backwards while she continued to stare down the cat. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0333-L.jpg Originally, Split was an important trading port. Nowadays the port is mainly used by gigantic cruise ships https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0328-L.jpg Train station is right at the harbour There's also an international airport at Split, so there are half a dozen ways to come directly here, which makes it so easy and popular for tourists. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0338-XL.jpg
Statue of Franjo Tuđman, first president of independent Croatia https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0300-L.jpg The old city is splendorous! Neda has only visited Split once - on a school trip before the war. She left for Canada shortly and she really wanted to re-visit Dalmatia and also to re-discover and share this with me. It reminded me of when we were in Malaysia just a month ago. Although I didn't have a lot of strong memories of it, it still felt good to share a piece of my childhood with her. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0301-L.jpg Lots of tourists out enjoying the beautiful weather! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0342-L.jpg Until these Romans decided to spoil the day: "Seize Her!" |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0251-L.jpg
Dalmatia was part of the Roman Empire 2000 years ago, this is Diocletian's Palace, built in the 4th century These two guys in suits walked out onto the platform like they were getting ready to sing or give a speech (lend them your ears!) But they took forever, so I just walked behind them, took a picture and we continued our tour. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0240-L.jpg Underground complex of Diocletian's Palace Diocletian's Palace is a UNESCO site, but that's nowhere as cool as the fact that they filmed the fourth season of Game of Thrones here! The underground complex was the set of the dungeon where Daenerys kept her dragons in Meereen. They had to clear out all the shops and stalls for filming, because the dragons would have destroyed everything. You just can't have nice stuff when you have dragons. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0243-L.jpg Steps leading out of the underground complex. This lady really wanted to be in my picture. She didn't move the entire time. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0263-XL.jpg The Vestibule at Diocletian's Palace, the entrance to Diocletian's living quarters |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0293-L.jpg
Cathedral of St Domnius (Katedrala Svetog Duje), built in the 7th century, it's the oldest Catholic cathedral still in use https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0294-L.jpg The streets outside Diocletian's Palace are filled with touristy shops and stores, where you can Rome around and browse https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0315-L.jpg Historic old city of Split https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0321-L.jpg Pausing for a refreshing break at the fountain |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0318-L.jpg
Contemplating Laundry Day at the Republic Square https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...C_0325_0-L.jpg Cafes and restaurants line the Riva Boardwalk, diners have a great view of the Adriatic Sea https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0359-L.jpg They say walking is supposed to be good for you. It's a habit I'm trying to adopt. Any success so far for me? None. |
So we've made it this far and I haven't cracked one joke about the name of the town: Split. No pea soup comments. No fraying hair-ends. But I can't stop myself. But Neda is already wise to my ways:
"Hey Neda, do they grow bananas here? Because..." "Shut up." "Hey Neda, do people double-stitch their pants here? Because when they bend ov..." "You suck." I guess when you've grown up with a specific meaning for a word and then someone tells you it means something else in another language, you're never going to stop thinking of it in your original language. Besides, she corrects me, "It's pronounced SPLEET". "So do they fine you if you split on the slide-walk?" "Congratulations on being the worst person in the world." https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0327-L.jpg When the crowds get too big, the tourists hold hands. So that they don't get... separated from each other https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0361-L.jpg My poor bike Back at the dealership. We wanted to leave town soon (in other words: we wanted to Split early), so the service technician didn't have time to pinpoint what was wrong with engine, but he thought it was probably dirty injectors and to try running some cleaner the next time we gas up. He took me to my bike, which was still up on the stand and showed me what he was more concerned about: grabbing the rear wheel, he shook it right and left. There was about half a cm of lateral movement. Final drive failure. Again. This is not going to be cheap. Maybe I could discuss this with the dealership and we could Split the cost...? |
Quote:
|
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/317.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map317-L.jpg The BMW shop in Split didn't have the tools to repair the shaft drive on my bike, and it would take at least a week to get both the tools from Zagreb and the parts from Germany shipped in. Although we are taking our time riding down the Adriatic coast, we are still on a rough schedule and a week stationary in Split would really crimp our pace. I explained our haste to the mechanic and asked if the fix was urgent. He worded his reply carefully: "This problem didn't just pop up over the last day or two, the final drive bearing has been slowly wearing down over thousands of kms. If you leave now, your wheel could fall off in the next few hundred kms, or it could last another few thousand kms..." Maybe I was reading between the lines too much or only hearing what I wanted to hear, but it seemed like he was covering BMW's liability, while indirectly saying the fix could wait. Just not for too long. After discussing this with Neda, I made the decision that we should go ahead and complete our tour of the Adriatic and then get the fix done in Zagreb, the capital city. As I signed the indemnity form releasing BMW from any responsibility should my rear wheel fall off while I was riding, sending me hurtling over the guardrail into the Adriatic Sea, I wondered if I was making the right decision... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8691-L.jpg Seagulls follow our ferry as we leave from Split harbour towards the island of Brač (pronounced BRA-tch) We bask in the warm sunlight on the deck, watching the birds dive-bomb the waters behind us, eager to pick up any fish stirred up by the wake of the ferry. A few bold gulls swooped down into the passenger area hoping to steal scraps off the customers coming out of the on-board snack bar. Another glorious day. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8699-L.jpg
Brač is the largest of the Dalmatian islands It takes less than an hour for us to arrive at Brač. The passengers on the ferry crowd the railings to get a glimpse of Supetar, the port town we are docking in. After riding off the ferry, we stop at the side of the road and let all the cars go ahead of us. We're in no rush. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN8708-XL.jpg Neda reaches up and picks something off of the branches (Bračs?) overhead https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8711-L.jpg "What is it?", I asked. Neda replied, "I don't know the name in English, but we call it murva" Then she popped it in her mouth. Neda continues her habit of picking stuff off the ground, in trees, out of the sea and eating it. Nature's Buffet! She knows everything there is to know about living off the land. She should totally be on Survivor or something. I looked up "murva". It's a mulberry! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0374-L.jpg Okay, enough free food, let's ride! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0371-L.jpg
The road leads up and out of Supetar, we can see the town below us as we ride away https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8728-L.jpg The coastal road is so twisty as it clings to the jagged edges of the island (see map above)! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0376-L.jpg We pass by small villages and farms and vineyards. Absolutely beautiful! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8719-L.jpg Looking over the town of Postira as we ride the northern coastal route |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8731-L.jpg
The road dives south inland for a bit and we ride gentle switchbacks to climb higher up the shelf of land https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0383-L.jpg Then back down to end up in the town of Pučišća, where Neda plans out our next stop https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8761-L.jpg Wanna go dancing? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8777-L.jpg We climb up, up, up inland through more twisty roads and forests to the highest spot in Brač, Vidova Gora |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0394-L.jpg
Vidova Gora is also the highest peak in all of the Dalmatian Islands. From here you can get a great view of the south coast of the island That little cape of sand down there is called Zlatni Rat, or "Golden Horn". We'll be riding all the way down there later on this afternoon. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0397-XL.jpg Close-up of Zlatni Rat. Looks like a lot of suntanning going on down there https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8808-L.jpg We pass lots of vineyards as we head down and around to the southern coast looking for a campsite Brač is expensive. There is no finding any cheap AirBnB in a far away town here because every place on the island is a holiday destination. The only economical option is to pitch our tent while we're here. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN8802-XL.jpg While searching for a campsite, I make a friend. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8813-L.jpg Our site for the evening This is the first time we've broken out our tent this year. I think it's been over 7 months since we camped! I stare at the mess of poles, groundsheet, and tabs and clips on the tent and struggle to remember how to assemble it all together. Neda is loving being outdoors in nature again and I'm so thankful the weather is holding out and that we don't have to pitch the tent in the rain. |
Our campsite is just up the hill from Zlatni Rat, so after we eat a quick meal of sandwiches and soup outside our tent, we take a stroll down to the beach.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0419-L.jpg And then we come across a cheeky Croatian man skinny-dipping in the waters https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0423-L.jpg Outside a restaurant near Zlatni Rat. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0460-L.jpg Ahhh, the beach! Turns out the golden colour isn't sand at all. It's a pebble beach! How unusual that it should look like sand from a distance! We reach Zlatni Rat just before the sun disappears behind the mountains so all the sunbathers have left for the day. We have the entire beach to ourselves, so we stroll lazily around the small cape while Neda finds flat rocks and teaches me how to skip them on the waters of the sea. Yes, I am such a city boy... Skip rocks? Pick berries? I can code my own blogging software from scratch, is that cool enough for you? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0450-L.jpg What a totally relaxing tour of the Dalmatian Islands! So chill. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0478-L.jpg
