Off to the Balkans

Well today wasn’t a great day on the bike. I mean it was awesome to be riding incredible roads and seeing fantastic sites, really amazing actually. But it was pouring rain and we were forced to take the toll highway to make the ferry in time. Fifty kilometres of fast hard riding here can take an hour…

But that wasn’t exactly the issue – I was not in the zone. This riding requires continous focus, and if the confidence is there and the fear is pushed back, then the rewards are high. Fast, smooth, peg dragging cornering and a rhythm that is addictive. But if the concentration is gone and the confidence wavers, the corners become a bit of a scary struggle. Of course if you slow down things become easier once again, but the smooth, graceful flow that can be is sorely missed.

Our ride today took us from the incredible seaside town of Vieste, with its white marble-tiled side streets, hill top church and rustic seafront, along the very tight switchbacks and sheer drops of the southern Adriatic Riviera to a few run ins with Lady Garmin. I think Robero had planned a route that jogged inland but not having time we decided to take a run along the coast. Eventually we gave up on the GPS and just followed signs for Bari, which took us first to Foggia and then along the toll road to Bari. We had a beer on the waterfront waiting for Roberto who had blasted down the expressway from Florence in one day and boarded the ferry for the overnight cruise to Igoumenitsa in Greece.

Tomorrow am we wake up in Greece and are on the road by 6:30 am, with mid morning coffee in Albania assuming borders go well.