We walk further past the cape and look out to the sea to all the ships anchored off the coast Less than 2kms from Zlatni Rat is the town of Bol. It's the most ritzy place on Brač. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0511-L.jpg The marina at Bol As we stroll the boardwalk in Bol, we peer at the menus posted outside the very frou-frou restaurants lining the harbour front. Everything is priced well out of our budget. It's a good thing we made our own dinner tonight. And walking around is free, so that's what we do. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0501-XL.jpg "Where is your motorcycle, Neda? I would like to claim dominion over its seat. With my pee..." |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0491-L.jpg
More of Bol The buildings here are made from a white stone that has been excavated from local quarries here on the island. The white stone from Brač is world-famous and was used to build Diocletian's Palace in Split, and also the White House in Washington, DC! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0503-XL.jpg Peering into a church https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0506-L.jpg We just continue to be Bol-ed over at the beauty of our surroundings https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0513-XL.jpg Having an awesome time in the Dalmatian Islands! |
I am very jealous of you guys, Brać is a lovely island, I was there in 93 during the war for a bit of R&R and went back in 2013 for a holiday. Great photos, they bring back some good memories
Wayne |
Can't believe that you npair are touring the Dalmation Islands & take a photo op with a Golden Retriever instead :rofl:
Fantastic pics & stories as always....Thanks heaps bier BTW....why are there shadows in all your pics huh ?? :D:scooter::rain: |
Quote:
In the last post, of course there are more shadows as they were photos in the evening, I'd guess. |
lightcycle
I'm sure someone has asked you before but I can't find the answer....what camera are you using? The photo quality is outstanding! |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Our equipment is very old. We have a Nikon D3000 fitted with a Nikkor 18-200mm zoom. And another DSLR Nikon D60 with a Sigma 10-20mm. For the on-bike shots, we use a Nikon AW120, which also takes video. The action camera we use is a Sena Prism, which attaches to my helmet or the back of the bike. |
Great trip report, i've enjoyed reading for quite a while now. Seems like you guys have been on the road a long time now.:thumbup1:
|
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/318.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map318-L.jpg We're going island hopping today! Gonna head to the next island south of Brač, called Hvar. But strangely enough, there is no direct ferry between Brač and Hvar. Which means we've got to take a ferry back to the mainland, ride south a little bit and then take another ferry to Hvar. I guess there's not enough traffic between the two islands to justify a direct ferry. Oh well, more riding for us, we don't mind! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0517-L.jpg While at the ferry dock in Sumartin (Brač), Neda talks to some sidecar folks from Germany https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/Gunter-L.jpg I got to talking to another German rider, Günter, he is traveling around on his beloved Yamaha Diversion https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0523-L.jpg Last view of Brač from the ferry before departing We spent the rest of the ferry ride hanging out with Günter. His English was better than our German, and we talked a lot about our trips and motorcycles. We got along really well and he invited us to come visit him in Germany if we were ever in the area. That was very gracious of him, we'd love to hang out more with him again! Just gotta figure out when we'll be around Germany again... |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...ene_neda-L.jpg
Thanks to Günter for this pic of us - we don't have many of us together. Enjoying the sunshine! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0560-L.jpg After only an hour we arrive at Makarska, on mainland Croatia. Günter is traveling further south, while we are going to stop less than 30kms away in Drvenik to catch the ferry to the next island of Hvar. We say our goodbyes in Makarska and less than 20 minutes later down the coast, we find ourselves waiting for yet another ferry! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN8868-XL.jpg Taking a dip in the Adriatic Sea while waiting. Weather is perfect! :) It's a couple of hours wait in Drvenik for the next ferry, so we duck into a supermarket to get some cheese and Croatian prosciutto and we sit lazily by the edge of the sea while the blue sky and sun smile down at us. Nice. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8885-L.jpg Finally our ferry arrives. We park the bikes onboard and this was our entertainment for the next 15 minutes When I first saw the long tour bus approach the already-loaded ferry, I told Neda, "There's no way he's fitting that thing on here this trip". The ferry operators corraled all the cars to the sides to make a bus-sized hole in the middle. Every single person marvelled at the bus-driver's Tetris skills as he shoe-horned his vehicle onboard with inches to spare on either side! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8904-L.jpg
35 minutes later, it's time to disembark the ferry again. What a roundabout way to get to the next island! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8915-L.jpg Motoring around the twisty coastal roads on the island of Hvar https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8922-L.jpg It was getting late in the day, so we headed to the town of Stari Grad We're now about 10 kms away from where we slept last night, as the crow flies. But we didn't fly. We crossed two islands, took two ferries and rode around 120 kms to get here! Oh well, it's a motorcycle trip! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0565-L.jpg There was no one in this wine store when we walked in. I went into the washroom and when I came out, Neda was ordering us some wine. Where did this guy come from? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0567-L.jpg Sipping our glasses of Croatian wine outside the store |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0572-L.jpg
Walking around the marina in Stari Grad https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0574-L.jpg Main square in Stari Grad For some reason, Neda thought Stari Grad was the main tourist town on Hvar island, but it seemed kind of older and small. Well, it was getting too late to relocate. We had to find a campsite soon before the sun went down. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0586-L.jpg Church of St Stephen, Stari Grad https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0589-XL.jpg Although it wasn't the main town on Hvar, Stari Grad was still very quaint with its typical Croatian narrow streets and pedestrian cobblestone roads |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0598-L.jpg
Sign reads, "Summer working hours: PO-MAaaaa Lo!!!" This sign made Neda laugh. "Pomalo" literally translated means, "A little bit", but it's slang for "Take it easy. No stress". It's basically the Croatian equivalent of the Jamaican saying "Irie, mon". And it's specifically slang from the coastal regions, like Istria and Dalmatia, where life is more relaxed than the interior. Coastal Croatians are like islanders... This Pomalo/Irie feeling would not last very long though. We arrive at a campsite that was advertised online. It looked deserted and the facilities were boarded up. Uh oh. What do we do? We rode back out into town and knocked on a few hotel doors. Holy crap the prices were waaaay expensive. Not pomalo at all... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8932-L.jpg So we went back to the deserted campsite and set up our tent anyway. Pomalo, pomalo! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8928-L.jpg Neda catches up on some TV shows while I keep a watchful eye out for anyone that looked like they were going to kick us off the property We don't really wild-camp much - we prefer having flush toilets and hot running water. But we don't feel like paying high-season hotel prices on the island, so we'll forgo the shower for this one night... I slept with one ear open, worrying that we would be woken up in the middle of the night, reprimanded (or worse) for trespassing and be forced to vacate the premises. Man, just a month ago we were living like kings in palatial apartments for peanuts in Thailand and now we're balking at the cheapest hotel prices in Europe. What a change! :( |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8936-L.jpg
But in the morning, we haven't been discovered and Neda is making breakfast: Peanut butter and pomalo sandwiches! We packed up our tent as discreetly as possible, and rode off the deserted property as quietly as we could. As we passed the front gate, a man approached us and Neda engaged him in Croatian. Turns out he was the campsite manager! Uh oh! We found out that because it was still early in the season, the site was only due to open the next week. He said he saw our tent late last night and told us that if he had known earlier, he would have opened up the facilities for us. I was ready to reach for my wallet when he said, "Don't worry, I'm not going to charge you for a patch of grass. Have a nice trip!" Pomalo! So we left Stari Grad to find the tourist centre of Hvar island. Which turns out to be the town of Hvar. Duh! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8955-L.jpg A fortress at the top of a hill greets us as we approach Hvar. The city walls extend all the way up the hillside https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0618-L.jpg Ah, now *this* is the tourist centre! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0621-XL.jpg A lot larger and much more fancier than Stari Grad (Stari Grad means "old town" in Croatian BTW) |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0627-L.jpg
Another beautiful day! Neda bought some strawberries at the farmer's market and we ate them while hanging out at the edge of the marina. Pomalo pomalo! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0632-L.jpg Main square in Hvar https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0650-XL.jpg Taking a walk along the harbour https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0640-L.jpg |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0656-L.jpg
The minute I saw the fort up the hill, I knew Neda would make us hike up it... No Pomalo:( https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0333-XL.jpg Along the way, I take a picture of a well from Roman times. Neda yanks me by the shirt, "Stop stalling. We've got a hill to climb!" :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0665-L.jpg As we hike the path up to the fortress, we pass underneath one of the city walls https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0658-L.jpg Along the way, I stop to take picture. Neda taps her foot impatiently... |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0677-L.jpg
Finally, we reach the top outside the fortress. Great view of the city and harbour below The fort is called Tvrđava Španjola, which means Spanish Fortress, built by Spanish military engineers in the 16th century. It costs money to go into the fort, so we take a pass on that. I'm sure the view is much nicer from the outside than the inside! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0685-L.jpg Some nice boats moored at the harbour in Hvar. Sailing the Dalmatian islands is a popular bucketlist item. Having seen Hvar and Hvar island, we hop on the bikes and double back to the same ferry that took us here. The Dalmatian islands are not that big, Hvar is only about 80kms from end-to-end. Soon, we find ourselves back on the mainland heading south again. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8962-L.jpg And more twisty, coastal roads! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8984-L.jpg Just before Ploče , we stop to take a look at the Neretva river flowing into the Adriatic We have to make a decision, do we catch another ferry at Ploče to get to the next Dalmatian island south of Hvar: Pelješac and Korčula? Or continue on southwards down the Dalmatian coast. Hvar and Brač were pretty similar, so I think we've got the jist of the Dalmatian islands at this point. So we head south. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN8985-XL.jpg
Oh but first, Neda does some more shopping Neda has had peanut butter and jam sandwiches for breakfast pretty much every single day on this trip with little exception. So when she saw a roadside stall selling artisanal Croatian jams and marmalades, we had to stop to take a look. Meh, too overpriced! We'll get some at the grocery store instead. Most people don't know that you can't travel the entire length of the Dalmatian coastline while staying entirely in Croatia. There's a 9-km piece of land belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina called the Neum Corridor, which interrupts the Croatian coastline: https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...0/L/neum-L.jpg There's a lot of conflicting information about whether or not you need to purchase Bosnian vehicle insurance if you are crossing the Neum Corridor, especially since Croatia joined the European Union a few years ago and Bosnia & Herzegovina is not in the EU. The minimum coverage period you can purchase for Bosnian insurance is 7 days and it costs $25. That's expensive for a 10-minute ride across the Neum Corridor! A lot of overlanders play it safe by catching a ferry at Ploče to the peninsula of Pelješac, which bypasses the Neum Corridor and connects back up to the Dalmatian coastline towards Dubrovnik. All the while staying in Croatia. Fortunately the day before, we e-mailed our new German friend, Günter, who had went ahead of us south. He told us they didn't make him purchase Bosnian vehicle insurance at the border... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN8997-L.jpg Which is why we had the option to do this! The 9-kms we saw of Bosnia & Herzegovina was not very much different from the Dalmatian coast that we had already seen. We will visit Bosnia properly later, but now we're just content to lazily wander around on the Adriatic. We flashed our EU passports again at the Croatian border and continued on our way south. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9019-L.jpg
After crossing back into Croatia, we rode a little bit into Pelješac peninsula anyway, stopping into the town of Ston for lunch To our surprise, Ston also had a fortress up on the hill, like Hvar. It was like that Doctor Who episode, where the Doctor and his companions traveled the entire length of the city only to return to the exact same spot they left! It felt like a loop in the space/time continuum. Thankfully, Neda didn't make me hike up this hill. We're seeing a lot of the same things in Dalmatia. We had a nice lunch and climbed aboard our bikes again. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9024-L.jpg Next stop: Dubrovnik! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/319.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map319-L.jpg We've reached the end of the coastline in Croatia and we've saved the best for last. Dubrovnik is the crown jewel of Dalmatia, the place where most tourists flock to in the country. Of course, all this I've heard and read second-hand. I'm about to find out why in person. So first things first. Neda corrects me whenever I mispronounce the name of this place. It's not pronounced doo-BROV-nick. The emphasis is on the first syllable: DOO-brov-nick. We were talking to a couple of American tourists the other day and they kept saying doo-BRAHV-nick. I could feel Neda wincing beside me. :) We're staying in a little apartment in a suburb in the north end of the city. When we arrived, the host welcomed us with Dalmatian hospitality and Croatian liquor. He sat us down and ran us through all the things to see in DOO-brov-nick. There were quite a lot of sights, but we were really only interested in one: King's Landing. From Game of Thrones. Take us to the Iron Throne! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9044-L.jpg Riding into the old walled town of Dubrovnik The old town is less than 5 kms away from where we're staying, but we ride in anyway. Parking is impossible to find... if you're a car! We stash the bikes against one of the walls surrounding the town and walk to the gates. Originally the exterior of King's Landing was shot in Malta for Season One, but from Season Two onwards, Dubrovnik is officially the home of the Lannisters. Very exciting! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0814-L.jpg Upon entering the castle, we pay to climb up onto the city walls The tickets for the wall-walk are expensive (about $20 each), but it's the best way to see Dubrovnik. The walls encircle the old historic town and by walking along the top, you can get a great bird's eye view of everything. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0374-L.jpg
Look inside to the town and you see a sea of terra-cotta rooftops https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0770-XL.jpg And on the other side, a steep drop right down to a different kind of sea: the clear acqua-blue waters of the Adriatic The walkway on top of the wall does a 2-km loop around the circumference of the town and there are staircases situated in many spots where you can climb up and down to drop into town or to get back up onto the wall. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0361-L.jpg There are some bistros and restaurants right on the wall if you get hungry or thirsty along the way https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0379-L.jpg In the distance just off the coast of Dubrovnik is Lokrum island. It's a popular spot for hiking and swimming, there are some cool grottos there |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0779-XL.jpg
Minčeta Tower ahead of us, the highest point in Dubrovnik During Season 2, the interior of Minčeta Tower doubled as the location of the House of the Undying in Qarth where Daenerys was searching for her stolen dragons. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0347-L.jpg Keeping an eye out for dragons through an embrasure in the tower The wall was built about the same time as the city was founded, around the 7th century. It was slowly built up over time, the original wall was made of wood, but during the 12th-14th century, it became the impressive stone structure that we are walking on. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0380-XL.jpg Cro-Neda https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0781-L.jpg Some of the other buildings outside the old town. Same theme: white walls, terra-cotta roofs. Mainly resorts and hotels. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0741-XL.jpg
Lots of vendors sell these kayak tours of the waters around Dubrovnik harbour https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0744-L.jpg From the wall we spy some people who've rented apartments in the old city. Nice. But very expensive... (estimate €300-€400 a night) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0747-L.jpg Church inside the old town https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0754-L.jpg It's not all tourists in the old town of Dubrovnik though. Here's a high school right in the middle of town We saw schoolkids in uniform walking around the town after school let out. I remember in high school we used to hang out at the mall during lunchtime and after school. These kids hang out in Kings Landing. How cool is that?!? |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0805-L.jpg
Us on the wall! I can't believe the amazing weather we're having. But Neda isn't surprised. She knows her country very well and she's timed our ride down the Adriatic coast to perfection: early enough to avoid the school vacation tourists, but late enough to enjoy clear blue skies and warm sunny weather. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0812-L.jpg Tower of the Dominican Monastery https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0368-L.jpg Steps leading to the Dominican Monastery https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0394-L.jpg Back on the ground, walking around the old town |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0436-L.jpg
They say Dubrovnik was a popular tourist destination even before Game of Thrones. I don't believe that... Neda shakes her head: "A millennia of history and culture and the only reason why people come here is because of a TV show". I interrupt: "Hey, isn't that the Red Keep?" :) We were both walking around town whistling the theme song to the Game of Thrones. And we weren't the only ones. I think we probably could have gotten a flash mob together for a killer YouTube video if we tried! :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0398-XL.jpg Hodor! Neda hadn't seen the episode yet, so she didn't know what I was doing... Hodor. :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0432-L.jpg Inside of the Jesuit Church of St Ignatius |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0426-L.jpg
Game of Thrones fans: Do the Jesuit Steps look familiar? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...lk-of-sham.jpg It was the location for Cercei's Walk of Shame in Season 6 You can see where they inserted the Church of the Faith Militant in the background. There's actually a nice town square back there where the clock was, what a Shame it was CG'ed out. Shame! Shame! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0424-L.jpg High Sparrow? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0390-L.jpg The streets of the old town are crowded with tourists... and it's not even high season yet! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0402-L.jpg
Inside beautiful Sponza Palace. It's a popular place to hold wedding ceremonies. None of them Red, hopefully... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0410-L.jpg Street vendor selling traditional Croatian fabrics https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0356-L.jpg Just outside the city's walls is Fort Lovrijenac (or St. Lawrence Fortress) which was the filming location for the Red Keep in Game of Thrones |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0442-L.jpg
The little bay between the city and Lovrijenac is well known to Game of Thrones fans as Blackwater Bay. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0449-L.jpg Here's it's a lot more peaceful than when Tyrion unleashed the Green Wildfire on Stannis Baratheon's invading ships in Season 2 https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0464-L.jpg Still early enough in the season that the tiny pebble beach at Blackwater Bay is relatively uncrowded. Water is so clear!!! Wow! King's Landing is such a beautiful place! But enough reminiscing about past Game of Throne episodes! Bring on Season 7 already! Oh, DOO-brov-nick was nice too. You should totally visit it. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/320.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map320-L.jpg We're leaving Croatia today! We've spent the last two weeks lazily wandering down the Adriatic coast. Our pace and the weather have been awesome. This has been on Neda's bucket list ever since she started riding motorcycles. Looking back at the photos, she remarked, "Croatia is beautiful! I'm so proud of my country!" https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9053-L.jpg Before departing our apartment in Dubrovnik, we said goodbye to our neighbour I had started a conversation with him the other day when I was walking by and he was starting up his bike. It had the same clacking sound on ignition that Neda's bike has. "Cam Chain Tensioner", I offered. To my surprise, his English was very good and we chatted about KTMs and BMWs and about our trip for a while. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9060-L.jpg The coastal scenery continues to be spectacular as we leave Dubrovnik https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9058-L.jpg Dubrovnik in our rear view mirrors. Farewell, King's Landing! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9064-L.jpg
Along the way, we pass a a convoy of funky-coloured Renault 4s from the 60s. Some kind of car club. The sign on the sides of the cars read, "Enjoy Croatia!" The back reads Konavle, which is a small region south of Dubrovnik, which is where we're currently passing through. So they must be locals out enjoying the nice roads and amazing weather. Neat seeing cars that you don't find in North America. In Croatia, they called these 4s, "Mali Div" (Little Giants) or just "četvorka" (4). https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9075-L.jpg The Montenegro border is less than 40kms out of Dubrovnik. They don't take any bull at the customs office... I had a bit of an issue stamping myself out of Croatia. The border official wanted to see my Green Card Insurance, and wasn't satisfied with the printed version. He said they didn't accept copies, just the original. I felt a bit harassed because Neda had just gone through ahead of me and she wasn't asked for insurance. Also, we were *LEAVING* the Schengen Zone, so why he felt a need to check my insurance as I was on the way out, I don't know. Nothing suspicious about an Asian guy with a British passport on a Canadian-plated motorcycle... Profiling! :( I'll have to e-mail the insurance people to physically mail me the originals when we re-enter the Schengen Zone again. By contrast, Montenegro vehicle insurance was a snap. The border official on the Montenegro side held onto our passports and pointed out the insurance office down the road. We walked in, paid our €10 for 14-days of coverage, showed him the receipt and got our passports back. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9083-L.jpg New country! ... Which kinda looks the same as the one we left... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9089-L.jpg Maybe a bit more mountainous here |
Montenegro was one of the six republics of former Yugoslavia. After the Iron Curtain fell, it federated with Serbia and only gained independence as a country recently in 2006. In fact, Neda's mom was born in Montenegro. Which is one of the reasons why we're here. We are on a mission from Neda's grandmother. She grew up near Tivat, which is only 30kms away from the border. When we told her we were riding down the Adriatic coast, she asked us to take pictures of the town and the area where she used to live. She hasn't been back since and she wanted to see how it's changed.
Mission accepted! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9094-L.jpg Heading into the Bay of Kotor There's a narrow channel at the mouth of the Bay of Kotor that opens up into a larger lake. Getting to Tivat around the lake adds another 30kms. It's a great scenic twisty road around the circumference of the Bay, but we have a packed schedule today, so we catch the short ferry to bypass the route. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9096-L.jpg Eager beavers - first in line https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN9106-XL.jpg All aboard! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9107-L.jpg It's only a 15 minute crossing, just long enough to take a quick pic and then back on the bikes! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0839-L.jpg
And then, just as quickly, we're in Tivat Tivat used to be a small town. Most of the town was destroyed in an earthquake in 1979, after Nonna and Neda's mom left to Pula. It's been almost completely rebuilt since and in recent years, it's developed into a large tourist port. In 2014, a huge luxury yacht marina opened up called Porto Montengro and then fancy restaurants and shops sprung up to cater to the Rolex and Ferragamo boat shoe crowds that hang out here now. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0840-L.jpg This boardwalk is where Neda's grandmother first met her future husband When we visited Nonna, she told us how smooth Neda's grandfather was when they first met. She was only 16. "You must be a lucky man, to have such a beautiful girlfriend!" he told Nonna's brother, who was accompanying her on the boardwalk. That was almost 70 years ago! And the rest is history... :D https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0858-L.jpg Fancy palm trees planted for the benefit of the fancy yacht people https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0859-L.jpg I'm curious to see what Nonna makes of all these new buildings in Tivat when we show her the pictures |
We poked our heads into a few restaurants by the harbour. The maitre'ds looked us up and down from our dusty boots to our faded motorcycle jackets crusted in dried bugs and motor oil. In turn, we looked up and down the fancy leather-bound menus and couldn't find anything we could afford.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0861-L.jpg But outside of the tourist centre, we found this amazing fish restaurant. We had delicious sea bream for lunch with blitva (swiss chard), and the waiter didn't even check to see if we were wearing Rolexes when we walked in. Nice. Our next stop for the day is a tiny town just a couple of kms outside of Tivat. This is where Nonna used to live and is where Neda's mom was born. We got the address from Neda's cousin. Or rather, we got directions - there are no addresses here. She told us, "Just go up the hill. It's one of the two houses at the top." Coming from a city boy, those are very vague instructions and I didn't really know what to punch into the GPS. So we just rode to the tiny town where Neda's mom was born. When we got there, we looked at the layout. There's basically one main road that goes right through the town. It then rises pretty fast up the hill, and the slope was very steep, so we were headed in the right direction. We passed a few houses on that road up the hill, and sure enough, just like Neda's cousin said, there were only two houses at the top. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0488-L.jpg One house looked empty. A man in the other house watched us as we pulled up. Neda went over to talk to him and to ask him which one was her mom's old family home So it turns out, this guy was her mom's cousin! The house still belonged in the family and Ranko uses it as a summer cottage. He actually lives in Split and it was entirely by co-incidence that he just happened to be up here this week. We were so surprised that he knew of us. Neda has never met anyone on that branch of the family tree before today, but Nonna keeps in touch with him and keeps him updated on the family in Pula. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9135-L.jpg Ranko takes us on a tour of the family house. Neda's mom was actually born in the room on the right. So was Ranko! :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0490-L.jpg Cherry tree in the back yard Ranko showed us around the entire property, giving Neda the history of the place and telling her stories of him and Neda's mom. They were very close when growing up. Neda's uncle and Ranko's brother were the more rambunctious siblings and whenever the two families would visit, they would run off and play together. Ranko and Neda's mom were quieter, preferring to talk and read together, so they got along together. In every room of the house, Ranko would share more stories, "And then this is where your mom..." It's been almost two years since Neda's mom passed away. I know she misses her every single day and watching her listening to all these stories about her, I could sense that she was feeling closer to her, filling in the blanks and discovering more about her as a young girl. We spent over two hours with Ranko, soaking up all the family history. When it was time to go, Ranko invited us over again the next day. The entire family was coming up and getting together for lunch and he insisted we spend the afternoon with them again. Of course we would! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0493-L.jpg
The next afternoon, we're back again. This time there's a family dog! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0877-L.jpg This is Tamara, Ranko's wife. She's grilling some yummy traditional Croatian meats, ćevapčići. It's going to be a feast! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0484-L.jpg Ranko takes us down the street to fetch some water from the local well Nonna used to tell Neda stories of how she had to walk to the well every day to fetch water for the family for the day. So interesting seeing this in person. I took lots of pictures to show Nonna when we go back to Pula. I think she'll be delighted! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0498-L.jpg This is Ranko's aunt, she married Nonna's cousin. She lives full time in the adjacent house, attached to the cottage |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0479-L.jpg
After all the food is cooked, the water fetched and the pigs fed, we had a feast of our own at Ranko's aunt's place I may not know a lot of Croatian, but most of the words I know are related to food. So I excelled here at lunchtime - impressing the entire family with my extensive knowledge of Croatian foods. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0503-L.jpg After lunch, Tamara and Ranko showed us pictures from back in the day and told us funny stories: "Then after the wedding, the guys went outside and shot guns to celebrate." https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0506-L.jpg Oh, he was serious. They really did go outside and shoot guns... :) We had such a great time hanging out with Neda's family. Before today, they just existed in stories that her mom used to tell her. But they were so friendly and hospitable, treating us like they had known us their entire lives. |
Great Job
Great job, really enjoy the photos and commentary. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.
Mac |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/321.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...map321_0-L.jpg We're basing ourselves out of Kotor for a couple of days to walk around the city and do some riding around the area. The scenery and the roads around the mountains here are astounding and we want to take advantage of the beautiful weather that's inexplicably continued to follow us. Knowing us, who knows when it'll take a turn for the worse...! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0971-L.jpg Just outside the gates of Kotor is where all the motorcycles park We looked on the map and there are amazing twisty roads all around the area. That might explain why there are constantly motorcycle and sports cars buzzing back and forth on the main strip at all hours of the day... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0012-L.jpg Walking over the moat and through the Venetian fortifications surrounding the old town https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0910-L.jpg Inside the old city there are numerous restaurants and bistros Kotor is a UNESCO Heritage Site, which means it's a total Gringo Town. The Gulf of Kotor is a popular place for cruise ships to dump thousands of tourists into the old city, to pick up T-shirts and souvenirs. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0923-L.jpg
St Tryphon Roman Catholic Cathedral https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0952-XL.jpg Cats. All over Kotor. And all of them want to pee on Neda's motorcycle seat... I did some research and they say that Kotor was a popular trading port. When ships docked here, the cats on board hopped off and got left behind, so these felines are actually descended from cats from all over the world! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0954-L.jpg There are so many cats here that there is a museum and a shop dedicated to the Cats of Kotor. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0972-L.jpg Walking around the pretty grounds outside the fortifications of Kotor |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0932-L.jpg
Shoreline of the Bay of Kotor, just outside the city walls A popular hike for people like Neda is trekking up the fortress walls. They climb all the way up the hill to reach the ruins of a church at the top. Neda said there's a great view of the old town and the bay from up there, so I begrudgingly tagged along behind her as she marched up the hill. Unfortunately we are not prepared for the hike as the stairway is broken and crumbling. The lady who was charging admission for the climb looked down at our flip-flops and advised against it. But Neda was having none of that... :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0874-L.jpg Castle of San Giovanni above us https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0056-XL.jpg There are 1,350 steps to get to the top. Narrow enough for one person only, so whoever's descending has to give way You can see some of the ruins below us. Pretty much everyone who came up was wearing hiking shoes. They looked at our sandals and remarked, "You walked up in those?!?!" My calves were going to pay for this tomorrow... :( Did I mentioned how much I hate hiking? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0027-L.jpg I huffed and puffed until I caught up to Neda, who was already at the top admiring the view |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0015-L.jpg
Cool view of the old city and the Bay of Kotor in the background https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0039-L.jpg I love the look of these old buildings from above https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0041-L.jpg Church of San Giovanni https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0087-L.jpg Flag of Montenegro flying over the Bay of Kotor |
After that long-ass hike, we retire back to our apartment just outside the city for some much-deserved rest and relaxation. Our host is an older lady and when we checked in, she was delighted that Neda spoke Croatian! Usually her guests are German or Italian or sometimes English, so she struggles with communicating with them. But when we showed up and Neda started speaking Croatian, she treated her like a favorite niece that came to visit! :)
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0009-L.jpg Relaxation for Neda means soaking up some sun and starting up a new cross-stitching project https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0008-L.jpg For me, I'm pretending to work on the blog. I'm soooo far behind. Although our pace is fairly slow, it has also been constant. We've been on the move pretty much since we left Chiang Mai and between all the planning and riding and hiking, that hasn't left me with any time to update the blog. I am petitioning Neda to opt out of the next hike so I can procrastinate some more... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0102-L.jpg Here I am procrastinating with these neat Russian Matryoshka dolls. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0992-L.jpg
Shy kitty: "If you don't Gnome me by now..." So many cats hanging around our apartment! And when they crawl under the covers of our motorcycle for the evening, they smell the cat pee that's been left behind by all the other cats on all our previous stops (well, just on Neda's bike). So naturally they add to it to assert their territory. The problem just keeps compounding, every place we stop and every morning when we uncover the bikes, Neda get a whiff of fresh cat pee on her seat and gets very upset. She does her best to clean it up, but I guess the cats have a better sense of smell than Neda. I'm so glad no cat has peed on my seat... I'm researching ways to keep the cats off her seat. I've read that cats don't like the sound of aluminum foil crinkling under their feet. Maybe some cayenne pepper...? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0997-L.jpg Neda prefers turtles because they don't pee on her seat. Also they move slow. Like us... |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map321-L.jpg
Okay, enough touristing around, we're going to do some riding! Neda scoped out the good roads around Kotor and she's planned to take us up a series of switchbacks called the Kotor Serpentine. Check it out above! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9161-L.jpg Glad we are not spending today in Kotor. A cruise ship the size of the moon has just dumped all its occupants into town! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9218-L.jpg Getting away from it all in Lovcen National Park https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0509-L.jpg Up at the top of the park, we got an amazing view of Kotor and the bay. I wasn't kidding about the size of that cruise ship. It's larger than the town itself! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9225-L.jpg
Descending down the Kotor Serpentine Yesterday, while we were hiking up to the Church of San Giovanni, we heard the sound of rally cars doing a hill climb competition up the Kotor Serpentine. It was very far away, but you could hear them all over town. Now we know what they were up to! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9226-L.jpg Out of the black, into the blue! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9232-L.jpg More switchbacks. I should probably put away the camera... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9238-L.jpg Pretty coastline of Montenegro below https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9233-L.jpg And a mini-tunnel too! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9243-L.jpg
Heading back down towards Kotor https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9242-L.jpg Neda takes an Instagram shot of me #nofilter #tbt (because #blogsolate) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9235-L.jpg Great day of riding! We are departing from Kotor to explore more of Montenegro. As we leave our apartment, these two women walking by wanted to get a picture of our huge Round-The-World bikes! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN9158-XL.jpg Celebrities! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/322.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map322-L.jpg We're leaving the Adriatic coast and riding inland to explore the mountainous region of Montenegro. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9260-L.jpg On our way out of Kotor "Where are we headed to today, Neda?" "Žabljak" That doesn't sound *anything* like the way that it looks on the road sign. It actually sounds like: "Ja-Blak", I attempt to parrot back at her. "No, 'Ja-Blee-Yak'", she corrects me. "Bla-Bleah" "You're not even trying." It's going to be a fun day of riding. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9266-L.jpg We follow the curve of the road along the Bay of Kotor North of Niksic, the heavily forested roads become captivating. Switchbacks climb up and down the uneven terrain, giving us a great view of the mountainous roads ahead (and sometimes behind us). Endless curves toss our bikes left, right, left. The whole area north of Kotor is a paradise for motor enthusiasts, two wheels or four. Here's a short sample of some of the great roads we took, heading towards Durmitor National Park. Check out the new animated route map in the corner! Neat, eh? |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9289-L.jpg
After some fun twisties, we take a detour to visit Nevidio Canyon https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9290-L.jpg Road gets smaller and tighter https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0543-L.jpg We do a mini-hike following the Komarnica River to get to the canyon https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0127-L.jpg This is what I'd look like with a Mike Tyson tattoo on my face |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0534-L.jpg
Feet hanging over the gorge https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0527-XL.jpg We're not really dressed for canyoning (need a dry suit), but we are dressed for photographing There are tours that take you deep into the narrow canyon, where you can wade and swim down the Komarnica as it carves through that gorge ahead of us. Kayaking is also popular where the river is more open. Neda asks me, "Do you know what 'Ne vidio' means in Serbo-Croatian?" Neda knows I love trivia! "Lay it on me!" "It means 'Not Seen'. They say the gorge is so narrow and deep that even God can't see inside." "Cool story, Neda." https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9303-L.jpg The mountain peaks of Durmitor National Park provide a dramatic backdrop against the town of Ja-Blah... Blah-Blak... Bah. Žabljak (I can only spell it correctly) is a neat little alpine town that comes alive during the winters because of its location near the ski resorts of the Durmitor. In the off-season, only a smattering of tourists visit, mainly for the hiking... and motorcycling too! We passed a bar full of locals, old men inside were getting drunk and singing songs. This is a very European thing to do. We stayed away from the bar for fear of being accosted by a drunk old man. Or worse - being invited inside to join the singing! ("Sorry, I don't know the words!") |
In the middle of town we find a nice restaurant that serves Montenegrin cuisine. The mountain region serves up a lot of meat, cheeses and milk dishes, not unlike Croatian food. The menu here was total meatfest, lots of grilled lamb and veal! We were kind of hungry, but not *this* hungry:
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN9307-XL.jpg OMG! I ate so much I think I have to Bla-Blak!" If Neda looks a bit angry in the photo above, it's because she was. She ordered something off the menu and it wasn't what she thought it would be. It was hot dogs. She ordered Montenegrin hot dogs... I so totally won. I graciously gave her some of my grilled lamb and veal, like any good winner would. After lunch, we waddled back to our bikes. The suspension on our BMWs sagged as we hefted our new-found weight back on top of the seats and we rode just a couple of kms outside of town towards our AirBnB place that Neda had found for us online. It was a cool wooden house with steep sloped sides, like most alpine buildings in Europe. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9313-L.jpg It looks like a little ski chalet https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0547-L.jpg We had the upper floor and the "attic", which was our bedroom, was accessed via a trapdoor. Very neat building! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0546-L.jpg It rained the next day, so we stayed an extra day to wait out the wet weather Despite the waterworks outside, the weather has been amazing since we got back to Europe. This is only our 2nd day of rain in nearly a month here. Not bad for this time of year! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9311-L.jpg
In the morning, we find out someone else has sought shelter from the rain under our bike covers Damn cats! This time they were stealthy. We didn't even see them when we came in! I leaned in... and my seat passed the sniff test. From the way she was cussing, Neda's seat was a different story. :( We leave Zabljak behind us and we head further north into the mountains of Northern Montenegro. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0157-L.jpg Half an hour outside of Zabljack is the Đurđevića Tara Bridge overlooking the Tara Gorge https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0148-L.jpg We're 365 meters above the Tara River which runs all the way to Serbia https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0151-L.jpg Proof that I was here |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0155-L.jpg
Close-up of some buildings and farms right alongside the river. Not even enough of them to be called a village https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0158-L.jpg Back on the bikes. Where to next, Neda? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9341-L.jpg Many more twisty roads later, we find ourselves in the border town of Gusinje We need to get some food for the evening, so Neda hops off to go grocery shopping while I guard the bikes. These two Montenegrin kids are very curious about me and the motorcycles, and it takes no time at all until they are surrounding me and peppering me with questions in Serbian. My Croatian is so poor and they grow frustrated with my non-sensical answers to their deep and probing questions. They leave before Neda can come back and satisfy their curiousity. Sorry, kids! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9366-L.jpg Neda booked us a place just outside of town (because it was cheaper) We didn't realize how far outside of town it was. The owner had to meet us by car and we followed him over 10 kms towards the mountains. The scenery was beautiful, and the lodge was very nice, but it was incomplete and the promise of wi-fi turned out to be false. Not that we're addicted to Internet, but for the last few weeks, we've been winging it day-by-day, with no plans or idea where we'll be the next day. Now that we were crossing over into a new and unknown country, we needed to do some research on things like visas, currency, roads to take, places to sleep. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0172-L.jpg
Back to Gusinje, we knock on a few doors and manage to find a cheap hotel for €20. Not bad! So before we leave Montenegro, here's some trivia. The mountains in the background are an example of the "Black Mountains" to which the country is named after: Monte means Mountain and Negro means Black. The name was coined by the Venetians, and it's said that the pine trees on the mountains were so dark that they looked black. Monte Negro. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0166-L.jpg So this is why the hotel was so cheap... As the sun was setting over the Black Mountains, loud techno-pop music was blasting from the lobby and restaurant below us. We peered out our window and it looked like the local high school was having its graduation dance here tonight! A crowd of teenagers were gathering out in the parking lot waiting to come in. The older kids were all dressed up while their younger peers had to stay outside and peer through the windows at the party inside with envy! Not so far away, a Montenegrin farmer herds his sheep down the main road in town. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0191-L.jpg Do you notice the Bla-Bla-Black Sheep at the front of the herd? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0186-L.jpg So we don't have a kitchen in our budget hotel room. Neda improvises! We feel so ghetto... Tomorrow, a brand new country to explore! |
Check out the new animated route map in the corner! Neat, eh?
Very cool. Please enlighten me how you got this going..... |
Quote:
|
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/323.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map323-L.jpg There are certain places in the world whose names, for whatever reason, conjure up images of remote wilderness and mysterious lands that modern civilization has yet to take over: Timbuktu. Kathmandu. Deepest, Darkest Peru. Pretty much any place that ends in a "u", apparently... But also Albania. I admit to knowing absolutely nothing about this country, except that it sounds remote and mysterious. Surprisingly, Neda also had little to offer despite her living just a few hundred kms away. So let's discover Albania! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9379-L.jpg I like to start off the riding day by taking a sheep shot We're starting fairly early because there are a couple of unknowns for the day: a border crossing and some variable terrain ahead of us. The morning weather is a bit chilly up here in the mountains, but it's looking to be yet another nice day for riding! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9380-L.jpg 7 kms later and we find ourselves stamping out of Montenegro. This is the last time Neda will use her Croatian for a while. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9383-L.jpg In No Mans Land heading to the Albanian side of the border. Mirsivini! Our first Albanian word! We read up on Albania last night and the language has no relation to any other in the world, it is it's own branch. The guys at the Albanian side speak a little bit of English and they are very curious about our bikes. I don't think there are a lot of people crossing the border up here in the mountains. The main highway is closer to the coast, and these border control buildings look more like shacks! This is such a remote outpost that they don't even offer the mandatory vehicle insurance here. They just told us to purchase it when we got to a larger city. *shrug* Okay, cool. This border crossing was so laid back. I can't remember if they even looked at our passports! :) *shrug* |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9388-L.jpg
And not 100 meters after the Albanian border, the road turns to gravel. We stop to air down our tires for better grip in the loose stuff. We had read that the roads in Albania were very bad. Many of the secondary roads were unpaved and the ones that were were broken and full of potholes. We're prepared for some adventurous riding! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9420-L.jpg The "road" that we're taking is called SH20, it follows the valley of one of the mountain ranges which define a natural border between Albania and Montenegro https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9397-L.jpg The mountainside is dotted with these bunkers These bunkers were built during the communist era, from the 1960s till the fall of the Iron Curtain. The country's dictator at the time, Enver Hoxha, had 750,000 of them built all over the country, even up here in the mountains. We read that on average, there is one bunker for every 5.7 square kms. The construction was a huge drain on Albania's resources, taking money away from housing and roads. None of the bunkers were ever used for their intended purpose. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN9421-XL.jpg
"I'm just going to leave this here for a minute..." We haven't been doing a lot of off-road riding lately, so we're a bit out of practice. We're only a few kms into the gravelly section and Neda decides to let her bike nap in the dirt. This early section was littered with fist-sized stones and baby-head rocks, so it was a bit challenging while we were in the process of getting our off-road legs back again. We woke Neda's bike up and we're off again! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9414-L.jpg This is my favorite picture of the day. Albanian man on horse says, "Hi!" So friendly! :) Not a lot of motorized traffic on this road... But plenty of construction though. In 2014, the European Union contributed €51 million to refurbishing all the mountain roads in the area. Albania is one of the poorest countries in Europe, and the hope is that improved access to the rural areas will be good for the economy and education - transportation of goods from the farms to the cities, and also busing the kids up here to school and back. I'm sure in a few more years, this road will be entirely paved. And then the Harleys will come... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9428-L.jpg Road goes through some farms... and more bunkers. This one was being used as a storage shed! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9450-L.jpg Sploosh! Must've rained recently. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9457-L.jpg
Gorgeous mountains as we make our way through more dirt https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9463-L.jpg Some sections are more gnarlier than others https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9477-L.jpg Every now and then the road opens up into amazing vistas I don't particularly seek out dirt roads. Neda likes them. I prefer going faster on twisty tarmac than having the front wheel constantly pointing in a different direction than where I'm headed. But the nice thing about dirt roads is that they often take you to some amazing places where it's impractical or too expensive to pave over - like these high mountain passes. Also, there are no other vehicles to share the road with. Maybe a horse or two... :) You really feel like you've got the entire place to yourself. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9487-L.jpg And then it rains a bit. I'm worried about the ground beneath us turning into mud... Ack! I hate mud! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9516-L.jpg
Big, magnificent landscape all around us! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9524-L.jpg Riding alongside the Ljimi i Cebit River After about 30kms in, the gravel road abruptly terminated into fresh asphalt. It looked brand new, probably courtesy of the EU. That was a very fun ride! I was a bit worried about how long it would take us but here we were at the other end of the dirt road and it wasn't even noon yet! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0551-L.jpg Back on the pavement! Looks like twisties is next on the menu! Yay! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0556-L.jpg Neda makes us some sandwiches while admiring the mountains we just came through |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9537-L.jpg
While I air up our tires for the asphalt https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0559-L.jpg Back on the road. There is an awesome staircase of switchbacks heading back down the mountain. We stop at the side of the road to admire the view and a car pulls up beside us. Uh oh... are we blocking the way? There's absolutely nobody else on this road. Probably because it terminates at a dirt road. So when this guy pulls up beside us, I thought he was going to tell us to park somewhere where there was more room. Instead, the guys in the car saw our out-of-continent license plates and they asked what we were doing in Albania. But not in a nasty way. They were genuinely curious why we wanted to visit their country. We motioned all around us and told them, "Your country is beautiful!" They seemed to ponder on this like it was the first time anyone has ever mentioned it. I don't think a lot of tourists come to Albania, which is a shame. After a couple of minutes of chatting right in the middle of the road (traffic is politely routing around us like it's not big deal - What's the Albanian word for "pomalo, pomalo!"), they wish us a friendly farewell. Nice guys! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0575-L.jpg At one of the corners of the switchbacks, we stop again for more pictures |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0566-L.jpg
Here's a viewing platform that extends out into the valley. Albanian safety standards. No glass? Rope will do. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0568-L.jpg Check out this amazing road we have ahead of us! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9554-L.jpg More sheep shots at the bottom! Very Albanian! Our first day in this new country has been full of amazing riding and friendly people! A very good impression so far! We can't wait to explore more! |
Good to see other riders venturing into Albania.
I rode through Albania this past summer. The good Great mountain scenery, interesting culture and history, very friendly hospital people, inexpensive. The bad Crappy roads, predatory police everywhere, techno-pop music. Albanians are the worst most dangerous drivers in the world. I crossed over into Albania from Greece, I never was able to find anywhere that would sell me insurance. Have a safe trip |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/324.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map324-L.jpg "I'm done planning. If you think you can do better, then go ahead!" I screwed up. Over the past few years, the way we plan and execute our journey has evolved. When we first started, we'd both put our heads together and excitedly pour over maps and laptops figuring out our routes and accommodations. But these days, in order to preserve our energy and stave off travel fatigue, one person takes the lead for a segment of our trip, doing the majority of the planning and logistics while on the road. Then after some time, we switch up to let that person rest for the next segment. So far it's worked out. In SE Asia, the locals seem more comfortable talking to me, and I sort of knew Malaysia a little bit so I planned and led that leg. Along the Adriatic coast, Neda naturally took over, since she spoke the language here and was familiar with where she wanted to go. Until now. Unfortunately, since leaving Thailand, all I've done is complain about the price of things and the amenities of the places we're staying at. All the while waiting on the bike as Neda ran around trying to find accommodations and communicating with all the hosts. So, finally fed up of my whining, she tossed the reins back over to me. At my feet. In disgust. It's not my turn yet. I did over two months in Asia and now a month into our European leg, I'm back in the driver's seat. I had a pretty cushy thing going on and I ruined it. Now I find myself riding from hotel to hotel all over this mid-sized Albanian city, knocking on doors, looking for a cheap place to stay with adequate amenities. All the while Neda waits patiently on the bike. She doesn't even have to say a word. I know a Not-As-Easy-As-It-Looks-Is-It? and an I-Told-You-So face when I see one. Because we didn't pre-book anything the day before, I'm knocking on a lot of friggin' doors. Shkodër is expensive! Every suitable place we find is €40-€60. We ride concentric circles around town getting further away from the commercial centre until I spot a small sign posted on a lamp post advertising a place to stay. It took us a while to find it, and when we pulled up, parts of the hotel looked like it was still being renovated. The owner came out and didn't speak any English, but he conveyed to us that the price would be €20, no breakfast. Perfect! €20 is the sweet spot we aim for for accommodations in Europe. While that could afford us a mansion with a staff of 20 people waiting on us hand and foot in Thailand, here it's just a simple room. But at least it's clean, comfortable and cheap. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0214-L.jpg Walking down the touristy piazza in Shkodër Shkodër is a fairly modern city. Not what I expected when I think of Albania. The tourist centre is very done up, but once you're outside of it, like where we're staying, it seems a bit more older. Not run-down, but not manicured either. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0599-L.jpg Kids play in the streets in the neighbourhood near our hotel |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0580-L.jpg
Just around the corner, we went to a traditional Albanian grill-house for dinner It's funny, although the language changes dramatically from former Yugoslavia to Albania, the food here is still familiar. Lots of meats and cheeses just like Montenegro and Croatia. Our old favorite Bosnian pastry Burek is called Byrek here. It's more filo-based, closer to the Greek filo pastries found just a bit further south. It's interesting seeing how the food is starting to morph between regions. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0587-L.jpg Some yummy lamb and steak roasting in the pit Shkodër is not really a destination town. In the morning, we pack up our bags and the owner's daughter comes out to say hi. She speaks perfect English and we find out more about her and her family. She's starting university in the fall in the capital city of Tirana, and she's just helping out her family as the hotel here in Shkodër is brand new. They seem pretty affluent, which again spoils the stereotype of Albanians. While talking to her about our motorcycle trip, one limitation that came up is the inability for Albanians to travel easily because of their passport restrictions. They need a visa to go pretty much anywhere outside of the country! It reinforces how lucky we are to be from a country that has minimal travel restrictions. Our new friend gives us some ideas for where to go in Albania. Yes, even though I am now head of the planning committee, it doesn't mean that I've done any work on it yet. We're still wandering around by the seat of our pants and I think we've now crystallized a route through Albania just this morning. We thank our new friend and wish her well in her new school year. And then we're waving goodbye to Shkodër in our rear view mirrors. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9565-L.jpg Packing up to leave |
Before we leave Shkodër, we need to find vehicle insurance. The Montenegro border is about 14kms outside of town. So we head back towards the coast to find an insurance store. The road is nice and twisty, but our enjoyment is spoiled by the terrible Albanian drivers who take every opportunity to cross over the line onto our side. We hug the right side of the road on every blind turn because 8 out of every 10 oncoming vehicles will suddenly appear in our lane. It is terrible how bad the driving is here!
I read online that driving cars in Albania is a relatively new thing. In 1991, there were only 600 cars in the whole country - most of them owned by members of the ruling communist party. Everyone else rode bicycles, horses and carts (which we still see on the road). After the wall fell, everyone went out and got cars. But they never learned to drive them properly. The licensing here seems not to be very stringent so as a result there are many accidents. We'll have to remain vigilant around here. Oh yeah, when I say everyone went out and got cars. They didn't get any kind of car. They all got Mercedes-Benzes. Everyone here drives a mid-to-late model Mercedes-Benz. Kind of suspicious for the poorest country in Europe... Not to cast any aspersions, but I was sorely tempted to check the VIN numbers on some of them to see where these Mercedes originally came from. But they were all whizzing by too fast and dangerously close to my left ear for me to make them out clearly. Back to our hunt for insurance. Every building that advertised vehicle insurance at the border was closed. We finally found a shack on the side of the road that seemed kinda official. €15 for 15 days. Not too bad. If it was real... Armed with our kinda-official-looking insurance document, we dodged more erratic Mercedes-Benzes and headed further south. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9576-L.jpg Enjoying the sunny weather in Albania. Oh look, a fort on top of a hill. Haven't seen one of those in a couple of days now... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0227-L.jpg Downtown Tirana Tirana was not too interesting to us either. It's the capital of Albania and was just another place for us to sleep while we relocated further south into the country. We did visit the museum while we were there. Not that interesting... |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9580-L.jpg
The hotel owners' daughter highly recommended we see Berat. Now I see why... Berat is 2,500 years old. It's a UNESCO site. Total Gringo-Trail Town. Which is why we're going to stay there for a couple of days! We're absolutely suckers for a good Gringo-Trail Town. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0278-XL.jpg Motorcyle parking, like everywhere in Europe, is free and wherever you can find it We park right on the boardwalk overlooking the Osum River. That's the name of the river. Osum. How Osum is that? https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0603-L.jpg We can see our motorcycles from the cafe where we're having lunch Pizza seems to be very popular in Albania. But that is true pretty much everywhere in the world. Here are a couple of random pieces of trivia: There are more Albanians living outside of Albania than inside the country. In New York City, Albanian-owned pizzerias are fast displacing Italian-owned pizza-pie restaurants... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0251-L.jpg This is what Berat is known for. White Ottoman houses line the valley on both sides of the Osum River. This has led to Berat being nicknamed the "town of a thousand windows". One side of the river is more commercial, with the white buildings housing restaurants and stores. The other side, the Quartor of Gorica, is more residential and also has some hostels for backpackers to stay in. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0264-L.jpg
Crossing the bridge to see more of these white houses on the other side. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0248-L.jpg There are three bridges across the Osum, two pedestrian and a main vehicle crossing https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0608-L.jpg Okay, back on the bikes. Let's see where we're staying. On the commercial side of Berat, we climb a steep cobblestone road up to the Kala, a walled citadel at the top of the hill. There's a few churches inside the fortress, as well as some cafes, stores and restaurants. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0611-L.jpg At the gates to the fortress https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0620-XL.jpg The bumpy ride into the Kala We ride past all the vendors selling clothing, their wares hanging on the inside of the walls of the citadel. Most people trek up here for the view and to visit the churches. We're actually sleeping here! How Osum is that? |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0287-L.jpg
I join in on the cobblestone fun. Also, proof that I ride a motorcycle on this trip too! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0630-L.jpg This is the courtyard of where we're staying. Our bikes share the parking spot with a lady selling clothing and souvenirs Every time we ride in and out of our apartment, the old Albanian lady has to move her little storefront out of the way. But she does so obligingly. She's very friendly and always smiles at us! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0308-L.jpg The building on the right with the umbrellas in front of it is where we are staying https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0644-L.jpg Walking around the Kala. There are a few people actually living up here inside the fortress walls |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0640-L.jpg
Neda knows all the nature tricks. Here she is making me laugh by making this snap dragon flower talk. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0650-L.jpg An old Jawa motorcycle from Czechoslovakia rests up against the inside wall of the citadel. It's more of a decoration than a vehicle at this point https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0306-L.jpg We walk through one of the gates in the wall to get a view of the mountainside below https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0300-L.jpg Beautiful greenery everywhere. I can't believe the weather we are having! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0295-L.jpg We can see that a few kms outside of the old city of Berat is the more modern city centre |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0668-L.jpg
This face seemed a bit odd and out of place https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0313-L.jpg More Albanian ladies enjoying the weather and scenery https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0321-L.jpg Neda balancing on some of the ruins of the castle walls https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0341-L.jpg One of the beautiful churches inside the Kala. The Holy Trinity Church of Berat https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0328-L.jpg Totally enjoying Berat! You'll have to excuse me now. I have to get back to planning our route through Albania... |
Thanks for sharing
Great photos and write ups. You two are having a great time, thanks for taking the time to share with us. When you get to Central Asia look us up. We live in Kyrgyzstan.
Mac |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/325.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map325-L.jpg Our tour of Albania continues. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9586-L.jpg Leaving our Albanian castle accommodations behind. So sad! :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SCN9596-XL.jpg And back down the steep cobblestone road to the old city of Berat I can't believe the beautiful weather we are continuing to have. Our friends all over Western Europe - from the UK, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland - they've been constantly PMing us to ask, "Where are you? It's been raining for weeks now! Are you here in town? Are you to blame for this?!?" Sorry guys. It's absolutely perfect where *we* are! RideDOT.com curse is broken! (knock on wood) |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9606-L.jpg
From Berat, we backtrack north a little bit to ride past Fier towards Vlorë https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9623-L.jpg At Vlorë, we turn back inland towards the mountains. Nice seeing where the road will take us up ahead! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9630-L.jpg Admiring the valley below us. We were Vlorëd by the beauty... SH76 follows the contours of the Vlorë valley carved by the Shushicë river somewhere far below us. Not much traffic here, but the pavement is surprisingly nice and twisty. We enjoy the curves, the scenery and the perfect riding weather! |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9637-L.jpg
We turn off the main road and head to an archaeological site that Neda found online About 40 kms south of Vlorë is supposed to be the site of the ancient Greek ruins of Amantia. Not a lot of signage, but we manage to find the turnoff to the gravel road that leads up to a stone fort up at the top of the hill. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0407-L.jpg "Oooh! Ancient ruins! I'm excited now!" We park our bikes at the bottom of the hill. By the 3rd century BC, Amantia was quite a developed city, it had it's own temple as well as an acropolis. The city was abandoned by 6th century AD. Since then, most of it has been looted by illegal diggers and treasure hunters, but some of the foundations still remained for the archaeologists to dig up and showcase. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0686-L.jpg This is the Amantia stadium. It looks like they played football here. Neda sits at the 40-yard line: "This is not even in the same league as the Pula amphitheater." So far not that exciting. We try to find the rest of the ruins, and it looks like the only direction is up the hill. The road looks pretty steep and rough so we opt to leave the bikes down here and hike up. I'm not too jazzed about that, but I'm trying not to complain too much, otherwise I'll be stuck planning and leading this entire trip forever! It's about a one km steep climb to get to the top. We should have left our riding jackets on the motorcycles. I'm huffing and puffing and sweating profusely carrying all the cameras and my jacket. But I'm not complaining. Excessively. I think... |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0362-L.jpg
Halfway up, we can see the road we took to get here. Nice! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0402-L.jpg This Albanian man was watching us hike up the hill. "Why hike when you have a horse?" "Exactly, Albanian Man. I have like a hundred of them sitting in that field down there... :(" At the top, the stone structure is just a little village, it doesn't look like it's part of any Greek ruins. We walk to the other side. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0378-L.jpg Are those the ruins? They don't look very impressive from up here... Neda wants to hike down to the ruins. It's basically the same level as where we parked our bikes! I perform a quick reward-to-effort ratio calculation in my head and the number I come up with is waaaay too low. So I ask to be excused from this section of the hike. |
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0381-L.jpg
I waited for Neda at the top while she hiked down. I took some pictures in the meantime. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0391-XL.jpg She made it to the bottom. I'm using the extra-super-zoom feature on the camera here. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0699-L.jpg Neda says, "I walked all the way down here for *this*? What a waste!" I felt pretty smug at the top of the hill. Saved soooo many calories! I waited for her as she hiked back up and then we trudged back down the hill towards our bikes. Neda doesn't seem to mind all this extra exercise. She's so weird. When we reached the parking lot/field we saw two other motos with Austrian plates. We talked a bit with the riders and exchanged riding stories. Then off they went leaving us alone, except for another Albanian: https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl.../O/twitter.jpg This guy travels even slower than we do! But not by much... |
Despite SH76 looking to be more twisty roads south through the Kurvelesh Mountains, we instead double back north towards Vlorë.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9640-L.jpg There are random war memorials and statues scattered all over the countryside in Albania https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9643-L.jpg Made it into Vlorë for a very late lunch It's a pretty seaside town. We head to the boardwalk to try to find a restaurant. Lots of pizza places here in Vlorë. We had some really greasy pasta for lunch and then jumped back on the bikes for the main course of the day! The reason why we doubled back to the coast was because I had read there was a must-do road in this area. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN9650-L.jpg The coastal road south of Vlorë towards Sarandë has consistently placed on many top ten lists of Best European Roads |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:03. |